The Cincinnati Symphony’s “Stories in Concert” program, all about Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, held this afternoon at Music Hall,  was mesmerizing.  The CSO Music Director, Louis Langrée, engaged the audience with his explanations of what was happening at various places throughout the piece, letting us hear just what the basses or horns or strings were doing, before putting all the pieces back together so we could hear the passage in question as a whole.  He showed us twenty different examples as he told the story, so that we would better understand what Berlioz was telling us  when the piece was later played in its magnificent entirety.

Maestro  Langrée  told the story of the young and untrained composer who scandalized the music world at the premiere of the symphony, the young man’s obsession with the English actress who inspired it, and the story that the music tells.

He was charming, funny, and totally involved with the audience, which applauded, laughed, and responded with affectionate chuckles to his obvious joy in sharing the piece with us. It is apparent that with this gentle man, it’s all about the music – not all about the conductor.

I have been listening to this symphony for over forty years, and it’s long been one of my favorite pieces of music.  After the the Maestro and the orchestra showed us all the pieces,  they put it all back together, and I heard it in an entirely new way for the first time.