Riccardo Muti - Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (1999)

Riccardo Muti's interpretation of Symphonie Fantastique conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra is a magical combination that produces a performance that is unbeatable. The clarity and energy that the orchestra generates under Muti's baton matches perfectly the madness of Berlioz as he purges himself of his fixation with his love for Henriette in his tone poem that he mistakenly called a symphony, to the horror of the audiences in Paris of his day but to the delight of audiences for generations to come.

At times, the performance achieves such a delicacy that when the explosions of energy come, the mastery of both Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra cannot be questioned. The total control is always maintained, and the quality of the recording is unsurpassed. Without a doubt, this recording is the best one available and at a price that cannot be beat.