Le Cercle de l'Harmonie - Le Paris des Romantiques (2012)

Le Cercle de l'Harmonie's 2012 release on Naïve, Le Paris des Romantiques, offers a vivid period re-creation of a typical mid-19th century concert. Following the conventions of the time, Napoléon-Henri Reber's Symphony No. 4 in G major opens the program, serving as a representative Classical symphony in the academic style. This upbeat piece receives its world-premiere recording here, and while it is far from a revelation, one can imagine that this lively performance will give Reber's music some long-overdue attention. To fill the middle of the program, where a short romance was usually placed, Berlioz's Rêverie et caprice is performed with flair and charm by violinist Julien Chauvin, and his flashy playing whets the appetite for the showstopper to come. By far the best-known work on the program is Liszt's groundbreaking Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, which features the virtuoso Bertrand Chamayou performing the solo part on an 1837 Érard piano. This is a remarkably robust instrument that stands up well to the orchestra's onslaughts, and despite the slightly echoic sound of the hall, its tone is reasonably full and carries well. Taken as a whole, this feels and sounds as close to an authentic Romantic concert as can be imagined, and the concert setting lends this recording the right amount of verisimilitude, while the distinctive tone colors of authentic instruments make the music sound fresh and vibrant.