Janos Gereben wrote:

>Monica Groop and Samuel Ramey were the impressive soloists, Matthew
>Polenzani sang the Queen Mab aria well, but the evening belonged to MTT,
>the chorus and the orchestra.  And Berlioz.

I recently heard Monica Groop as Ascanio in one of the two Berlioz
operas where a young man with that name (Ascanio/Ascagne) is sung by a
mezzo.  Monica Groop was probably the least interesting Ascanio of the
six I have either studio performances or air-checks of.  And Sam Ramey
singing this quintessentially French music, give me a break. I understand
you are basically lauding the conducting.  I cannot dispute that. I have
not heard it.  But there is something wrong in a world where conductors,
either performing or more so recording Berlioz or Mahler, just have any
old soloists (and one hears more and more about this in Mahler recordings).
Let me note that Polenzani got a long standing ovation from me last Feb.
at the Met as Iopas.  OTOH Peter Lika in Cambreling's recording of R&J
was just too non-French sounding for me to take.

Best, Yoel