Hieronder enige citaten uit recensies die snel op het web te vinden waren.

http://inkpot.com/classical/berliozorch.html

The collection opens, rightly, with Davis' 1974 landmark recording of the Symphonie Fantastique, Op.14 with the Royal Concertgebouw. Historically, this was the first work he recorded with the Dutch ensemble, with a reading that approaches almost an orthodoxy of how the Fantastique should be played; the music-making is all at once evocative, atmospheric and exhilarating.

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http://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Music-Classics-Fantastique-Concertgebouw/dp/B00000JZ2C

Sir Colin Davis's 1974 account of the Symphonie fantastique with the Concertgebouw Orchestra has ranked among the best since the day it was made: refined, sensitive, and full of passionate reverie, it's a high-voltage performance that never seems overdriven. Avoiding the tendency of many conductors to treat the work in episodic terms, Davis presides over a reading that is sustained by a firm sense of structure and argument. He elicits fine playing from the Concertgebouw orchestra, whose combination of chamberlike delicacy in the strings, characterful work in the winds, and brilliant brass is virtually ideal. The recording is superb--textures emerge clearly in a spacious setting, with good perspective.
--Ted Libbey

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A performance that has plenty of adreanaline, September 15, 2000
By Yi-Peng (Singapore)

Sir Colin Davis, one of the best Berlioz specialists of today, proves himself worthy of this title by giving us firm, first-class and solid versions of the composer's output. This record of the Symphonie Fantastique is a prime example, in which Davis presents a performance that deserves to be praised enthusiastically and not reproached harshly. Through the whole performance, Davis injects the right amount of adreanaline, and the Concertgebouw orchestra responds well to his touch, even though he is a British conductor, and the Philips (now Decca) recording is first-class, with the right balance and atmosphere. From the opening Reveries of the work, one is totally spellbound by the music-making, and one can't help but be suspended on the edge of their seats. The entire first movement is given blood and thrust, and the hysteria that the imaginary artist experiences is well-brought out here, as well as the innocence of the idee fixe. The Ball sequence that follows is well-presented in the manner of true blue Viennese waltzes, and the music really sways like never before. However, the tense excitement comes to an abrupt halt as the Scene in the Country sets in, with a true dream-like quality brought about by the shimmering sounds of the orchestra. But in the last two sections, the March to the Scaffold and the Dream of a Sabbath Night, the blood races faster than ever before because of the sharp, menacing sounds, with a fierry and menacing March and a macabre Dream, replete with Dies irae. Overall, I can safely say that Davis really gives one of the world's best Fantastique records, and that this is the one to buy if you are looking for a first-class modern stereo performance.

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One of the Better Ones, June 18, 2004
By F. Adcock (Silsbee, Texas United States)

Davis's Concertgebouw recording of this great work (not to be confused with his earlier, less successful one with London Symphony and on the same label) is certainly one of the better ones. As a straightforward account, it works rather well, and would be my first choice, were it not for at least a half dozen other performances which do a great job of making the hair on my neck stand at attention. These include Andre Previn with the Royal Philharmonic (RPO Records), Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra (EMI), Claudio Abbado with the Chicago Symphony (DG), Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony (RCA), Sir Thomas Beecham and the French National Radio Orchestra (EMI), and John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique (Philips).
Davis, good as he is, is just a little underpowered, although he does give us some fine brio in the finale. The playing of the Concertgebouw Orchestra is near flawless, and the sound is more detailed when compared to other Concertgebouw recordings with Bernard Haitink conducting.

Definitely one to own, if your collection is large enough for a half-dozen versions.

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http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Symphonie-Fantastique-Concertgebouw-Orchestra/dp/B00005CCAC

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Most performances of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique fall firmly into one of two categories: those that stress the work's classical, Apollonian qualities, and those that respond strongly to its wilder, Dionysian side. Davis is firmly in the Apollonian saddle, which means he leads a poised, balanced performance that's beautifully played by the Concertgebouw. It is a bit short on the excitement scale, so the hallucinatory march to the scaffold and witches' Sabbath can disappoint if you're familiar with the way they're whipped along by the likes of Munch, Paray, and Bernstein, among others. On the other hand, the waltz movement flows, and there's gentle poetry in the pastoral scene in the country. Davis observes all the repeats and uses the cornet part Berlioz later added to the second movement, another pair of pluses. Davis is an eminent Berliozian who's recorded this piece several times, along with all the composer's major works. This welcome reissue in good sound is a highly satisfying rendition of Berlioz's most popular work and an excellent supplement to the wilder shores of Berlioz interpretations. --Dan Davis

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A top-knotch Fantatasique with vastly improved sound, May 10, 2001
By Yi-Peng (Singapore)

