Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette; Les Nuits D'Été

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Music reviews of Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette; Les Nuits D'Été

Music Review: Just not quite there
Rating: 4 Stars

Boulez focuses on dexterity here: the rapid sections are fast to the point of blitzkrieg blurring - were it not for the brilliance of the orchestra at hand. One longs for the quiet moments and the extended rapture of the celli singing Romeo's love pledge, for example. Having just absorbed a performance by Esa-Pekka Salonen and the LA Phil it is perhaps unfair to compare, but Salonen uses Boulez-type clarity and still manages to suffuse the intensity of the drama at all times. Another unfair comparison is Boulez' choice of Melanie Diener versus Salonen's choice of Anne Sofie von Otter to sing the Strophies. This Romeo et Juliette is coupled (as in the LA Phil performance) with the exquisite LES NUITS D'ETE, and here again is a comparison of Diener with von Otter, with the latter essentially owning this cycle.

Overall a well played and well recorded ROMEO, but if the wonderfully eccentric passion of Berlioz is what you expect then let's hope Salonen opts to add his vision to the recorded repetoire. Not Boulez' best conducting here.

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