Dimitri Mitropoulos – Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (180g LP)

Audiophile Mastering By Kevin Gray From Original Master Tapes!

Beethoven had just finished writing his symphonies when in 1830 a young Frenchman created a sensation with his completely novel and exuberant orchestral music. Based on classical music form, Berlioz composed his “massive instrumental composition” as a five-movement musical drama. Such a stroke of genius, in which the ego and grief thereof are described, had never been heard before in the French Romantic period.
Berlioz employs a very large orchestra with a big timpani section, four bassoons and military brass to present the young artist an autobiographically motivated character who dreams his way through the various episodes, hallucinating and frenzied. Here it is clear that it is Berlioz’ declared intention to express the artist’s visions radically and unmistakably in music beginning with the ever-recurring delusional ‘idée fixe’ via a terrifying opium intoxication and ending up with the nightmare of his own burial.

Of the many high-quality, often highly impassioned performances, this particular one by Dimitri Mitropoulos is certainly a benchmark recording. The great conductor makes the rhythms pulsate; he skillfully mixes the wealth of sound coloring, and blends the orchestral instruments so subtly that one notices previously unheard details with every listening.

This Speakers Corner production was manufactured 100% analogously, with the use of the analogue master tape and analogue mastering.

Features:

• 180g Virgin Vinyl
• High Quality Pressing
• Pure Analogue Audiophile Mastering
• Cut By Kevin Gray From Original Master Tapes

ID: Columbia Masterworks – MS 6030, Speakers Corner Records – MS 6030