If I Could Choose Only One Work By...BERLIOZ

[@edfromlongisland2623]

With Berlioz, there is so much to choose from; however, I think you picked a great piece for your favorite! A very enjoyable talk! Thank you!

[@sufuskoba4491]

Possibly my favourite opera. I just love the Damnation of Faust, I really like everything about it. Great you chose it!!

[@willduffay2207]

Yes! Finally I agree with Dave, haha. The D of F is a wonderful concoction of a piece: dramatic, crowd-pleasing, beautiful, stuffed full of tunes, marvellously orchestrated, and with the fantastic descent into hell at the end. Glorious music. Berlioz was a remarkable composer for his imagination to rethink what a big dramatic work for chorus and soloists could be: not a stage work, more than a concert work, beyond mere story-telling. A revolutionary always.

[@metaldetector6705]

I agree. It's an absolute masterpiece. Gerry

[@baltoman24]

Wonderful choice- and it is one of the "hybrids" that Berlioz made a specialty- not fitting into any fixed form. Astounding music! Thank you, David, as you have said not the favorite, but one that is characteristic of the composer.

[@peppatheoof]

i wasn't initially familiar with berlioz but i saw your video recommended and could feel your passion through the thumbnail, now remembering from classes. your enthusiasm and passion is infectious, seriously refreshing and appreciated to come across. i've always appreciated classical music- never really expanded out of high school, but i definitely need to check out your channel more! keep up the energy and passion you have, and i am so grateful for your contributions to this community and reminding me of the magic this is

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

Berlioz, ah, Berlioz... yet another challenge for us hyperreflective, ruminative music lovers! 'Damnation' is a good choice, but when David mentioned the gripping and intensely beautiful aria, I was so sure, he was talking about "D'amour l'ardente flamme..." (esp. Crespin in her recital conducted by Ackermann)...but well you can't win everytime! 😁 I personally might tend to choose 'Les Troyens' in the cancrician challenge, if not only for the fact, that it would leave us with so much more excellent Berlioz, due to its immense volume! If threatened at gunpoint, though, I might just end up grabbing the cd containing 'Les nuits d'été' with Crespin under Ansermet... and run away as fast as possible!

[@paulmarkey103]

I too thought of “D’amour…flame” sung with unmatchable glory by Regine Crespin, (singing under Ansermet, if I’m not mistaken’).Paul Markey

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

@@paulmarkey103 if in a complete performance, it's under Monteux, but she is even more moving - and in better voice in a recital (only this aria) under the Romanian-Swiss conductor Otto Ackermann.

[@pauldrapiewski6761]

I nominated the Requiem - I forgot about Faust - yes the right choice! This is an amazing work - I love it. Truly unique - it does not sound like anything else, and not a boring minute in it.

[@richardyoung839]

Absolutely correct. I bought the Markevitch recording 50 years ago and have listened to it regularly over the years. Love it!

[@francoisjoubert6867]

I thought Les Troyens - it will then force me to listen to the whole thing until I know it as I know only the highlights! And it is LOTS of music, and the great love duet.

[@GG-cu9pg]

On the subject of epic drama, one work for Verdi: Don Carlos. My parents were massive 19th century opera buffs and I was exposed to all Verdi’s output. This was our shared Verdi favourite. It has the Verdi hallmarks of strong characterisation, thrilling theatrical moments (like the grand inquisitor scene) and glorious, robust melody (Fontainebleau, etc.) Also my personal favourite friendship duet. Additionally some of his favourite themes are present i.e. church hypocrisy, injustice, etc.

[@albertbauli]

Yes, Don Carlo is the best. The ither I would choose is un ballo

[@GG-cu9pg]

@Albert: I’d rank them pretty similarly. Again very effective theatrically!

[@gregorystanton6150]

Such a great work. I remember a time when a lot of people would describe it as "problematic", though I've never found it so. I enjoy my Solti recording very much. It has a lot of operatic flair, which I like. I love the work so much I might check out Markevitch as well.

