The Best Recordings of Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique

Gil Zilkha, singer/collector/music enthusiast
In this installment of Essential Classical Music, I cover the best recordings of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. This video is taken from my larger video covering the major symphonies and their best recordings. Featured conductors include Beecham, Koussevitzky and Davis.

[@thomasvendetti3742]

Munch BSO….Munch BSO.

[@martinhaub6828]

A shout out here for Maazel/Cleveland on Telarc. Superbly recorded, obviously well-played, and brilliantly conducted. Plus: the added cornet part in II is discreetly played and...the best sounding church bells ever.

[@DavidJohnson-of3vh]

Nice list. I have the Paray/Detroit. I greatly enjoy the Ormandy/Philly on old Columbia (60s, I believe) because of the very deep-toned funeral bells. Speaking of those bells, Hvk/Berlin has the actual bells from hell! Turn that one up and let them ring!!

[@geraldmartin7703]

Much admired in its day was the 1951 Willem Van Otterloo recording with the Berlin Philharmonic. One critic wrote that it was the Berlin Philharmonic's first performance of the work. There was a recent Pickwick budget CD that purported to be the recording but it absolutely was not. (For one thing it was in stereo). It has apparently been withdrawn. The actual recording can be listened to after a diligent web search.

[@josephlow1102]

enjoyed your videos and recommendations - on Symphonie Fantastique ( one of my favorites ) my choice relies on the church bells towards the end - and Paray's rendition which overall is as you described but for the use of cylindrical bells instead of actual church bells -- have you listened to the recording by Eugene Goosens and the LSO?

[@Barbirollifan]

It is good to have your video reviews to complement the other main video reviewer out there. He often completely overlooks inportant historical recordings that to many of us are the strongest performances of all time of these works. One should at least mention them so those out there have a chance to listen and decide for themselves how much a drawback limited sound is. (I am a huge fan of both the Beecham and the Monteux BTW).

[@GilZilkha]

Thanks, and well stated

[@songsmith31a]

The Colin Davis/LSO version originally on LP was very well regarded. Later released on CD.

[@AlsoSprach_Zarathustra]

That is my favorite too, being a little better than the one with the Royal Concertgebouw IMO.

[@CardinalsFanever]

Mehta with LPO and Zdeněk Mácal with New Jersey symphony orchestra 👍

[@chrisnorlin57]

Tilson Thomas / SFO

[@nannojonkers6395]

No Markevitch ?

[@trialman121950]

What? No Munch??

[@GilZilkha]

Exciting in the finale, but I think others paint a more complete picture of the work