# SS 07.11.15 - Berlioz "Romeo et Juliette"



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869)*

Romeo et Juliette (_Symphonie Dramatique), _Op. 17, H. 79

*Part 1: *
1. Introduction: _Combats_ (Combat) - _Tumulte_ (Tumult) -
_Intervention du prince_ (Intervention of the prince) -_Prologue_ - Strophes - Scherzetto
*
Part 2:*
2. _Roméo seul_ (Romeo alone) - _Tristesse_ (Sadness) -
_Bruits lointains de concert et de bal_ (Distant sounds from the concert and the ball) -_Grande fête chez Capulet_ (Great banquet at the Capulets) 
3. _Scène d'amour_ (Love scene) - _Nuit serène_ (Serene night) -
Le jardin de Capulet silencieux et déserte _(The Capulets' garden silent and deserted) -__Les jeunes Capulets sortant de la fête en chantant des réminiscences de la musique du bal_ (The young Capulets leaving the banquet singing snatches of music from the ball) 
4. Scherzo: _La reine Mab, reine des songes_ (Queen Mab, the queen of dreams - the Queen Mab Scherzo)
*
Part 3:*
5. _Convoi funèbre de Juliette_ (Funeral cortège for the young Juliet): _"Jetez des fleurs pour la vierge expirée"_ ("Throw flowers for the dead virgin")
6. _Roméo au tombeau des Capulets_ (Romeo at the tomb of the Capulets) -
Invocation: _Réveil de Juliette_ (Juliet awakes) - _Joie délirante, désespoir_ (Delirious joy, despair) -_Dernières angoisses et mort des deux amants_ (Last throes and death of the two lovers) 
7. Finale:
_La foule accourt au cimetière_ (The crowd rushes to the graveyard) -_Des Capulets et des Montagus_ (Fight between the Capulets and Montagues) -_Récitatif et Air du Père Laurence_ (Friar Lawrence's recitative and aria) Aria: _"Pauvres enfants que je pleure"_ ("Poor children that I weep for") -_Serment de réconciliation_ (Oath of reconciliation) Oath: _"Jurez donc par l'auguste symbole"_ ("Swear by the revered symbol")

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another Saturday Symphony is upon us.  This is not a work I am overly familiar with. I've heard excerpts from it a few times but not the complete work so I'm looking forward to giving it a spin. I only have two recordings on disc so this weekend I'll give them both a listen.

A complete version:
View attachment 77347

Arturo Toscanini/NBC Symphony Orchestra

And "Excerpts" from:
View attachment 77348

Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

The Dutoit version on decca for me.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Sir Colin Davis from the Orchestral (sic.) Works boxed set. By the way, if anyone can point me in the direction where I can find the texts online in English I'd be grateful!


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Boulez here.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Riccardo Muti for me .


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## Bayreuth (Jan 20, 2015)

Romeo et Juliette... A personal favorite!! I don't know how but I will try to find the time to join the SS tradition this weekend. I will be listening to Gardiner/Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique/Monteverdi Choir, which is one of the CDs in my collection that I love the most, although I don't listen to it as frequently as I should (probably due to its length)


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Muti for myself as well.










That makes two unconventional symphonies in a row!


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Streaming this one (Paita/Prague Festival Orchestra).

A bit of a mysterious recording. I read a (glowing) online review complaining that there was no mention of the singers. The reviewer e-mailed the conductor himself, who said he couldn't remember.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

There appear to be only two complete recordings posted to YT, only one of which indicates the performers , so I will choose that one:

Berlioz Roméo et Juliette
Davis/LSO


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I am not a fan of Seiji Ozawa but I bought this recording a loooong time ago as it is almost identical to a performance that I attended in the shed at Tanglewood on a very magical, warm August evening.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I shall go for Davis also.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

I've owned LSO/Monteux, LSO/C.Davis and one or two others. None had too much staying power. Consequently, it's a work that's currently absent from my collection. But I'll soldier up and listen to Muti's, if it's available at YT. :tiphat:


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Davis and LSO


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Vaneyes said:


> I've owned LSO/Monteux, LSO/C.Davis and one or two others. None had too much staying power. Consequently, it's a work that's currently absent from my collection. But I'll soldier up and listen to Muti's, if it's available at YT. :tiphat:


I agree. I like some excerpts, but the whole work is a chore to take in, especially the last part, which has the most forgettable music. I also have the Monteux. Btw, do people think that this is a 'proper Symphony'? It is more like an Oratorio to me.


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2015)

There are two versions of the Monteux, one of them sonically execrable, one of them magically transformed into almost glorious sound.

They're the same performance, but the difference the sonics make is tremendous.

The execrable one is the one coupled with Tchaikovsky's _Romeo & Juliet._ If that's the one you have, just throw it in the trash. The good one's on Westminster, if you can believe that--Westminster in vinyl days not being known for hi-fidelity; more like abysmal fidelity--coupled with Leibowitz's recording of _Symphony fantastique._

One of Davis's (the one with the Wiener Philharmoniker and Borodina, Moser, and Miles) is quite good. And Muti's with Jessye Norman and so forth is pretty good, too. Good enough, each of those, to give you a fair sense of this wildly gorgeous monster.

I know of no one who has topped Monteux, yet.

As for whether it's a proper symphony, well, it's a very _im_proper symphony. That's what makes it so cool. It is nothing like an oratorio.


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

I switch between these two. Dutoit has the French touch, the recording quality, Gardiner has the choir and the soloists.


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## Bayreuth (Jan 20, 2015)

Common guys! Here in Spain is 11 AM Friday. From now on I'm absolutely free this weekend and can't wait to know what piece is the chosen one for this week's SS tradition!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

SweetJesus said:


> Common guys! Here in Spain is 11 AM Friday. From now on I'm absolutely free this weekend and can't wait to know what piece is the chosen one for this week's SS tradition!


You can find out by looking at the Top 150 Symphonies list. The Saturday Symphonies is a listening club thing based on listening to the list in order on consecutive Saturdays.


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