now playing

start of Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14, H 48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS-bM9VaEdw&list=OLAK5uy_l0_mhP77SpuhKmmqXObMKRQwcSO0QHXsE&index=1

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l0_mhP77SpuhKmmqXObMKRQwcSO0QHXsE

>Muti's perfectionism is everywhere clear in his stirring, crisp leadership of this many-layered, flavorful work. Some have argued that it's a bit over-the-top; we call that exciting. This is not to say that in the more elegant moments, we don't get some beautifully sculpted, feathery sounds. And clearly, each section of the orchestra was ideally rehearsed: the strings are lush, the winds reedy and spicy, and the brass wonderfully aggressive. Wow! --Robert Levine