Riccardo Muti - Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique & Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie (Live) (2015)

Riccardo Muti introduces the work Berlioz viewed as his signature artistic statement: the evening-long pairing of his most famous composition, the 'Symphonie fantastique', long a staple of the Chicago orchestra s repertoire, and its little-known sequel, Lélio, never before performed by the CSO. Berlioz wrote Lélio as the conclusion and complement of the earlier work s tortured tale, a response to the symphony s cliff-hanger ending, and, above all, a testament to the healing power of music. Together, they formed the 'Episode in the Life of an Artist', a daring mix of autobiography and fantasy. Even during Berlioz s lifetime, 'Lélio' was rarely performed with its companion, and, only once, in a performance staged by fellow pioneer Franz Liszt in 1855, did Berlioz see his complete dramatic work presented as he envisioned it. This new recording, from live semi-staged performances, attempts to recreate the essence of Berlioz s own concept moving from the realm of instrumental drama in the first half, to theatre in the second, as an actor takes the stage to tell Berlioz s tale, while a simple scrim separates reality and creative fantasy and draws a temporary line between a modern-day Chicago audience and the daring sounds of Berlioz s imaginary world.