*** 180g Vinyl LP ***

Sir Colin Davis's exhilarating 1974 account of the Symphonie fantastique with the Concertgebouworkest has remained many critics' first recommendation since its original release. The Symphonie fantastique was, in its way, as revolutionary a score as Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, and the precise ways in which it is so original are apparent throughout this performance.

Davis's affinity with Berlioz is now the stuff of legend. His understanding of the composer's unique musical language is amply demonstrated in this Concertgebouw recording. All of the individual qualities of Berlioz's orchestration are unapologetically realised by Davis's supreme musicianship. He was one of the great champions of Berlioz's music and this outstanding version rightly deserves the acclaim it has received over the years.

For this release, Rainer Maillard at Emil Berliner Studios utilised the original four-track quadraphonic master tape to create a new stereo mix sent directly to the cutter head, maintaining a fully analogue signal path throughout. The Philips engineers of the 1970s would similarly have mixed the four front and rear channels before cutting, but this would have resulted in a two-track stereo copy for mastering. Here, the lacquer is cut directly from a live stereo mix of the original quadraphonic master.

"This is one of the most tantalising records I have had to review... here at last is the version of the Symphonie fantastique we have all been waiting for from our, and the world's, principal Berlioz conductor." – Gramophone

The Decca Pure Analogue series has attracted widespread acclaim from critics and collectors alike, praised for its meticulous production standards, fully analogue mastering chain and revelatory sound quality.