Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Symphonie fantastique, Op.14 (1830)
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
D’un soir triste (1918)
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Nicolò Umberto Foron
rec. live, August 2024, Die Glocke, Bremen, Germany
Avi-Music 4867818 [64]

Italo-German Nicolò Foron is currently the Assistant Conductor of the LSO, having won the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition with the principal work here. Berlioz’ revolutionary, symphonic tour de force has so often been recorded that Foron’s choice of it for his recording debut might seem risky, putting him up against the likes of Bernstein, Munch, Ormandy and Stokowski, but obviously his successful history with it predisposed him to undertake it. It is supplemented by a ten minute work by the sadly short-lived Lili Boulanger, which will be more of a novelty for many listeners, but the pairing creates a pleasing symmetry, in that both composers were French winners of the Prix de Rome when they were only in their twenties – as is the conductor; thus, this new release is also something of a celebration of youthful prowess. Labels are often keen to find and promote new, young, “rockstar” conductors, hence the Klaus Mäkelä phenomenon – with what we might call “mixed bag” results – and this issue has no fewer than four full-size photos of Foron and notes by, and mostly about, him.

Of course all that is essentially irrelevant; the focus here on this website is on the quality of this recording. Let’s first get out of the way the question of sound: it is very rare these days for any recording to be less than stellar, sonically speaking, and this is beyond reproach in terms of balance, sonority and clarity. Regarding its aesthetics and “interpretation”, my initial impression was of a certain blandness so I immediately turned to the favourites cited above for comparison. A glance at their timings (see the table below) reveals that Foron takes overall between two to eight minutes longer than six of the seven other  versions on my shelves and his two outer and middle movements in particular are somewhat slower than most. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that, of course; Eliahu Inbal takes two minutes more than Foron – but does so without losing drive and tension and his finale is especially thrilling.

The obvious place to start comparisons is with that slow, dreamy, yearning introduction. I played the first few minutes of every version below – and there is just so much more flexibility, nuance and variation in Bernstein’s phrasing, more delicacy and subtler application of rubato in Munch’s, the glorious sound of Ormandy’s Philadelphia Orchestra in the 1960s brings out greater brilliance in the music despite a little background hiss, Inbal invokes more mystery with his more contemplative approach, building slowly, Stokowski, enjoying Decca’s spotlit “Phase 4 Stereo” is so much more lush and indulgent – and, of course, quirkily emphatic, bringing out all kinds of “special effects”, Boulez typically cool, direct and unfussy – not, in fact, among my favourite versions but very beautifully played by the LSO. I returned to Foron’s opening to check my first reaction and again found it…well, just dull, with little sense of affection and even a bit rushed despite his overall slower timing. He pushes ahead in phrases without savouring Berlioz’ delicious hesitancy.

The penny dropped as I continued; I feel as if Foron’s treats the work discretely rather than holistically; it emerges as a series of disconnected episodes, neatly executed but disjointed. I do not feel swept along a journey but rather as if I am listening to a set of highlights punctuated by some egregious point-making. Having said that, a lot of it works well, like the conclusion to that opening movement which has plenty of momentum  – but the contrasts Foron engineers between the fast and slow sections sound somewhat “applied”.  I do like the prominence of the trumpet at the end, however.

Moving on to the ball scene, we hear lovely playing from the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester even if Foron does not confer any special quality upon proceedings – but the slow movement is particularly good, benefitting in the tempestuous, thunderstorm passages from the heft of the rich lower strings, atmospheric timpani, mellow woodwind and excellent balances among the instrumental groups in general. I have no criticism at all of the playing here and there is virtually no indication that this was recorded live, even in the quiet sections.

The Marche au supplice, however, lacks some bite – listen to what Stokowski and Bernstein do with it in comparison; the roar and blare of their tubas and bass trombone and the impact of their percussion put Foron’s tame rendering in the shade. The Witches’ Sabbath is similarly low-key when considered alongside the finale as it is executed by Inbal – who is more deliberate, implacable and ultimately bloodcurdling, as he controls and gauges the increments of tension in the build-up more skilfully. Stokowski is terrifying, aided by the Technicolor sound; only Boulez is a bit too slow and deliberate for my taste (again, see the timings below); it never really gets off the ground and the peroration is leaden. Foron’s is certainly better than that but he does not begin to generate the excitement we experience at the climax of the older maestros’ recordings.

The moody, gloomy makeweight, D’un soir triste, is vaguely redolent of Debussy and Fauré, but much more densely orchestrated and not especially memorable; it is relentlessly tragic in mood, devoid of anything as vulgar as a sustained tune, progressing through a sequence of harsh, dissonant chords and unresolved, chromatically saturated harmonies – thus sounding determinedly “modern”.

I cannot in all honesty find any compelling reason for recommending this over any of the established recordings  – unless you are keen to hear a rising talent and are interested in the Boulanger rarity.

Ralph Moore

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