Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, first performed in Paris in 1830, marked a new era of programmatic instrumental music.
Performer Biography
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, the conductor, first gained international attention in 2004 when he stepped in to conduct the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich at the Vienna Musikverein, an event celebrated by the Viennese press as a 'wonder from Vienna'.
Compositional Technique
Berlioz expanded beyond Beethoven's orchestral standards, creating the large romantic symphony orchestra and experimenting with daring instrumentation in the Symphonie fantastique.
Compositional Technique
In the Symphonie fantastique, Berlioz employed intentionally unpleasant sounds, such as glissandi, playing with the wooden part of the bow, and extreme woodwind and brass tones, to create an unreal musical world.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Berlioz provided the Symphonie fantastique with a detailed program to make its 'poetic thought' comprehensible, depicting the experiences and dreams of an artist suffering from unrequited love.
Compositional Technique
Berlioz used an "Idée fixe," a guiding theme that appears in various forms throughout all five movements of the Symphonie fantastique, symbolizing the image of his beloved.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded live on October 7, 2012, at the Musikverein, Goldener Saal, in Vienna.
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Nielsen, C.: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 6, 'sinfonia Semplice'
Strauss, R.: Symphony No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 12
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14
Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14
Franck: Symphony in D Minor / Chausson: Symphony in B-Flat Major
Raff: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 10
Nielsen: Symphony No. 2 "The Four Temperaments" & Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable"
