In my opinion, the peak achievement of his Berlioz Cycle was his recording of Benvenuto Cellini. That was absolutely astounding, sheer perfection!

Couldn’t agree more regarding the merits of Les Troyens, David! What a piece! It’s a work that stays with you long after the notes have fallen silent. Benvenuto Cellini has begun to come into its own in the last several decades with many staged performances, but Colin Davis was there pretty much first as well; though it is true the work is uneven. The first two tableaux are incredibly brilliant and vivacious, and then the final two tableaux are a bit of a mess in either the Paris or Weimar versions. You can well imagine Paris was not ready for this work in 1838.

These came out as I was beginning my classical musical life, and it opened my lifelong love of Berlioz the composer and writer. Still listen...

@paullewis2413

3 ай бұрын

Absolutely the same with me. As a teenager discovering the World’s greatest music I went to a concert performance of Les Troyens conducted by Davis. Totally mesmerised by the entire work and never wanted it to end. This began my love for his music and after Sibelius he is my favourite composer.

The booklet to the "Philips Classics - The Stereo Years" has some interesting stories about the Berlioz Cycle. Management hadn't authorised a complete cycle of all the works (given the expense), but Colin Davis' producer sneakily advertised the initial release as being "the first part of the Philips Berlioz Cycle" and they just carried on anyway. Apparently during the recording of the "Te Deum" in Watford Town Hall, the organ caught fire

@DavesClassicalGuide

3 ай бұрын

It sounded better when it was hot.

Berlioz's quirkiness is one of his most endearing qualities.

Sir Colin Davis is a true interpreter of Berlioz, also a true friend!

Go figure the French. They are indifferent to their own Berlioz yet love our Jerry Lewis!

@bloodgrss

3 ай бұрын

To paraphrase what Berlioz once wrote about the Viennese toward Beethoven, the French had a giant among them in Berlioz, but preferred dwarves...

I agree wholeheartedly. Berlioz, Davis, and the LSO (and Phillips) combined in a stellar fashion. His Overtures album is terrific, along with the "band" piece, Funeral and Triumphant Symphony.

I have these on vinyl and they are wonderful recordings. Best is that Philips pressings were the best being manufactured back in the 70’s. There was nothing more annoying than clicks when you were enjoying the quieter passages on a new record.. Most Philips pressings were exemplary, and to get a whole box all perfect was so satisfying.

I have ordered the older 6 CD set of Berlioz's complete orchestral works with Colin Davis from Phillips. Berlioz was one of those composers I have never gotten into. I can't wait!

I learned of Harold en Italie and other Berlioz works from reading biographies of Russian nationalist composers and Rimsky’s autobiography. Did those Ruskies love Berlioz (at least until they met him! My concert music friends thought I’d lost my mind, as if listening to the Moguchaya Kuchka had irreparably led me away from all that was holy and German. I’m glad I ended up with the David recordings. Musical adventure is out there, and it’s quite worth the time devoted to its enjoyment.

It is a great set 👍 I've had it on LP & CD....Good Stuff 😊

If anyone from Decca is watching, can we get a complete Sir Colin Davis Philips recordings box, please?

When you consider that Beethoven composed the 9th Symphony in 1824, and only 6 years later, Berlioz composed the Synmphonie Fantastique, you get a real idea of what a game changer Berlioz truely was.

One piece that I have never found a Colin Davis recording of is the Rob Roy Overture. I understand that Berlioz was embarrassed by this creation, but still odd that Davis omitted it, while Beecham, Boult and Gibson had no issues with it.

@murraylow4523

3 ай бұрын

Well funny as I’m from the north of Scotland and Gibson used to come up and do things so I certainly heard that

The Brits have quite a solid record of support for Berlioz. Harty recorded a lot of Berlioz in the 30s; Beecham revived Les Troyens and the Te Deum (recorded for Columbia), among others. And then Davis.

@bloodgrss

3 ай бұрын

As you and Dave mentioned, the English did support Berlioz. It should be mentioned that the great English critic Ernest Newman was a champion who influenced future play and appreciation.

This isn't on topic at all, but I've recently been revisiting the Vittorio Giannini piano concerto which I discovered through one of your videos that included "Major discoveries" in its' title. Can you possibly make some more "major discovery" videos of unknown piano concerti? I'm pretty familiar with a lot of very obscure concerti, but that Giannini recommendation was SUCH an incredible discovery indeed and I'm wondering what other unknown piano concerti you might have hiding up your sleeve...

@classicallpvault8251

3 ай бұрын

I'd start off by checking Michael Ponti's recording legacy. He recorded a ton of forgotten piano concerti. All of them can be found on LP cheaply on the Discogs marketplace.

@kingconcerto5860

3 ай бұрын

@@classicallpvault8251 Appreciate that, I do have a bunch of them though... Any specific ones you have particular affection for?

Hi Dave. I enjoy your comments on good and bad performances/recordings and who does it best. What I’d really like to know is who are your top 10 conductors of all time? You could make it a long series by composer but even if it’s only a top 10 in general, it would definitely be interesting. ;)

@DavesClassicalGuide

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion. Let me think about it.

Heard Lelio and Le Corsaire in Music Hall Cincinnati CSO under Thomas Schippers. Got vinyl Lp columbia Harold in Italy Ormandy/ de Pasquale Philadelphia. Colin Davis Les Nuits d'Été. Te Deum and Funeral and Triumphal Symphony. Listened to the nights of sumner in a house with a picture window onto a giant white oak very effective at sunset.

The French establishment has consistently refused to honour Berlioz, or indeed any other composer, by transferring his remains to the Panthéon. The nearest they got was under Chirac but he let himself be persuaded to refuse it on the grounds that some of Berlioz's views had been Politically Incorrect! They have been scarcely more generous with painters (only Joseph-Marie Vien?????) but a tad more with writers, just seven.

I love Davis’s Berlioz recordings. Definitely one of the most important recording projects. Speaking of French, You often speak of Christophe Huss and Le Devoir. He just wrote a fantastic article about your favorite Ken Barbie Conductor and how he fiddles and messes with recordings postproduction. Any chance you could do a talk on the editing process and what’s to be expected and what’s not? How much of what is described is “normal” and is what’s described above and beyond what’s to be expected?

@DavesClassicalGuide

3 ай бұрын

I really don't have that kind of insider information, but it's a fun topic.

My wife freezes her water exactly like this and swears by it [ooops small edit needed there...]

Reference recording....Davis' Symphonie funebre et triomphale? Perhaps? Yes...the Dondeyne second recording issued in the US on Nonesuch is almost certainly a better recording, but still....Davis had the major label and the distribution. And the LSO. So....Davis must be the reference recording!

Is Dutoit's traversal of basically all of this same stuff one of the least important projects?

@DavesClassicalGuide

3 ай бұрын

Probably.

I love Rob too.😀

Yes it’s fantastic and I have listened to most of it. Berlioz is not my favourite composer (and I’d doubt I’d like him if I met him, he get more grumpy and conservative later on) But yes the French never appreciated what they had (story of his life) and it’s not Boulez’s fault as he was an admirer however indifferent you may feel his efforts were. More of a non Boulez establishment created over a longer period of time. So it was the British etc that saved it. I wish it weren’t so, but it was

But this ain't a new box, isnt it?

@DavesClassicalGuide

3 ай бұрын

No, it ain't.