Search - Berlioz, Primrose, Munch :: Berlioz: Harold in Italy Opus 16 ; d'Indy: Symphony on a French Mountain Air Opus 25

The master violist

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 11/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"William Primrose, the premier violist of his era until his death in '82, gives us a performance in this Berlioz masterpiece that is flawless; so expressive, from the gentle passages to the robust, fiery ones, he handles them with perfect ease and a golden tone.
Commissioned by Nicolo Paganini in 1834 (there is a fascinating story about this in the booklet insert), it's one of Berlioz' most lyrical and glorious compositions, and my personal favorite of his big orchestral pieces.It's paired well with d'Indy's "Symphonie". Though not quite in the same league as the Berlioz composition, and few would be...it's a lovely piece with an expert performance by Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer on piano.
Charles Munch, known for his wonderful interpretations of French music, and who was Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from '49 to '62, conducts both selections to perfection.Recorded in March of '58, the booklet states that the analog source of the recording was made before noise-reduction methods were available, so that "some noise may be experienced in reproduction on wide-range equipment". I find the sound quite clear and good considering its age, and the exquisite performance makes up for any lack of scintillating stereo sound. Total time is 63:21."

Le Grand Tour de Force

Robert V. Lindquist | Hemet, CA United States | 04/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording, with Charles Munch conducting, goes beyond being well done. To bring the sweep and head to tail timing necessary to carry off "On a French Mountain Air", Dame Fortune must have touched the conductor's baton and kissed the hands of pianist, Nicole Henriette Schweitzer. Piano and orchestra trade places and combine seamlessly. This is vintage RCA Red Seal at its best, bringing triumph out of a truly challenging orchestral
work. You like French composers? Eh bien.. Que vais-je dire.
C'est magnifique!"