Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Drawing on various themes dear to the early Romantic movement of the 1820s, Symphonie Fantastique broke all the rules of classical symphonic form. This new recording from François-Xavier Roth and Les Siècles benefits from a close study of the composer's autograph score and the unique timbres of period instruments, including the church bell of the composer's hometown, La-Cote Saint-André. The symphony incorporates passages from Les Francs-Juges, an early operatic effort Berlioz left unfinished. Only the overture survives, and it makes for a perfect pairing here.