If you think the end of the 1812 Overture is grandiose, wait till you hear Hector Berlioz’s Te Deum. The composer himself exclaimed “The final movement surpasses all the enormities of which I have been guilty of up to now.” The San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, conducted by Charles Dutoit, perform in colossal mode, along with the Pacific Boychoir. Watch out for the trombones!
Jeff Dunn is a freelance critic with a B.A. in music and a Ph.D. in geologic education. A composer of piano and vocal music, he is a member of the National Association of Composers, USA, a former president of Composers, Inc., and has served on the Board of New Music Bay Area.