© Robert Malone for photos and commentary
All rights of reproduction reserved.
This page presents the photos taken by Mr Robert Malone of CD in his personal collection. He holds the copyright for all of them.
Each photo is accompanied by Mr. Malone’s own commentary.
We are most grateful to Mr. Malone for sending us scanned copies of the photos and granting us permission to reproduce them on our site.
Symphonie fantastique, Orchestre Lamoureux / Igor Markevitch, on DG; a commercial release made January 1961, in stereo. An earlier Markevitch recording of this was made with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1953, mono only. The earlier version was even more driven than this one, as may be noted by the (relatively) slower tempi in all 5 movements — comparing 1953 with 1961, 13:19/14:15, 5:49/6:08, 14:39/15:58, 4:26/4:48, 10:07/11:03. This recording is a true Berlioz classic!
A collection of Berlioz miscellany, the main item being the arrangement of La Marseillaise for soloists, choruses, and orchestra. Other items on here are the Benvenuto Cellini Overture, Love Scene from Roméo et Juliette, the 3 normally heard orchestral excerpts from La Damnation de Faust, Le Corsaire Overture, Trojan March and Royal Hunt & Storm from Les Troyens. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Chorus / David Zinman; the vocal soloists are Sylvia McNair (soprano) and Richard Leech (tenor). Recorded October 1987 for Telarc.
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg / Sylvain Cambreling, conductor; made January 2002 on the Hänssler Classic label. Contents are Harold in Italy, with Jean-Eric Soucy, viola; three orchestral excerpts from La Damnation de Faust (Marche Hongroise, Ballet des Sylphes, and Menuet des follets), and Chasse royale et orage from Les Troyens.
SWR Sinfonierorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg conducted by Sylvain Cambreling, a release originally from 2003. Also features vocalists Laura Aikin (soprano) and Lani Poulson (mezzo-sop.), SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart. Contents: La Belle voyageuse, La Captive, Le Jeune pâtre breton, Zaïde, Sara la baigneuse, Tristia, Op. 18, Chant sacré, Hélène, and Le Ballet des ombres (Florian Hölscher, piano)
Requiem, Op. 5. Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Toby Spence (tenor) / Roger Norrington, conductor. Live recording of May 2003, on Hänssler Classic.
L’Enfance du Christ, Op. 25. Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, numerous soloists / Roger Norrington, conductor. Live recording of Sept. 2002 on Hänssler Classic.
Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14; Les Francs-juges Overture, Op. 3. Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR. A live recording on Hänssler Classic, made July 2003. Norrington had originally made what I believe to have been the first “historically informed performance” (H.I.P.) with the London Classical Players for the Virgin label back in March 1988. This is a re-do from Stuttgart with a modern orchestra (and here, Norrington’s tempi are even slower than in his earlier version) Personal note: I regard Norrington’s 1988 recording as a major achievement and a “must hear”; this one is neither played as well nor sounds as magnificent.
A potpourri of of Berlioz works from Deutsche Grammophon (also works originally on Philips and Decca); this 2-CD set released in 2000.
1) Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14, Berlin Philharmonic / Herbert von Karajan; original release 1975.
2) Le Carnaval romain, Op. 9, Berlin Philharmonic / Lorin Maazel, original release 1985.
3) La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24, Boston Symphony Orchestra / Seiji Ozawa; 7 excerpts (3 orchestral, 4 vocal) apparently from the recording of the complete work, originally released in 1974.
4) Rêverie et caprice, Op. 8; Arthur Grumiaux, violin, New Philharmonia Orchestra / Edo De Waart; original release 1971 on Philips.
5) Les Nuits d’été, Op. 7; Régine Crespin, soprano, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Ernest Ansermet; original release 1963 on Decca.
6) Requiem, Op. 5, Movement IX ‘Sanctus’ only; Luciano Pavarotti, tenor, Berlin Philharmonic / James Levine; original release 1992.
© Unless otherwise stated, Monir Tayeb and Michel Austin. All rights of reproduction reserved.
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