Berlioz: Harold en Italie ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Antoine Tamestit ∙ Eliahu Inbal

[@christophernunn943]

Its hard to believe this was written 1834 just 7 years after Beethoven's death, the structure is noticeably sophisticated and advanced with new ideas, really interesting music.

[@fazliddinerkaboyev6568]

Hmm, Liszt's transcendental études were written in 1838 just 10 years after Beethoven's death. Hard to believe!

[@MaxwellKaye]

The viola... What a beautiful, underrated instrument...

[@brearddidier454]

Je suis d'accord. Et Antoine Tamestit fait grand honneur à cet instrument!

[@healloveandpeace800]

That’s a strad

[@hithere4289]

Breard Didier I dont like french ugh

[@halseug]

You are so right, greetings from Luxembourg.

[@MaxwellKaye]

@@halseug greetings from the USA!

[@Matthew-nv2wy]

Now I know why there aren't that many Viola Concertos because this is all violists would ever need.

[@MrKeithterrett]

Berlioz at his best, and a proven consumate master of orchestration and unusual harmonic shifts! For example the Viola with its rich lower tessitura and tone is superb pitched against the Harp with it's unique timbre during the first few minutes. Just adore the English Horn at 24:55 .The solo Viola perfectly reflects Harold and his melancholic character, and his encounters in the mountains. The Viola acts as a kind of melancholy dreamer in the manner of Byron's Childe-Harold! Interesting brass at 40:40, Cornets and German Piston Trumpets!

[@timbosworth4405]

As an ardent violist, I can say totally, and without a sniff of bias, the viola is the most superior instrument in the violin family! and this violist is getting the most out of it. !

[@aldoringo439]

The third movement is musical perfection. Berlioz was able to balance all the physics of the universe for 5 constant minutes.

[@lesleyfarmer7216]

Agree

[@rudolphviquez7867]

BERLIOZ, TOUJOUR BERLIOZ, SI ROMANTIQUE, SI MELODIEUS, SI PLEIN DE BEAUTÉES

[@Farellator1984]

Si drogué

[@nilknarf483]

I like this conductor. He is literally just going through the motions. No drama. His work is done. Now the orchestra is doing their thing.

[@TFreckle]

He does sound off a bit, but I take that as pure passion. His conducting shows the way of the 'older conductor' - no dancing, no bullshit, just concise, meaningful leadership and communication!

[@whirbet]

This is exceptional Berlioz and exceptional viola playing. I don't know how many recorded performances I've enjoyed by that very famous and prolific violist William Primrose over the years , and I know I have him on at least three recordings with different major orchestras, as well as performances by other excellent violists, and I must say I would put this one by Antoine Tamestit on top. I've never heard the viola played so smoothly and expressively. On the grounds of technique alone, there's nary a scratch or squawk in the whole of this "Harold in Italy," which is no mean feat on the less wieldy viola throughout an extensive work with so many technical challenges. Inbal's conducting seems like a model of what the ideal performance of this work should be -- just flamboyant enough but always balanced with a certain reserve and elegance. And there's no stinting on the fuller orchestra with all the "extras" in the brass etc. that the artfully whimsical grandstander Berlioz demanded. It's 19th-century French "gloire" for certain but along the way exceeds even this, penetrating into the depths of the soul with the sheer beauty of its its plaintive, haunting lamentation. All this comes together in this unique performance with such fine musicianship and brilliant production values in that lovely German cathedral. A really stunning, memorable experience for which I will be always grateful. What is most remarkable to me, however, is the contrast between the supreme quality of the performance and the comparatively tepid, almost perfunctory applause of the audience at the end. Had the inhabitants of this holy edifice sat through several Masses beforehand or was Berlioz just not a thing with this particular group of Rhinelanders? I tried clapping crazily to make up for them after I watched and listened transfixed before the big screen in my living room, but, as the old saw goes, what sound does a tree make when it falls alone in a forest?

