Search - Hector Berlioz, Colin Davis, Dresden Staatskapelle :: Berlioz: Overtures

Good but not great

Prescott Cunningham Moore | 09/30/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This seems silly. RCA already has (arguably) the greatest Berlioz conductor in this music with an orchestra that creates a much more authentic French sound than this fantastic, but most German of German orchestras. Similarly, Davis has already recorded this music to acclaim for Phillips. Thus, it seems RCA is twice shooting itself in the foot, competing with itself and with the conductor. And these interpretations, while quite fine, certainly do not rise up to the level of either Munch or Davis earlier, not to mention many of the other fine performances of these overtures scattered throughout the catalog.



That being said, Davis's interpretations here are as solid as ever, and the Dresden Staatskappel follows his every move. Both are best in the opera overtures. Beatrice and Benedict is light and buoyant and playful, really capturing the essence not only of Berlioz but of Shakespeare as well. Benvenuto Cellini is probably the best of the lot, really played to the hilt. The brass work is quite fine, the winds idiomatic, and the strings dispose of the many dangerous passages with ease. The central climax has the necessary weight while the coda is bombastic, over-the-top, and appropriately big.



That being said, the orchestra at no time sounds French, especially in the heavy strings and the antediluvian German percussion. This makes the portentous opening of King Lear sound less BIG than just heavy and plodding. Benvenuto Cellini lacks the lightness of touch in some of the faster passages. The Huguenots similarly lacks that last ounce of idiomatic flair.



The biggest surprise, however, is the particularly lifeless Roman Carnival Overture. There are plenty of beautiful moments throughout, especially the English horn work and the following slow music. But the opening fanfare is anything but exciting while the heaviness of the brass gives the illusion that the orchestra is struggling when really everything is smooth sailing. The blame clearly lies at Davis's hands for making this music sound as festive as the title suggests.



All in all, a release that fans of either this orchestra or this conductor will enjoy, and Berlioz fans may well want to hear Davis's most recent thoughts on these works. Similarly, it is nice to have a one-stop-shop for the overtures. But those that have the time and energy can certainly compile a better set.



As a side note, it is interesting to note that Davis enjoyed high praise at the beginning of his career. But when one looks at his revered London Symphony Cycle, his great Dvorak, wonderful Mozart, and reference Sibelius cycle, one realizes that the orchestras with which he worked (the Concertgebouw, the Dresden Staatskappel, and the Boston Symphony), he really did not have much to do in order to generate top-tier performances. Is it necessarily surprising that his two subsequent Sibelius cycles with the LSO and his Dvorak with the same orchestra were less good than his performances with the BSO and the Concertgebouw respectively?"