Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Overture: Waverley [download]

Performance: **** Recording: ***** ‘The playing from the London Symphony Orchestra is, as so often, exceptionally refined, yet very much alive and full of colour in both the Symphonie fantastique and the accompanying Waverley Overture.’
BBC Music Magazine

‘The conventional jewel-case houses two discs: the now customary hybrid SACD plus a novel Blu-ray disc containing both a Pure Audio audiophile alternative and a complete filmed performance of the main work … There are plentiful close-ups of the toothpick-wielding maestro, more selective views of his players (including the antiphonally placed violins) and a taste of the concluding applause otherwise excluded … What matters here is that this live recording preserves personalised music-making of real distinction.’
Gramophone

‘Superb.’
Classic FM

‘ Beautifully nuanced playing especially from the strings.’
Classical CD Choice

'The lossless DTS Master Audio tracks are really superb. The music emerges from a noiseless background. The strings sound realistic, and the orchestral image is well rendered in the front speakers. The deep bass is solid for the fourth and fifth movements, never blurring and the dense orchestration never becomes sonically diffuse. It’s a demonstration quality recording with the wide dynamic range high resolution audio that are so well reproduced.'
Audiophile Audition

‘[Gergiev] drives the orchestra ferociously to one of the most terrifying climaxes imaginable… It is a memorable performance.’
International Record Review