[@dankurth4232]

Brilliant comment! True in every aspect. Bernstein, who loved Berlioz and ‚Harold in Italy‘ in particular performed it with various violists, but - to my impression - didn’t come as close as this performance

[@paullewis2413]

@@dankurth4232 Along with Jan Sibelius, Hector Berlioz is probably my favourite composer. I can remember when my older brother bought an l.p. of this work when I was around 16 and I was captivated by the music. Thus began my lifelong love of Berlioz. This performance has to be now the gold standard, perfection in every way. As Whirbet commented the muted reception from the audience is inexplicable although Berlioz has never enjoyed the esteem in which he is held in his native land and also in England where he has been championed for decades first by Thomas Beecham and more recently Colin Davis.

[@lesleyfarmer7216]

Just played this with my orchestra and it's one of my favourite pieces ever, superb!

[@niklausgaschen9858]

The fine introvert voice of a highly sensible artist (Berlioz) by the melodies of a viola.

[@miguelsuarez8010]

The sound engineering of this recording is superb.

[@ilirllukaci5345]

Inbal is one of those conductors that don't make sense without good engineering.

[@Kathy-3]

What a Musician, what an instrument, what an interpretation!

[@carloshumbertocacaofiguero7556]

Paganini, sombrado del talento compositivo de Berlioz, le encargó un concierto para viola con el cual pudiera lucir su asombrosa técnica, ya que, según Paganini, nungún concierto se ajustaba asus requerimientos. Berlioz, modesto, admitió que él era incapaz de ejecutar semejante encargo, ya que para llevarlo a cabo requería que él mimos fuera maestro consumado de la viola. Ante las insistencias d Paganini, este accedió. Meses después, Paganini solicitó revisar el avance de la obra pero quedó desencantado del proyecto, renunciando a él. Berlioz, sin embargo, se alegró, ya quese había entusiasmado con la obra, y el renunciar a las instrucciones de Paganini le daba libertad compositiva. Años después, Paganini asistió a la segunda interpretación de esta magnífica obra, y quedó tan maravillado de ella, que decidió presentar sus respetos a Berlioz, arrodillándose ante el y besándole le mano.

[@williamernestocontrerasgar1582]

Paganini había adquirido una viola Stradivarius y la quería estrenar en público, y por eso comisionó la obra a Berlioz, sucediendo todo lo que mencionas, a los respetos prestados por Paganini, hay que agregar que tiempo despues el mismo violinista le envío una suma considerable de dinero a Berlioz como regalo por lo maravillado que había quedado por la obra. Saludos!

[@helloaltoclef]

Viola power

[@krakenkrispykremelivinthedream]

I remember listening to this instead of participating in the last class debate of the school year, so worth it.

[@nn.1]

I find it when I was reading a book "story of classical music" It's amazing.

[@imparkub]

Me too

[@fazliddinerkaboyev6568]

Could you send me a photo of the book you are saying?

[@user-ru8vy1uz7c]

Bravo bravo bravo

[@eelswamp]

I agree. But a tepid response from the audience after such a brilliant performance.

[@luizantoniomagnani4383]

veramente meraviglioso

[@giancitton2604]

I. Harold aux montagnes - (Adagio - Allegro - Tempo I) - 00:35 II. Marche de pèlerins chantant la prière du soir. (Allegretto) ∙ 16:00 III. Sérénade d'un montagnard - (Allegro assai - Allegretto) ∙ 24:12 IV. Orgie des brigands - (Allegro frenetico - Adagio - Allegro. Tempo I) ∙ 30:53

[@ricardbeltranbernabe3936]

I think that "Harold in Italy" is his best composition. It is one of the best works of classical music.

[@jauscielinginclusive3873]

No message RECIEVED but a huge BRAVO to all of you

[@user-ff9bs6yg3n]

Excellent account of Harold in Italy with the great musicians Antoine Tamestit and Eliahu Inbal, working in great harmony, leading to a wonderfully compelling and inspired performance, bringing out the bright and 'southernly' nature of this work..

