Charles Munch conducts Berlioz

The new release brings together the complete RCA Berlioz recordings of Charles Munch conducting the Boston Symphony, including both the mono and stereo versions of the Symphonie fantastique and Roméo et Juliette as well as the hard-to-find Nuits d’été with Victoria de los Angeles. ClassicsToday neatly articulated the special Munch-Berlioz affinity: “This Alsatian-born conductor’s mercurial temperament was uniquely suited to the composer’s stark, abrupt changes of affect, which juxtaposes passages of febrile intensity with others of simple, aching lyricism. He effectively plays up the pictorial variety of Berlioz’s brilliant orchestral palette... Yet Munch’s most singular asset may well have been his instinctive grasp of the irregular shapes and quirky curves of a Berlioz phrase... As most collectors already know, he always was at his best in Berlioz, and no doubt these performances will continue to hold a position of honor for many years to come."