[@rhonda8900]

Since as a newbie, the opera and vocal selections in the Essential Beginner series almost made by give up on classical music, I decided not to listen to The Damnation of Faust for now. I focused on Berlioz's instrumental music and I am so glad I did. I spent almost a whole week submerging myself in his compositions and I found so much I loved. I have no idea what I would save but it would be a Bernstein recording. My favorite individual work was probably his recording of Harold in Italy but I hated the Cleopatra Soprano thing it was coupled with. I also loved the Symphonie fantastique but I was not as enchanted with Berlioz Takes a Trip as you but I still think that is the one I would save.

[@stephenmichael4636]

The first Berlioz work I loved some 35 years ago when I first "got into" classical music. Great choice, David!

[@bbailey7818]

Great choice, though my hunch is that if we were to ask Berlioz himself which one of his works he would want saved, it would be Les Troyens.

[@jgesselberty]

I immediately thought the Requiem, because it is one of the signature works. But, one work I find so satisfying and I just sit, relaxed and fullfilled with at the end, is "L'Enfance du Christ." But, this work does, admittedly, not define his style.

[@compositortiagoprado]

Gluck - Iphigenie en Tauride This opera (besides being simply wonderful from a purely musical point of view) contains all the composer's reforming ideas and is much more dramatic than the previous ones. About Berlioz, I have to agree one hundred percent.

[@robertjones447]

Roman Carnival Overture: It's everything Berlioz did compressed into 8 energetic minutes.

[@robertdandre94101]

i all love berlioz....having read many of his writings in the past, including the memoirs, i have known and loved the character.....a work that i particularly like by berlioz is his aria ''la belle voyageuse'' from the ballads of ireland....i like the version of shela amstrong with colin davis....and there is...;lelio.....composite work which reflects quite well i think the character of the composer

[@lornemook8097]

For HAYDN, I nominate a string quartet: op. 33, no. 1, in B minor, for 3 reasons: 1st, Haydn fathered the string quartet (symphony too, but I think he is more surpassed by later composers in the symphony than in the string quartet); 2nd, as Dave says in his ideal Haydn string quartets video, Haydn said the op 33 represented something totally new and introduced humor into his music; 3rd, the op. 33, no. 1, to my ear, blends humor and emotion in all 4 movements (but especially the final movement) more impressively than any other Haydn work I have heard, which is saying something.

[@benjaminharris2043]

I love this piece. It’s my choice too. Today’s choice: Schumann - Liederkreis op. 24. It has to be song with Schumann. This is a real charmer too.

[@danielhornby5581]

The song cycles are fantastic, but my Schumann choice would probably be the piano concerto. It got me into classical music, enough said!

[@jakobpetropoulos8850]

Great choice, I adore Schumann, any preference on recording?

[@benjaminharris2043]

Probably Padmore or Bostridge. I like the ethereal tone.

[@jakobpetropoulos8850]

@@benjaminharris2043 Great! , Bostridge is one of my faves. Take care.

[@whistlerfred6579]

Good choice, but if I had only one Berlioz work in my life, I'd choose the "Le Corsaire" Overture. Yes. it's not an epic work like Faust or Le Troyens, or even the Fantasique, but it's probably my favorite overture of all and one of my favorite orchestral works. It shows Berlioz' masterful orchestration and use of color, and is full of good tunes and the atmosphere of swashbuckling on the high seas.

[@michelangelomulieri5134]

Fully agree with this choice! To me the continuum with goethe and thomas mann works on the same daunting subject is a more than a valid reason to go for it!

[@mercedes932]

For WAGNER, it would have to be…Tristan und Isolde - the work that ultimately ushered in Modernism with that famous chord and perfectly encapsulates the iridescent flowing orchestral style that Wagner brought to opera. (I was considering the Ring cycle but that is better appreciated as a whole ie all 4 operas together.)

[@ianng9915]

I would say Gotterdammerung or Tristan

[@danielhornby5581]

Tristan und Isolde would probably be my choice but the whole of the Ring would not be a bad bet either given the wealth of music therein.

