BRC-3361 Berlioz LesNuits d'Ete-4 Overtures

This most beloved of all voice/orchestra song cycles was lucky to get, from the very early mono era, equally high level recordings (De los Angeles/Munch; Steber/Mitropoulos e.g.) and this one, the oldest of the lot, is a most magical one, due for one thing to the ravishing voice of the Belgian Suzanne Danco and also to the water-color tinted orchestral accompaniment of the Cincinnati Orchestra under Johnson. The recording went on an official reissue on Decca (now deleted) but never sounded better than here: for we took immense pains to secure a more precise and cleanly delineated orchestral sound picture, the recording of which originally was too recessed and pale. The compilation brings also back to the catalog a superb Urania recording of four Berlioz overtures by Martinon and the Lamoureux (which later appeared on an electronic stereo lp reissue with execrable sound). We were lucky to secure a copy of the original mono and needed only clean it to perfection. A most desirable issue for Berlioz fans.

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