Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique - Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra (2LP, 45 tours)
Hector Berlioz - Fantastic Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist … in Five Sections Op. 14
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Charles Munch : Conductor
2 LPs, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 45 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : RCA
Recorded on November 14–15, 1954 at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts
Engineered by John Crawford
Produced by John Pfeiffer
Remastered from the Original Master Tape & Cut at 45rpm by Bernie Grundman
Originally released in 1956
Tracks :
Side A:
- First Movement: Reveries; Passions
Side B:
- Second Movement: A Ball
Side C:
- Third Movement: Scenes in the Country
- Fourth Movement: March of the Scaffold
Side D:
- Fifth Movement: Dream of a Witches' Sabbath
Few recordings capture the spirit of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique as vividly as Charles Munch's legendary account with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Recorded at the height of RCA's Living Stereo era, this album remains a benchmark for its white-hot intensity, its luminous sound, and its perfect marriage of French flair and orchestral discipline.
Munch, one of the great Berlioz interpreters of the 20th century, led the Boston Symphony with a rare combination of precision and abandon. Under his direction, the orchestra brims with color and drama: from the tender sighs of the opening reverie to the delirious, hallucinatory "Witches' Sabbath." Every movement unfolds with theatrical sweep, reminding us why Berlioz shocked 19th-century audiences and still captivates today.
For classical music fans, this isn't just another Fantastique — it's a touchstone. RCA's engineers captured the BSO in glowing stereo sound, giving listeners the chance to hear the orchestra's brilliance as if seated in Symphony Hall. Munch's interpretation continues to be prized for its urgency, its passion, and its unapologetic sense of adventure.
Whether you're a devoted audiophile or simply want to hear Berlioz at his most electrifying, this recording delivers an experience as thrilling today as it was the day it was made.
Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original 2-track master tape, cut at 45 RPM and plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings — makers of the world's finest-sounding vinyl LPs, — no other editions match these for the quietest 180-gram platters available. Each reissue in the RCA Living Stereo 45 RPM Series also includes a special 2-panel insert.