[@marcusdibenedetto7958]

Faust is a great choice! My copy is with the LSO and Sir Simon Rattle conducting (SACD released 2019). Christopher Purves' baritone voice is exceptional. He really gets into the role and towards the end, as he leads Faust into hell, he mocks Faust with truly "dark" emotion. Exceptional! Purves' voice is powerful, commanding and comes through as victorious. Meanwhile, Faust (Bryan Hymel, tenor) twists in agony and despair. His singing, filled with regret and pleading for mercy, in counterpoint to Purves, is a moment to savor.

[@herbchilds1512]

Either Faust or Trojans. But my sentimental favorite is L'enfance du christ. This should be a regular Christmas event. Why so seldom heard? Honorable mention is Harold in Italy.

[@luccharbonneau9382]

Perfect choice Especially with Markevich

[@ronaldswedlund4683]

That would be my choice!

[@anthonycook6213]

Stravinsky:Agon (All of his pieces have unique "Stravinskyian" characteristics, but I can't think of another single work that displays so many of his stylistic guises).

[@denishinds3777]

Have you done a selection on 'L'enfance du Christ'? If not, any chance of one?

[@pozsoz]

If I Could Choose Only One Work By...BOULEZ

[@consul4140]

If I could choose only one work by Schönberg, I would choose Pierrot Lunaire.

[@jankucera8180]

How about Les nuits d'été, the orchestral version? Of course, not demonic enough..... but I usually prefer the intimate and nostalgic in a composer...

[@jockmoron]

by the way, what is the best recording, in your opinion?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I discussed it in the video, and you can check out the Berlioz playlist as well.

[@neilharris1972]

I’m with you Dave on the Damnation of Faust, by far his most representative work. Three composers not covered so far: Wagner - ok this is easy, has to be Der Ring des Nibelungen, I know some Wagnerites would pick Parsifal but seriously you can’t look further than the Ring, and yes, it has to be the whole Ring. A couple of tough ones: Puccini: it has to be an opera, but which one? Turandot seems to be an obvious choice as the culmination of his life’s work but there’s a problem, it’s incomplete and Alfano’s completion is unsatisfactory even though this is how the opera is known and performed. So strictly it isn’t all Puccini. This leaves La Boheme, Tosca and Madama Butterfly as the main candidates. I may get grief for saying this, but Butterfly doesn’t make the cut even though it’s many people’s favourite Puccini opera because there’s always Miss Saigon as backup 😂 (it’s basically the musical version of the same story). La Boheme is a masterpiece but is is it really representative of his style? My vote goes to Tosca - yes, plotwise it is a ‘shabby little shocker’, complete melodrama, but the sheer lyricism of the score is unquestionable. It is also the finest example of verismo opera, which I suspect may not be included anywhere else in this series (unless minor composers start to be included). For me, there also no dull bits in Tosca. Verdi - basically this is an opera or the requiem? Looking at the operas, the potential candidates date from his middle and late periods - Rigoletto, La Traviata, Il Trovatore, Aida, Otello and Falstaff (just missing this cut are Nabucco, Ballo, Forza and Simon Boccanegra). I can’t choose Falstaff as it’s a comedy and therefore is atypical Verdi. A case can be made for any of the remaining 5 operas and also the requiem but choosing a choral work (even if it is operatic it is still a mass setting) and I think it’s misrepresenting the composer if all the operas are destroyed. Of the remaining 5 operas I’m stuck, Aida is a personal favourite (just, with Trovatore a very close second) but Traviata is many people’s favourite. It doesn’t seem fair to ditch Otello or Rigoletto either. Hmm I’m going to have to mull this over some more 😂

[@barrymoore4470]

Some argue that 'La fanciulla del West', while nowhere near being Puccini's most popular opera, is nonetheless his masterpiece.

[@magnuskrook39]

On the matter of Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, I will argue that it is fitting that the work chosen highlights his violinistic prowess as well as his knack of construing onomatopoetic musical utterances. With that in mind, either the Battalia or the Sonata violino solo representativa fit the bill. I lean toward the latter, with its imitations of various animals, and ending with the musketeers' march.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Say what?

[@magnuskrook39]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Well, it contains imitations of a hen, a cock, a frog, a cat and so on. It is virtuosic as hell, and very Biberian in character. A more weighty choice, apt for a god, would perhaps be the Rosenkranz-Sonaten.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@magnuskrook39 Yes, I know that.

