Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24 (The Damnation of Faust)

A superb reissue, formerly issued on the prestigious Denon label, of the “dramatic legend” La Damnation de Faust, written (both music and libretto) by Hector Berlioz, after the famous “Faust” of Goethe. Recorded in the late eighties of the last century, when the great Israeli conductor Eliahu Inbal spent a remarkably successful and fruitful period in Frankfurt with its orchestra, resulting in several impressive symphonic cycles, notably the legendary complete Mahler Symphonies.Apart from the great artistic value of these recordings, the special one-point recording technique used by the Denon engineers is still a marvel of natural recorded sound. Wonderful soloists: Maria Ewing, Denes Gulyás, Robert Lloyd and the young Christiane Oelze. Territory: Europe only. Although little appreciated in his native France for many years, Hector Berlioz now safely resides among the giants of the 19th century’s musical scene. The composer’s vocal output is extensive and includes several operatic works; written during 1845–46, La Damnation de Faust forms the subject of this engaging 2CD release.

The work grew out of Berlioz’s encounter with Goethe, one of the great influences – together with Shakespeare – on the composer’s creativity. A hybrid composition which employs just four principal singers and a chorus, as befits a ‘concert’ setting, La Damnation de Faust is too theatrical to work in this guise – and, alas, too impractical to be staged successfully. Nevertheless it remains an intensely dramatic piece: listen out for the violent orchestral outpourings of the Hungarian March as well as the ‘Ride to Hell’, which leads to a terrible vision of Pandemonium. Residing among the composer’s most intense and thrilling music, the work features many ballet episodes and includes Marguerite’s song – one of the greatest French operatic scenes. ‘Inbal has a fine ear for Berlioz's orchestration, matched by sensitive recording, so that time and again details spring into dramatic life…a distinctive and intelligent performance… No lover of the work should miss hearing it.’ Gramophone, July 1991

Born in Brichevo, in Bessarabia (then part of Romania) in 1927, Gary Bertini was taken to Palestine when still a boy and at age 16 he began violin lessons. Awarded the Israel Prize in 1987, in honour of his work for music in his adoptive land, Bertini was taken ill in February, 2005, whilst in Paris, and was transferred to a medical centre just outside Tel Aviv, allowing him to die (just three weeks later) in the country whose musical life he had done so much to enrich. This live recording of the 'Damnation of Faust' from the Mann Auditorium Tel Aviv, 1996, is an 'In Memoriam' to a conductor who founded and directed many of Israel's musical institutions such as the Rinat Choir and Israeli Chamber Orchestra, The Musical Evenings for Contemporary Music and the Liturgica Festival. He also conducted at the major opera houses around the world and served as Music Director of the San Carlo Opera in Naples.

Ravel's 'Daphnis and Chloé' Ballet Music from 1974, with the Rinat Choir completes this 2-CD set.

This memorable performance of Berlioz's masterpiece The Damnation of Faust was recorded in 1999, and is being released for the first time on CD to support the campaign against the Dutch government’s plans to abolish the Muziekcentrum van de Omroep (MCO) and its orchestras - which include the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. The conductor is the legendary Bernard Haitink, who began his career with the orchestra, and the soloists include Vinson Cole and Thomas Quastoff.

The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra gave its first concert on 7 October 1945. Initially it spent most of its time in studios working on a large number of recordings for the public broadcasting system. Illustrious soloists such as Kathleen Ferrier, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Clara Haskil and Jean-Pierre Rampal have shared the stage with the orchestra. In 1956 Bernard Haitink became a guest conductor with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and he was appointed the principal conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in the following year. Since then, during an illustrious career, he has been chief conductor with, amongst others, the Concertgebouw orchestra, the London Philharmonic and more recently the Chicago Symphony orchestra. He has also had a long standing relationship with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Hector Berlioz’s “dramatic legend” was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 6th December 1846. It is based on a poem by Goethe, and features four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large children's chorus and orchestra.

This performance was recorded at the Montreaux Festival on 24th September, 1959

Recorded live in 1963