Hector Berlioz's music frequently has a grandeur that's in the tradition of grand opera, symphony, or the work of virtuoso composer/performers such as Paganini. While this album has moments of capturing Berlioz's grandeur, it does not quite achieve the drama and emotion so necessary for the composer's music. Part of this difficulty may stem from the fact that the talented Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble conducted by Marc Minkowski is used to performing music on a smaller scale and is renowned for Baroque music on period ...
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Hector Berlioz's music frequently has a grandeur that's in the tradition of grand opera, symphony, or the work of virtuoso composer/performers such as Paganini. While this album has moments of capturing Berlioz's grandeur, it does not quite achieve the drama and emotion so necessary for the composer's music. Part of this difficulty may stem from the fact that the talented Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble conducted by Marc Minkowski is used to performing music on a smaller scale and is renowned for Baroque music on period instruments, as well as Mozart. For example, the beginning of Harold in Italy is barely audible, the sound is somewhat flat and lacking in energy, though finally it crescendos. The recording quality does not have much reverb, and this contributes to the flatness. The string solos are beautiful, particularly those of violist Antoine Tamestit, and the orchestra does begin to pick up and play with more liveliness as the first movement progresses. Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble has...
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