Un Bal

BERLIOZ. Symphonic fantastique. Overtures—Le Corsaire; Le carnaval romain. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Enrique Batiz. ASV digital © DCA590: LP ZCDCA590; CD CDDCA590 (73 minutes).
BERLIOZ. Symphonic fantastique. Vienna Symphony Orchestra / Georges Pretre. Teldec/ ASV digital © 6 43300; 1=] 4 43300; CD 8 43300 (49 minutes).
BERLIOZ. Symphonic fantastique. London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Williams. Pick-wick IMP Classics CD ® PCD870 (58 minutes). BERLIOZ. Symphonie fantastique''. Overture—Le Corsaire. LES TROYENS—Royal Hunt and Storm". 'Beecham Choral Society; "French National Radio Orchestra; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Thomas Beecham EMI CD © CDC7 47863-2 (70 minutes). Items marked ' from ASD399 (11/61), ''ASD420 (9/61), "30259 (6/59). Symphonic fantastique—selected comparison:Concertgebouw, C. Davis, CD (12/84) 411 425-2PH

Of these four new discs of the Symphonic fantastique to add to the 15 already listed, the one which predictably is the most cherishable is the vintage Beecham version. A warning has to be given that Beecham's view of the "Marche au supplice" is almost eccentrically slow, but the ominous quality he finds is a ready justification. Also in a work as brilliant as this the relative thinness of string tone, fizzy at times, is a drawback, and the open pauseful textures of the "Scene aux champs" expose a distracting hum. The reading itself is endlessly imaginative, not always as trustful as you would expect of Beecham but magnetic none the less, with the French National Radio Orchestra responding warmly. The front cover wrongly credits the Royal Philharmonic for the whole disc, and the two superb fill-ups bring classic Berlioz performances from that orchestrawith the Beecham Choral Society adding to the tingling, atmospheric excitement of the "Royal Hunt and Storm". The sound is fuller too than in the Paris recordings of the symphony, matching what we have had in previous Beecham/RPO Compact Discs.

Of the three completely new versions the most desirable is the one with Enrique Batiz conducting Beecham's old orchestra. The consistent warmth, and intensity of the whole performance is most persuasive, with atmosphere and dramatic contrasts strongly presented. If next to Beecham or Colin Davis (Philips) the reading lacks a little in refinement and detail, it comes with superb digital sound, full and weighty, and with a generous coupling in the two overtures in similarly strong performances. Unlike Beecham, but like Davis, Batiz observes the exposition repeat in the first movement.

So does the American conductor, Richard Williams, on the mid-price CD from IMP, which is also given a very refined if slightly distanced recording. That distancing does not help to compensate for the lack of bite and tension in much of the performance, which in that contrasts very strongly with Batiz. The playing of the LSO, like the recording, is pointed and tasteful and nicely detailed, but the result sounds a little too careful, more like a studio run-through than a live performance, though the build-up of excitement at the end in the "Songe d'une nuit de Sabbat" is splendid, making you realize the more what has been missing earlier.

The Pretre is disappointing on every front, in playing, recording and even in interpretation, for the often exaggerated expressiveness in slow passages seems self-conscious, and much of the rest sounds perfunctory or willful, with tension surprisingly low. There is no exposition repeat and no fill-up. On balance I would still recommend the Davis version before any of the newcomers, with the 1974 analogue recording still sounding full and vivid and the reading giving a freshness in its detailed expressiveness, a natural sense of drama as well as of structure, that is hard to match. Though in their different ways Batiz and Beecham now both have their place too.

E.G., Gramophone, January 1988