Sharp, irreverent and bright Sir Thomas Beecham took many challenges during his life as conductor by presenting works quite unknown by the not scholarly british audiences. Delius and Dalayrac, for example, were some names. Also, mid caliber composers like Satie, Lalo or Smetana found place in his baton. But since the very beginning he knew it was a crime that such a genious, grandmaster and enlighted mind like this frenchman (who even carries the "Glorious Capital B" like Beethoven, Bach or Brahms) remains hidden by most of his countrymen, in Britain.

Hector Berlioz is perhaps the most influential composer of the XIX century. Only Beethoven and Wagner can compete in equal (or better) conditions with him. But somehow his music, which tends to be nondescript and beyond topics, stayed for long time underrated (excluiding erudite audiences). Even if his overtures were magic and blatant. Even if his most known "symphony" recieved the epithet of "fantastic" and even if most of the major composers regarded him up to a "teacher", until the XXth century there was no reappraisal.

Beecham, once again, took the challenge. But this time, with the certainty of victory in his grasp. His Royal Philharmonic presented this masterfully performed version of his "Symphony" Nº 3, Harold En Italie, for viola and orchestra, like it was usual for them. In that time, though, Berlioz music was "a novelty". Primrose does a correct job with his viola, buzzing transparently through the italian mountains, the Abruzzos, calling his mistress with joy and tenderness and witnessing with growing excitement an orgy. But what's most important here, obviously, is the Orchestra. Paganini knew it and rejected this piece almost with despise, then greatly apologizes with Berlioz, knowing that it was a masterpiece. The French composer, once again, with revolutionary style, gave his own colour to the vision of a "symphony", using by free will his palette and adding unprecedented harmonies and melodies in the four movements. Even if we can criticize that perhaps the exposition of themes is somehow ambiguous, that fact becomes irrelevant by finding out that Berlioz intention is precisely to draw the shapes and forms, not to paint the entire picture. Later, Wagner, Rimsky Korsakov, Strauss, Mahler and other geniouses lavishly understood and took these ideas.

"Enfin, on va jouer" said Berlioz in his deathbed. Beecham (and later then, Collin Davis) resurrected him for the major audiences. And, even more, they gave us some masterpieces of orchestral conducting, like this one. Clear, violent and magical. With capital "B"'s we can add: Berlioz By Beecham: Brilliant.