[@cascanicoff5763]

Extremely beautiful. Loved it.

[@RodolfoLimacbx]

*1:04** • Adrien Brody is playing oboe. Amazing!*

[@1968KWT]

Happy Birthday, Berlioz! 🎊🎁🥳🎈🌹

[@lapintelaurent7956]

1997, j'enregistre Denon CD-73207 sur une Maxell UDII-CD...1998 , je le grave sur CD-R... 2018, je le trouve ! J'ai aussi Plasson et Davis...11:16 ! 777 13:06 ! 😁

[@foveauxbear]

This work (Berlioz never composed a concerto for any instrument) was composed for Paganini, who played it only once, as he complained there was not enough for him to do ... I love its structure, quite influenced by Beethoven's mighty 9th symphony in regards to restated motives in the last movement, quoted from the first three. Fabulous stuff, wish it was performed much more.

[@jbut1208]

Really! This view is not shared by other musical authorities! eg the MSO thinks it is a work by Berlioz! It certainly feels like a work of his!

[@wungabunga]

@@jbut1208 No, it was composed FOR Paganini, but rejected. Years later, Paganini heard the finished article and sent Berlioz 20k Francs - comparing the quality of the work to Beethoven himself.

[@Artist_Aejoo]

너무 너무 듣고싶던 연주 입니다😍 행복하네요 ~~~!!!!!

[@guillermojesusguerrabravo5261]

Interesante obra de Berlioz basada en un texto literario muy conocido y ejecutada con maestria por el solista en viola y el maestro Eliahu Inbal junto a la ONRF.

[@theochemsRE]

Every Berlioz’s work is great, specifically symohonies !!

[@trantiencaophong]

Ecxellent. Antoine Tamestit is the great artist.

[@mahelena8]

brilhante !!! brilhante !!!

[@nettermensch5799]

Meiner Meinung nach ist der 4. Satz einer der besten, wenn nicht sogar der beste Werksatz der jemals komponiert wurde!

[@renaldtremblay8333]

Exceptional work and musical inspiration coming from the OBOE! Magnifique!

[@jwmeng]

I love this conductor! Such a well done pause between 1st and 2nd movements, and well needed. Bravo. There is so much that went well here that it's hard to review with such an obscure piece today, but this is worth listening to. I remember when Tamestit was just beginning to take the stage on the viola a long time ago and so many good things have happened since that time with his playing. It is a strange situation in arts management, this "black replacement", but it has worked nonetheless. An excellent performance.

[@drgustavbakter4735]

A very beautiful, rarely-played work, very evocative and atmospheric. Excellently conducted by a wise Inbal and played by orchestra and solist. The last movement I found I a bit weaker, not meeting my expectations for a suitable finale.

[@olivierteitgen4061]

Not so rarely-played

[@annettewalter2273]

The last movement is my favourite and the one which I remember the best.

[@marcosella2530]

Bravissimi

[@notaire2]

Gut balancierte Aufführung dieses romantischen Meisterwerks mit zartem Ton der Solobratsche und zurückgehaltenen Töne anderer Instrumente unter der künstlerischen Leitung von diesem erfahrenen Dirigenten. Echt erstklassig!

[@user-hc1tm7ux1h]

바이런과 베를리오즈는 문학과 음악으로 자신과 시대의 풍경과 정서로 낭만주의의 전형을 남겼네요.ㅡ불멸의 예술. 비올라의 선택은 최고의 오케스트레이션이며 두 예술가는 모든 면에서 너무나 닮았습니다. 하지만 진정한 낭만주의자는 바이런!

[@jeanpaulgilleron3766]

très bien joué antoine

[@Ei-tea]

Beautiful! You make this piece look very easy with your strong technique

[@foveauxbear]

As a former viola player (professional) it's not that taxing technically (nor should it be). It's a delight to play, and so rare to hear it with an orchestra. Too many people think a solo work should "go like the wind", challenge the performer's technique to the extent that only "the best" can play it. This is certainly not the case with this work. If you like this, Thaer, can I suggest you listen to William Walton's wonderful viola concerto?