As one of today's noted Berlioz scholars, Sir Colin Davis proves his worth with this wonderful classic performance of the Symphonie fantastique. Recorded with the Concertgebouw in 1974, it still shines among the many dozens of recordings available. The Dutch musicians produce first-class and peerless playing, with every subtle nuance brought out to the fore, and the Philips engineers respond positively within the condusive acoustics with wide-ranging, clear and atmospheric sound. And in this latest reissue, as if this was not enough, you get the extra asset of a clean and vivid new 24-bit remastering that also serves (with the removal of all extraneous tape hiss) to make this recording feel as if it was recorded only yesterday.
Davis starts his performance with a dream-like Reveries section, before he is able to lurch into the forward-moving Passions section. Here, he allows the music to move forward and show the hysteria of the artist in relation to his imaginary beloved, at the same time giving the idee fixe a life of its own to show off its irregular phrasing and original qualities naturally. The Ball sequence that follows this movement has a refined lyricism, and is presented in the manner of authentic Strauss waltzes, but the flickers of the troubled soul are able to pervade through the light-hearted carnival-like festivities of this movement. After the troubles of the first two movements, Davis slows down the pace with a shapely and beautiful Scene in the country. In this movement, there is an extra touch of vividness with the two oboe soloists and the thunderous sound of the timpani being brought to the fore. Still, the quiet pastoral serenity and the dark undertones are nicely allowed to remain prominent, with the dark undertones hinting us of what is to come in the opium-inflicted nightmare that is to follow in the two movements. And indeed, as we expect, the last two movements turn out to be even more macabre than we expect them to. We sink with the artist into his nightmare, where we are faced with a menacing March to the Scaffold and a Dream of a Sabbath Night with eerie, menacing harmonics, replete with Dies irae. Still, the excitement is never allowed to ebb away, for Davis holds the macabre proceedings together with the necessary skill of a Berlioz conductor, keeping every listener on the edge of his seat up to the closing pages, when the combination of the Dies irae with the witches' roundelay build up to a devastating climax in stampeding towards Satan and Hell.

To sum up, I can safely say that this is one of the most perfect recordings of the Symphonie fantastique available today, and can be recommended without any reservation to any lover of a good symphony or to a Berlioz neophyte, where this recording will be sure to find a happy home in his collection.

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Scintillating performance, May 19, 2009
By G.D. (Norway)

Colin Davis has recorded the Symphonie fantastique on several occasions, but this 1974 version is probably the best. Now, I should add a disclaimer here so that the reader knows where I am coming from: I view the work as a pretty mediocre effort; it has some interesting and inspired instrumentation and orchestral textures, and there is no doubt about its originality, but that alone does not make a masterpiece, and in my view this isn't one. Still, even I am almost convinced by this driven, electrical performance with a Concertgebouw on top form which produces some wonderful instrumental colors and smoldering fire and intensity. The various grotesqueries and the nefarious playfulness of the `Marche au supplice' stand out, but overall the players are able to make the most of the at various times glittering, fiery and dreamlike melodies and textures. No less impressive is by Davis's firm grasp of the structure and his ability to make an almost convincing case for the architectonics of this rather rambling creation. The sound quality is excellent as well, so if you want just one version of this work, this is probably the one to go for.

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[Originals uitgave]
http://www.amazon.com/Berlioz-Symphonie-Fantastique-Hector/dp/B000E6EH1S/ref=pd_cp_m_1

5.0 out of 5 stars A very ideal Berlioz Fantastique in superb sound, October 20, 2007
By Yi-Peng (Singapore)

There are so many recordings of the Berlioz Fantastique that the best ones help to emphasise its unique qualities. One of these superb recordings is this version by Sir Colin Davis and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Although some people might find it a little austere, Davis secures superb playing from the Concertgebouw Orchestra. This performance is accorded superb sound that has corrected the problems of the original CD release.

This performance stands out because it maintains the steam throughout all the five movements, and Sir Colin Davis's tempi pushes the music along. After a rapturous reading of the opening Reveries section, he hurtles the Concertgebouw into the Passions, presenting the motto-theme of the symphony simply, yet sustaining the strands of the arguments. The Ball scene sounds suitably neurotic in his hands, and the Scene in the Country conveys a rapt sense of repose, with disturbing undercurrents towards the end. I know some people will complain about the over-austere character of the last two movements, but no, Sir Colin continues to sustain the momentum of the symphony. The March to the Scaffold may not be the most propulsive, but he certainly makes it sound grim, and conveys a suitably nightmarish and macabre effect. The finale, Dream of a Sabbath Night, is taken at a brisk clip and maintains the adreanaline to the end of the work, capping a scintillating performance of this groundbreaking symphony.

