Album Review: Symphonie Fantastique & Le Roi Lear by Hector Berlioz
If you’re into classical music with a dash of drama and wild imagination, this 2010 release from PentaTone Classics is worth your time. Conducted by Marek Janowski and performed by The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Symphonie Fantastique and Le Roi Lear are two works that show off Berlioz’s knack for storytelling through sound. It’s Romantic-era genius at its finest, recorded in crisp detail that’ll make your speakers feel like they’ve leveled up.
Let me zoom in on two tracks that stuck with me. First up, “Scene Aux Champs: Adagio” (track three). This one feels like walking through an open field during golden hour—peaceful but kinda bittersweet. The strings pull you in gently, almost whispering instead of shouting, and then the oboe solo hits you right in the feels. You can practically smell the grass and hear the wind rustling. I don’t know how Berlioz does it, but he makes pastoral vibes sound cinematic as heck.
Then there’s “Songe D’une Nuit Du Sabbat: Larghetto - Allegro” (part of track five). Whoa, talk about switching gears! This section starts spooky and slow, like tiptoeing around a haunted house, but then BAM—it explodes into chaos. Imagine witches cackling, skeletons dancing, and maybe even Satan himself crashing the party. The brass section goes full-on beast mode here, and honestly? It’s impossible not to grin while listening. It’s over-the-top, ridiculous, and absolutely thrilling all at once.
The production quality deserves a shoutout too. Dirk Sobotka and Mark Donahue clearly put their heart into engineering this thing because every note pops out crystal clear. Kudos to Job Maarse, the executive producer, for keeping everything tight and polished without losing that raw emotional punch.
What really strikes me about this album is how modern these pieces still feel, despite being nearly two centuries old. Like, sure, Berlioz didn’t have synthesizers or electric guitars, but his ability to create vivid scenes using just an orchestra puts most movie scores today to shame. And let’s be real—the guy must’ve been some kind of musical wizard to dream up something as bonkers as Symphonie Fantastique.
So yeah, if you need a soundtrack for your next existential crisis or just wanna pretend you’re starring in a gothic novel, give this album a spin. Just maybe don’t listen to it alone in the dark unless you’re cool with nightmares featuring dancing witches. Trust me, those final movements will stay with you long after the music stops.
