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Berlioz' oratorio provides a welcome alternative to the usual Christmastime Messiah at the Maison symphonique. 

Under the direction of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Zurich’s fine Tonhalle Orchestra, The Monteverdi Choir and soloists launch a sonorous holiday season with Hector Berlioz’s sacred oratorio L’Enfance du Christ.

Berlioz was well served in a performance that rose to heights of inspiring dignity and devotional beauty.

Christmastime comes with its musical traditions, from sing-along Messiahs to Christmas carols to Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas is You”. And there’s no denying that shouting any of the above at the top of your lungs will immediately get you into the Christmas spirit.

Before attending Sir Mark Elder and the Britten Sinfonia’s performance of L’enfance du Christ, I could have claimed to be almost entirely ignorant of Berlioz’s music. The only exception – apart from an innocuous bucolic passage from Harold in Italy I ‘studied’ at A-level – was ‘The Shepherd’s Farewell’, which makes my Christmas chocolate box list annually.

Pas d'opéra cette année au Festival Berlioz mais l'oratorio du compositeur éponyme, bien servi par les forces polonaises des chœur et orchestre du NFM de Wrocław placées sous la direction de Paul McCreesh.

Au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, l'Orchestre National de France et son directeur musical, Emmanuel Krivine, délivrent une interprétation sèche de l'œuvre de Berlioz. Malgré une grande Stéphanie d'Oustrac.