Album: Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique etc (Zig Zag Territoires)

Best known for a startling reimagining of Ravel's Bolero, Jos van Immerseel's provocative period-instruments orchestra turns to Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.

The forces are small, the sound translucent in Rêveries/ Passions and Un Bal, brittle and dusty in the Marche au Supplice. Two Erard pianos replace the bells in Songe d'une Nuit du Sabbat, an odd, alluring sound. Scène aux Champs is particularly poetic, with gorgeous woodwind, though Van Immerseel's tempi are often rather cautious.