Hector Berlioz, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Marek Janowski - Symphonie Fantastique Le Roi Lear

jaronrayhinds

Review by Jaron Ray Hinds

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.

Table of Contents

Download

Filename: hector-berlioz-the-pittsburgh-symphony-orchestra-marek.zip
  • MP3 size: 48.4 mb
  • FLAC size: 369.6 mb

Tracks

TrackDurationPreview
Andante Non Troppo Lento, Ma Maestoso - Allegro Disperato Ed Agitato Assai14:51
II. Un Bal Valse: Allegro Non Troppo6:06
III. Scene Aux Champs: Adagio16:16
V. Songe D'une Nuit Du Sabbat: Larghetto - Allegro3:12
Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14
Le Roi Lear, Op. 4 (King Lear) Overture For Orchestra
IV. Marche Au Supplice: Allegretto Non Troppo4:51
V. Dies Irae1:54
V. Ronde Du Sabbat (Witches' Round Dance)2:51
I. Reveries: Largo - Passions: Allegro Agitato E Appassionato Assai14:15
V. Dies Irae Et Ronde Du Sabbat Ensemble1:55

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Catalog Numbers

PTC 5186 338

Labels

PentaTone classics

Listen online

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Formats

  • SACD
  • Hybrid
  • Multichannel
  • Stereo
  • Album

Companies

RoleCompany
Phonographic Copyright (p)PentaTone Music B.V.
Copyright (c)PentaTone Music B.V.
Recorded AtHeinz Hall

Credits

RoleCredit
Composed ByHector Berlioz
ConductorMarek Janowski
EditorDirk Sobotka
EngineerDirk Sobotka, Mark Donahue
Executive-ProducerJob Maarse
OrchestraThe Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Notes

Made in Germany

Barcodes

  • Barcode: 8 27949 03386 5
  • Label Code: LC 12686
  • Matrix / Runout (Layer 1): arvato digital services 54185708/PTC5186338 21
  • Matrix / Runout (Layer 2): arvato digital services 54185709/PTC5186338 D 22
  • Mastering SID Code (Layer 1): IFPI LB 50
  • Mastering SID Code (Layer 2): IFPI LB73
  • Mould SID Code: IFPI 07M4
  • SPARS Code: DDD

About Hector Berlioz, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Marek Janowski

descargar álbum Hector Berlioz, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Marek Janowski - Symphonie Fantastique Le Roi Learladda ner album Hector Berlioz, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Marek Janowski - Symphonie Fantastique Le Roi Learlast ned album Hector Berlioz, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Marek Janowski - Symphonie Fantastique Le Roi Leartélécharger l'album Hector Berlioz, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Marek Janowski - Symphonie Fantastique Le Roi Learlataa albumi Hector Berlioz, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Marek Janowski - Symphonie Fantastique Le Roi LearAlbum herunterladen Hector Berlioz, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Marek Janowski - Symphonie Fantastique Le Roi Lear
French romantic composer. Born: 11 December 1803 in La Côte-St-André, Isère, France. Died: 8 March 1869 in Paris, France (aged 65).

Real Name

    • Louis-Hector Berlioz

Name Vars

  • Beerlioz
  • Belioz
  • Berlinoz
  • Berlioz
  • Berlioz H.
  • Berlioz, Hector
  • Berloiz
  • Bevloz
  • D. Berlioz
  • G. Berlioz
  • H Berlioz
  • H. Bercioz
  • H. Berlioz
  • H. Berliozas
  • H. berlioz
  • H.Berlioz
  • Hektor Berlioz
  • Héctor Berlioz
  • J. Berlioz
  • M. Berlioz
  • The Composer, after Virgil
  • Μπερλιόζ
  • Берлиоз
  • Г. Берлиоз
  • Гектор Берлиоз
  • ¨¯ÈëûÙëêªüº
  • ¨¯ÈëûÙëêªüº = Hector Berlioz
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Interesting fact about Album

Here’s something cool: Hector Berlioz, the composer behind *Symphonie Fantastique* and *Le Roi Lear*, was kind of a rock star in the classical world. He wrote *Symphonie Fantastique* partly because he was obsessed with a woman he couldn’t have—sounds dramatic, right? The piece is basically a musical story about unrequited love, weird dreams, and even a witchy nightmare. Fast forward to 2010, and this album by The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra brought his wild vision back to life. Marek Janowski led the charge, and it’s like hearing Berlioz’s fever dream all over again. Oh, and fun tidbit: the recording engineers worked their magic so well that you can practically feel the orchestra breathing through your speakers. Pretty neat for music written almost 200 years ago!