Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24: Menuet des Follets

After a highly successful debut with the London Symphony Orchestra in December 1927, John Barbirolli became the youngest ever conductor to direct a Royal Philharmonic Society concert – he was 29. He chose Debussy’s La Mer, which had not been played in London for ten years. The orchestra needed more time on the unfamiliar score, so Barbirolli paid for an extra rehearsal out of his own pocket; the cost was almost as much as his fee for the whole concert.

Barbirolli continued to serve French music with care and devotion for the rest of his life. At his last concert with the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, in May 1970, he conducted Ravel’s Mother Goose suite. The Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz became a central work in Barbirolli’s repertoire. He conducted it at two important events in the Hallé’s history – the first concert given in the new Free Trade Hall, Manchester in 1951 and then two years later he conducted the work at the Hallé’s first ever Prom concert.

Barbirolli’s classic recording of Symphonie fantastique is now restored to the catalogue along side three pieces from Le Damnation de Faust. A bonus track includes a rehearsal sequence (Menuet des follets) from this recording session.

"The great thing about Beecham’s conducting of such pieces as the dances from Samson and Delilah is that he enjoyed himself so enormously and, of course, he had an unbounded ability to make his players enjoy themselves too. Beecham’s genius for dealing with music of this sort is greatly in evidence in this collection and the record provides the most delightful relaxation." Gramophone Magazine

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Gentle music makes a perfect accompaniment to reading. This selection has been chosen with the reader in mind. Many of the tracks began life with a literary theme or programme, taken from old legends, from Shakespeare's tales or from famous books. These works are interspersed with other characterful pieces which reflect a quiet mood or a scene from nature.