Igor Markevitch’s justly lauded Tchaikovsky symphony recordings give the impression of an exceptionally disciplined, no-nonsense kind of conductor who pushed himself as well as his orchestra to the limits of virtuosity to realize his passionate and deeply felt interpretations. So it’s nice to hear him relax a little in this sparkling performance of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. Markevitch displays an unexpected fluidity of tempo (remember his manically insistent beat in the Tchaikovsky Fifth) in Reveries, Passions, and Un Bal, as well as the Witches’ Sabbath. In this last Markevitch generates tremendous heat (even if he does inject a bit of deliberateness in the brief fugal passage), so much so that it does not dissipate at the closing chord–which Markevitch underscores by keeping the percussion rolling until the tones fade away. He gets proficient playing from the Berlin Radio Symphony, though the Marche au supplice could have done with a bit more animation. The live 1952 recording of the Symphonie allows you to hear substantial detail, but overall it’s boxy and has limited dynamic range. So it’s surprising to hear the fuller, clearer sound of Satie’s Parade, which was recorded the same year.
Markevitch gives us a rare glimpse of his playful side in this whimsical, sometimes slapstick score, even if his sense of humor occasionally seems a little heavy-handed. The Cologne Radio Symphony has no such problem, and you can almost see the players smirking throughout the performance. All told, it’s a novel and intriguing follow-up for a fine Fantastique–not a world-beater by any means, but an important addition to the Markevitch discography and a useful supplement to his classic studio recording on DG Originals. [6/6/2002]
