Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Le carnaval romain, H 95 (1844)
Symphonie fantastique, H 48 (1830)
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal/Rafael Payare
rec. 2024, Maison symphonique de Montréal, Canada
Pentatone PTC5187413 [63]
The relatively recent partnership between Rafael Payare and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra has already produced some interesting recordings. I recently very favourably reviewed his recording of two early Schoenberg pieces, but reviews by MWI colleagues have otherwise been respectful, if not ecstatic.
Likewise, my recent review of Nicolò Umberto Foron’s recording of the main work here was less than enthusiastic. I appended there a table comparing its movement timings with those of some famous accounts; Payare’s is generally on the slow side, which puts me on my guard, as unless a conductor has Inbal’s stealthy control, the music is likely to emerge as lacklustre if tempi are too deliberate, as is the case with Foron. That is not a problem here, however. Yes; the opening section is appropriately dreamy and relaxed – after all, it is marked “Rêveries” (Daydreams) but five minutes in, Payare ramps up the tension for “Passions” and the movement unfolds inexorably. The textures of Berlioz’ dense orchestration are well served by the clarity of the excellent digital sound, whereby each section of the orchestra is properly balanced against the others. Rhythms are sharply pointed, such as in the beginning of the “horseback” section at 9:22, and the climax before the subsidence into the “Religiosamente” conclusion is powerful. Payare has an overall grasp of the ebb and flow of this music and it all hangs together. He is unafraid of some quite overt rallentendi in the second movement waltz at the ball but does not overdo it. Lovely, warm, blended tone from the woodwind – especially the flutes – adds to the voluptuousness and sensuality of this heady concoction, and trumpets and trombones punctuate the melody subtly but properly audibly. The third movement set in the countryside again opens with a finely judged balance between the cor anglais and the (almost) offstage oboe in their pastoral dialogue and Payare’s slow pacing is mesmerising rather than stultifying. Never before has a recording made me so aware of the degree to which Berlioz pays tribute to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony by both using it as a model but also injecting into his own bucolic vision a more personal, narrative element of personal turmoil; the storm sections of the Scène aux champs both recall and go beyond its predecessor. The Marche au supplice has plenty of heft thanks especially to the fact that the splendid timpanist Andrei Malashenko and the brass are let off the leash without drowning out everyone else. I like the way Payare elides the raucous close of that movement with the opening of the finale – there Is absolutely no gap – so the ghoulish mood is sustained and the shrill, E♭ clarinet, haunting tubular balls, grunting low brass and teeth-chattering pizzicati are all magnificently atmospheric. The movement builds inexorably to a thrilling ending – this is the real thing.
The delightful concert overture preceding this magnificent account of the symphony is just a bonus – but a highly desirable one. I love Benvenuto Cellini, the opera from which Berlioz borrowed some of the main themes here, and it is a treat to hear how skilfully he transforms elements from the swooning love aria “O Teresa, vous que j’aime” and the manic saltarello from the carnival scene for purely instrumental purposes. After its gentle start, the overture is given a full-blooded rendering, acting as an ideal appetiser for the masterwork to follow.
After many years of defaulting to classic but decidedly venerable versions by such as Munch, Ormandy and Bernstein, it is a pleasure to be able to recommend so wholeheartedly a modern, digital account.
Ralph Moore
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