[@luismontes7136]

La música clásica siempre será la música del alma y la mente superior! !!

[@ilcannonemusic]

it was wrong of me not to accept Berlioz's request to play this...

[@beickus]

half of this work is made by Byron - he was a man way ahead his time, Berlioz faithfully produced the music based on Child Harold

[@peaceandleisure3105]

this event can not have happened! - nobody in the audience with a cell phone??? what kind of world are we leaving behind?? seriously, I love this version.

[@03Venture]

😂

[@theoe354]

cell phones are great. im using one to watch this amazing piece right now

[@sergio-feferovich]

3:47 viola entrance

[@brunolelissantos1116]

Amazing!

[@user-pi2tl8iu6z]

좋습니다.

[@PTMViola]

Viola power ;)

[@jeanpaulgilleron3766]

une pièce que paganini ne voulait pas jouer car c'était l'alto mais qu'il avait fini par jouer car c'est un chef d'oeuvre

[@Maxime_Ayrault_de_Saint-Henis]

Il avait même refusé de la payer, mais après l'avoir entendu il s'excusa et les deux sont devenus des amis proches...

[@gsygsy]

This is brilliant.

[@ashleyrescot2171]

Beautiful!

[@cellokid5104]

28:59 good chance that you're looking for this

[@bosehobin1]

good 굿

[@03Venture]

To think that this work was commissioned by Paganini but he never played it because he felt it did not showcase enough his virtuosity...

[@keesvanes2311]

Correct, it sounds odd now. But Berlioz didn’t stick to his client’s brief - Paganini had commissioned a viola SOLO. When he noticed Berlioz’ orchestral score with all the empty bars in the viola part, Paganini - understandably - almost had a heart attack and turned down the work. He was disappointed Berlioz hadn’t delivered what he had ordered. Four years later Paganini heard the piece for the first time and was overwhelmed by it. A few days later he sent Berlioz a letter of congratulations, enclosing a bank draft for 20,000 francs.

[@skylerpretto1221]

Not a bad etude for viola, really.

[@keithyeung9097]

Before I see viola a lower violin, no interest Now I see it as a higher cello, Much More interest!! Yeah!!

[@ycdouble1]

This put the viola put on the map. Too bad nobody seems to be able to keep it up since!

[@ilirllukaci5345]

I didn't realize Inbal was conducting in Frankfurt in 2018.

[@flipperssuperawesomechanne7090]

I'm glad a musically ignorant person from me can learn from all the comments here.

[@phillipvietri8786]

Berlioz was an imaginative composer, with a great many original ideas. He nevertheless fell short in one essential aspect of composition; his almost total lack of melodic invention. His music does tend to drone on for page after page without it. I think that none of his works is as lacking in melodic invention as Harold in Italy.

[@hesiode7560]

Manque d'invention mélodique de Berlioz ? Ecoutez la Damnation de Faust ou les Troyens !

[@figura2000]

24:16

[@violinhunter2]

Did Paganini commission this piece? If so, he probably never played it - it's a nice work but very little virtuosity. Good job by Antoine and the orchestra.

[@brunolelissantos1116]

violinhunter2 Well it is not a concerto, but a sinfonia concertante which the viola has an obbligato funcion. A beautiful work.

[@kennethdower7425]

Well, he did commission the work (for his newly acquired Stradivari viola) and actually refused to do the first performance because Berlioz showed him a partial score and it wasn't virtuosic enough for him. Plus, it had too many rests. In fact, he felt rather insulted. Berlioz decided to finish it anyway. Later, Paganini attended the premiere and, realizing the composition was a stunning masterpiece, kissed Berlioz and proclaimed him the greatest composer after Beethoven. Indeed, it is a most incredible work on many, many levels.

