Berlioz: Harold en Italie, Intrata di Rob-Roy MacGregor & Rêverie et Caprice

Dive into the rich, dramatic world of Hector Berlioz with this captivating album, released in 2015 under the Chandos label. This orchestral masterpiece is a journey through Berlioz's vivid imagination, showcasing his unique compositional style and deep understanding of the orchestra.

The album opens with "Intrata di Rob-Roy MacGregor," a stirring march that sets the tone for the dramatic works to follow. Next, "Rêverie et Caprice" offers a moment of introspective beauty, featuring the violin in a rare solo work by Berlioz. The centerpiece of the album is "Harold en Italie," a symphony with solo viola that Berlioz himself described as a series of "scenes" inspired by Lord Byron's poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage." The work is a tour de force of orchestration and narrative, with the viola weaving in and out of the orchestral fabric, representing the wandering hero Harold.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, brings passion and precision to these works, with James Ehnes delivering a standout performance on the viola in "Harold en Italie." The album's duration of just over an hour makes it an ideal choice for both casual listeners and those seeking to deepen their appreciation of Berlioz's unique voice in the classical canon.