Charles Munch conducts Berlioz (vaimusic.com)

Munch's RCA Victor recording of the Fantastique from the 1950's is, to my mind, the greatest of all time. The finale will truly make you hair stand on end!
This movement is performed a bit more slowly on the recording. This performance really pushes the limit (!) but what a wild ride.
Quite the workout for the 4 bassoonists....

Charles Munch is the greatest conductor we have in recordings. As a prominent critic said in those days, the BSO under Charles Munch is a cultural achievement comparable to The Parthenon. Limiting myself here to brief comment, I refer you all to slow movement of Beethoven Ninth; and dig great Everett Firth elsewhere in same recording. We must mention BSO princess, the great Doriot Anthony Dwyer (flute), and the great Richard Burgin (concertmaster).

Man, I love Charles Munch as much as the next music lover, but to call him the greatest is putting your sights just a little bit too high. To be sure, he's up there. But there are just too many other candidates to back that up.

Strange- looks like a baritone and a tuba. I thought it was usually 2 tubas

I've never heard it done this fast.. They stayed with him. Some amazing ensemble - this group of legendary performers.

Why is the performance in Sanders Theater at Harvard? Because that is definitely Sanders, not Symphony Hall.

The BSO had a regular series at
Sanders Theater, and they were all broadcast.

For Voisin fans WGBH had an interview with him on its website shortly after he passed. He mentioned his beginning and how his father (a BSO member) was against it. (Koussevitsky was felt to be a bit too harsh for players that young.) I remember he also commented that no 2 of Munch's performances were the same.

I subscribed to BSO concerts during Munch's last year. That was a phenomenal experience.

Tom

thanks for posting this.
wow, that brings back great memories. Voisin was my hero when i was a high school student in the GBYSO in the early '60s. Each year we got to play a concert with the BSO; 1/2 youth symphony players and 1/2 BSO. I sat between Ghitalla and Voisin, both of whom were very supportive of us. I still have all of Voisin's records; Music for Trumpet and Orchestra; although they are somewhat worn from many hours of playing them.

One might say that at times, Munch was capable of out Furtwanglering Furtwangler. But Furtwangler, exciting as he often was, never had quite the articulation you professional musicians have noted here. Somewhere I have a tape of a live Brahms 1st from about the same time. Any other performance is dull by comparison.

My old teacher - Vic on Timpani! Right that's he's the greatest ever. That's what Munch, Ozawa and other greats said.