[@paullewis2413]

@@kennethdower7425 For me Berlioz is arguably the greatest composer ever, certainly the most original musical genius. It's a difficult call because I also feel the same way about Sibelius - lol

[@helpme6630]

@@paullewis2413 this is ignoring the genius of Mahler?

[@markko0313]

To me, Berlioz was way ahead of his time. This piece, Symphonie Fantastique and others, to me, make his predecessors look as though they were stuck in a time when the rules of musical composition MUST NOT be broken. Then this man comes along and shows us what he can do!

[@MultiKhellaf]

Schubert la grande 3ème mouvement

[@johnsocrates4496]

The problem with the viola is it doesn't know if it wants to be a violin or a cello. But beautiful it still is! :--)

[@f1f1s]

You are a TwoSetter, aren’t ya?

[@dankurth4232]

LOL

[@figura2000]

this is not the problem, this is the solution, and the viola dont want to be any of this, the viola wants to be a viola

[@user-dg5ku7dz9z]

3:44 비올라 독주

[@osushi1366]

確かに、楽章が進むにつれヴィオラの出番が少なくなっている！ｗ（￣△￣；）ｗおおっ！

[@boteng5884]

9:32

[@camerontescher361]

Berlioz when Harold decides to go to somewhere thats not in Italy: 39:02

[@Discovery_and_Change]

0:37 begins |

[@mouse._.3744]

3:45

[@paullewis6213]

What exactly did the director find so interesting about the ceiling? The action was on stage.

[@deadmanswife3625]

2 bats mating

[@ny10980]

I can see why Paganini turned the piece down. While it is an interesting collage of instrumentation the use of the viola is simply a minor footnote. If you feature a soloist you must give them something intriguing to play!

[@stephenmessick865]

I was bored with the piece so I skipped to the last movement, but this wasn't much better. I don't know how such a wonderful piece could be made so humble.

[@cellokid5104]

The heck

[@hesiode7560]

Un Berlioz à court d'inspiration qui vire parfois au grotesque !

[@ronaldbwoodall2628]

This is an exciting work with a thrilling conclusion, but not so much here I'm afraid. Neither Tamestit or Inbal project its intensity or vitality to show its full impact. I was spoiled, however, many years ago with the electrifying performance of Primrose and Koussevitzky, and not far behind that, with Primrose and Munch. Tamestit and Inbal, I found, have both made recordings of this, Tamestit with Marc Minkowski and Inbal with Yuri Bashmet and the FRSO (in '89), but neither were received too favorably in the reviews I read.

[@olivierteitgen4061]

Hear the Rudolf Barchai version, with Oistrakh as conductor

[@user-cs2sy1mw4k]

14:20

[@danil.balakin]

29:25))

[@KP-ib2wp]

3:47 8:18

[@kyukyu8195]

Longest viola joke

[@rockychieng88]

Couldn't hear the viola well, orchestra is overpowering.

[@MrAlgykcho]

The conductor is great! Only the viola sounds too weak!

[@bomcabedal]

Sorry, I'm not sold on this one. While I like the emphasis on dynamic variation, and the soloist is great, the whole thing is inexplicably... boring. This has been done much better very often, and this does not show the level I've come to expect from this orchestra.

[@user-ix1zg4di1j]

Да, без огонька...

[@olivierteitgen4061]

Hear the Rudolf Barchai version, with Oistrakh as conductor

[@paulpizzo9255]

the most pathetic applause i've ever heard....

[@jeanjacquesfalke4775]

Excellent altiste. Mais il devrait changer de look. Il fait vieillot. Fini le costume cravate

[@DCBfanboy]

S'appeler Jean Jacques ne fait pas un peu vieillot aussi ? Vous devriez changer de nom.

[@hesiode7560]

Je me fous complètrment du costume de l'altiste . Je suis ici pour écouter la musique !

[@emiliavasquez9626]

3:47