[@barryguerrero6480]

"Damnation of Faust" is a great choice. Mine would be "Harold in Italy". It has a great tuba part (which needs to be played on a real tuba, and not something stupid like a serpent or ophicleide)

[@davidaiken1061]

Very surprising indeed that no-one chose Damnation of Faust. I almost did, having found that work to be perhaps the most "entertaining" of the composer's major works. Could it be that listeners find the work objectionable because its title character winds up in hell? That trope never dampened anyone's enthusiasm for Don Giovanni. Given the popularity of the latter work during the Romantic era, I wonder if Berlioz turned away from Goethe's plotline out of admiration for that da Ponte opera? Demon choruses into the bargain (though Berlioz's demons are nastier than Mozart's). In any case, I understand why Cancrizans would not have been appeased as readily by Les Toryens. I's a long and somewhat diffuse work, dramatically speaking, and hard for deities with short attention spans to take in.

[@stephenmarmer543]

I mentioned Verdi before. Close call between Rigoletto and La Traviata. Puccini has to be La Boheme.

[@patrickhackett7881]

Felix Mendelssohn: I propose that Cancerzans should spare String Quartet no. 4, Op. 44 no 2. Mendelssohn's string quartets are among his finest works. The early unnumbered quartet is nothing special and Classical Period pastiche, so it is unsuitable for this exercise. Nos. 1 & 2 are early works that are not the best representations of Mendelssohn's later style. The final quartet has become well known for unusually dark for this composer. So, if you are going to pick a string quartet, it has to be one of the Opus 44 set that seamlessly blends Classicism and Romanticism. Which Op 44 quartet? I suggest no. 2 since it's in a minor key and is expressive without being dark, like so much of Mendelssohn's music is

[@joshuafurr3703]

I have to say again: ALFRED SCHNITTKE STRING QUARTET NUMBER 2!!!! If not the work, then the Kronos cycle which was only 2 discs!!!

[@MarauderOSU]

My choice would be the Requiem. Why? Because Berlioz himself wrote: "If I were threatened with the destruction of the whole of my works save one, I should crave mercy for the Messe des morts."

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

No, he didn't really. He said some nonsense about being dead and meeting God and whatnot. That doesn't make it his best or most characteristic work.

[@margsmith8455]

It is correct that Berlioz spoke in favour of the Requiem, for his posterity. I agree that his own, subjective view does not settle the question as to whether it is his "best or most characteristic work" but he had a clear, deep emotional attachment to the Messe de morts. (I don't know where you got the info about "nonsense ... meeting God ..."(?), Berlioz was not religious (not strictly atheist, either)). "Characteristic"?: but, like all composers, there are the periods of youthful style, 'mature', and of late style. You can make an interesting, almost objective argument that La Damnation de Faust is broadly characteristic, as it is the work (in 1846) where there's a confluence of the youthful and mature - he incorporates Huit scènes de Faust, published in 1829 but then withdrawn. Many of the eight scenes are hardly changed in the later work. This touches on another point that could be made to support the proposition that the Damnation is characteristic - its construction method - the use of self-borrowing. Most of Berlioz's masterpiece works include self-borrowing, including this score, Symphonie fantastique, Harold, Requiem, Benvenuto Cellini, Troyens, Te Deum ... As a representation of the "essence" of Berlioz, I can't argue with you. As Beecham said, the score is, "a bunch of the loveliest tunes in existence". It would be hard to leave this work behind, if I had to choose, but the last 20 minutes of Act I Benvenuto Cellini (the Carnival Scene) is astonishing (1837) (though a lot of self-borrowing there, too). @@DavesClassicalGuide

[@nedbates]

So, Dave. You effectively repeated yourself; I'll paraphrase you: "Berlioz's damnation of the Faust plot-line!" 🙂

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Oh, well.

[@ruramikael]

Great choice ..even if I have a soft spot for Harold in Italy.

[@ProudBerliozian]

It’s the Rákóczi (pronounced ‘Rakotzee’) March. The Radetzky March is by Johann Strauss Sr.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Same difference. I always mix them up.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@pannonia77 I know exactly who he was. Stick to music, please.