In short, I think this is a self-ercommending performance of the Fantastique that probably faces up to the competition today. Yes I know that Sir Colin's 2000 LSO Live version presents some stiff competition, but this superb studio recording has its own merits despite being 25 years old.

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Yes, This Is Still The Best, May 17, 2008
By Socrates Stewart "Baltimore Boy, Music Collec... (Owings Mills, MD)

"Symphonie Fantasique" can be a truly haunting,engaging experience or it can be rambling and tedious. It takes the listener to so many emotional peaks and valleys only a skilled, sympathetic conductor with a multifaceted orchestra can succeed.

Colin Davis is the master to be sure. This performance is lush and beautiful, moody and magnficient. Despite being from the analog era, the overall sound quality is magnficent. The recording provides a transparent window to a wonderful orchestral experience.

This album, Colin Davis conducting this Berlioz classic, is one of those dozen classical CD's I'd never want to be caught without.

Listeners unfamiliar with this work, try this CD. It's moderately priced, a good value, and a great disc you'll enjoy for the ages.

Those who love the symphony, compare this to your preferred version. You'll probably love this one.

For those who once loved this work on vinyl but had doubts how it would survive the digital conversion process, chin up! This performance will KO all those DDD alternatives. If you sacrifice a little technology, it will be compensated by performance quality.

A MUST HAVE!!!! PERIOD.

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5.0 out of 5 stars "There can be only one"...........Connor MacLeod, April 4, 2009
By Timothy Mikolay (Pittsburgh, PA)

As ridiculous as MacLeod's assertion may be, it speaks volumes about what this recording has always meant to me. Of the dozens of recordings I have of the major 'war-horses' per se (Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler symphonies, Rachmaninov concerti, Baroque sewing machine music), this is the ONLY one I'll ever want.

Recorded in 1974, the most readily apparent characteristic of this reading is its momentum. Davis doesn't allow the orchestra to rest for a moment, creating tension whenever and where ever necessary. So many performances of 'Fantastique' lack the simple inertia to keep this score alive and the Dutch respond to Davis magically. The first movement, difficult to convey because of the orchestration parrying between sparse and complex, is performed with such ease and color; I simply have not heard a better first movement anywhere.

The second movement waltz, 'At the Ball', is absolutely gorgeous, especially with the added cornet. Anytime I hear this waltz without the cornet part, I'm ready to call the guilty conductor and ask him why he left it out. It simply cannot go without. Again the Concertgebouw performs this movement with such life and joy it dances off the disc!

The third movement is simply amazing. The english horn solo at the beginning and end (the shepherd's pipe) of the movement is forlorn, impassioned, lonely, it is what typifies a benchmark reading for this piece. The Berlioz bass drum at the end is perfect for the coming storm. In general, the Concertgebouw bass drum for this recording is right on. The depth, the bass, the power, it's perfect and perfectly played.
One of the better moments of the CD, the March to the Scaffold, is strictly paced here but the orchestra accentuates throughout and conveys a truly sinister scene. Listen to the bassoons and how they pierce the Concertgebouw acoustic like no other. Marvelous!

The last movement is the best Witch's Sabbath I know; the creepy beginning leading up to the ensuing Dies Irae is only just the beginning. The bells used in this recording I have yet to hear anywhere since and never on any disc before. They set the stage for some of the most frenzied and expertly played Berlioz in recorded history (I'm dead serious about this). The low brass Dies Irae is striking and never lets up. The prickly dance that interrupts the Dies shows us a level of execution the woodwinds of very few orchestras ever demonstrated. The sextuplets that lead up to the main fugue are incredible and their reaffirmation at the ending really make a statement about the greatness of this offering.

This recording is unparalleled. Because I love this music so much and Davis found the perfect orchestra for this recording session, I have not yet found a reason to buy another. It IS a benchmark for this work; it is an incontestable addition to anyone's music library.

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http://classicalcdreview.com/MC239.html
[SACD uitgave op PentaTone]

Sir Colin Davis's recording of Symphonie fantastique was made January 7-10, 1974, sessions that also produced the conductor's magnificent recording of Beethoven's Violin Concerto with Arthur Grumiaux as soloist which also is available on SACD (REVIEW). The Dutch orchestra had made three previous recordings of the Berlioz with Eduard van Beinum, in 1943 and 1946 on 78's, and in 1951 for LP—and would make one more afterwards, a live performance with Mariss Jansons in June 1991, about a decade before he became Chief Conductor of the Concertgebouw. The Davis recording has been recognized as one of the finest ever made of this music—but now we have it on SACD and the improvement in sound is remarkable. Now there is a sense of space lacking before, and the wider dynamic range possible with the format. It is absolutely superb in every way. One wonders what other Davis treasures there might be in the vaults awaiting SACD release—perhaps his 1976 Sacre du printemps, or Petrushka from the following year? We can hope.