‘Wine, blood, joy and rage mingle in mutual intoxication and make music together’ was Berlioz’s (impractical) description of the finale of Harold: he would surely have rejoiced in this impassioned performance from Lawrence Power, Andrew Manze and the Bergen Philharmonic.

These are heady days for Berlioz fans. Just a few months ago a new recording of Les Troyens featuring a stellar cast under John Nelsons was widely praised for setting new standards in that vast work, while May 2018 will see the appearance of Terry Gilliam’s acclaimed production of Benvenuto Cellini on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as the timely reissue of Nelsons’ audio recording of the same opera. And, for admirers of Berlioz’s orchestral works, here’s a brand new recording of Harold en Italie that deserves to go straight to the top of the pile.

Harold was the result of Berlioz’s reluctant but life-changing sojourn in Italy after having won the 1830 Prix de Rome. A semi-autobiographical take on Canto IV of Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (itself heavily infused with autobiographical elements), it was designated a Symphonie en quatre parties avec un alto principal by the composer, and there are strong concertante overtones, the work having resulted from a commission by Paganini for viola and orchestra. Although Paganini never performed the work, a succession of great players has graced the solo part, from Ferdinand David and Joseph Joachim to Lionel Tertis and William Primrose. Now the excellent Lawrence Power joins this select band, superbly partnered by the Bergen Philharmonic under Andrew Manze, himself a string player of great distinction who has also developed into one of the most stylish and rewarding conductors of the moment.

Power, Manze and the Bergen players clearly relish the bold contrasts and high activity of the work’s outer movements, ‘Harold in the mountains’ and ‘Orgy of brigands’, but it is the symphony’s slow introduction that provides a foretaste of this performance’s very special qualities, with the initial repeat of the ‘Harold’ theme exquisitely shaded by Power and beautifully supported by the accompanying forces. In the second movement ‘March of the pilgrims’ he achieves a sweetness and clarity of tone matched by very few others, while Manze brilliantly negotiates the shifting perspectives in the orchestral writing. Thanks above all to the characterful Bergen woodwind, you can really feel the clear mountain air in the third movement Serenade. And although Harold (and Power with him) step out of the spotlight in the fabulously alert, rip-roaring finale, by the end you’re left in no doubt as to the quality of his particular assumption of Berlioz’s ‘melancholy dreamer’.

While most recordings of Harold couple the work with a smattering of Berlioz overtures, this one stands out from the crowd with arrangements for viola (by Manze) of two Berlioz songs: a gorgeously poetic reading of Le Captive, op.12, which emerges as a real gem, and Berlioz’s elegant orchestration of Jean-Paul-Égide Martini’s timeless classic, Plaisir d’amour.

To us, Berlioz – with his turbulent personal life, and music so acutely evocative of life events, cultural and natural environments – seems the epitome of the Romantic composer. But among musical Romanticism’s founders was Carl Maria von Weber, whose music perfectly complements Berlioz’s on this disc. Power and the orchestra give a sparkling performance of Weber’s Andante and Rondo ungarese, with just the right level of spring and Schwung in the good-humoured Rondo. Then, to wrap up proceedings, the orchestra take centre stage for Berlioz’s orchestration of Weber’s Invitation to the Dance. As with everything on this marvellously rewarding disc, it’s played with huge stylishness and élan by Manze and his Bergen forces.

The recordings themselves are among Hyperion’s finest, with an admirable dynamic range playing its part in the success of Harold, and excellent, authoritative notes from Berlioz expert David Cairns. This is a compelling new addition to the composer’s discography, and not just for those who value period sensibilities married to the kind of substance and presence that modern instruments can offer. Vastly enjoyable from start to finish.