Yes, its hard to believe that Berlioz and Beethoven were just a generation or two apart. His Romeo et Juliette Dramatic Symphony is a wonder as is his Requiem. I've heard both Munch recordings and once owned the SACD but never took to it. I am still trying to find my ideal. I am now listening to Abbado's Chicago recording (with the optional coronet part), it is quite good but not as clear as it could be for this piece, but I am listening to it for the first time through my M80's and it sounds much better than I recall from my old speaker system. I have Muti's, very enjoyable, and I very much like Maazel's Cleveland recording especially with the outstanding Telarc sound engineering. Bernstein is also very good (the first he made with the N.Y Phil in the early 60's). Markevitch with the Lamoureux is a childhood favorite, but the sound stage is rather shallow on his DG recording (LP). I also have Solti's and it is an uncharacteristic version given his penchant of dramatics, this interpretation is quite mild, so is Dutoit's Montreal recording. Paray's is much too fast for my taste, a real "trip," quite like Munch but a bit freakier. In any case my search continues....regards to you.

Last edited by Captain4105; 03/08/13 05:38 AM.