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The Arts Intel Report

Symphonie Fantastique, The Movie

Basil Twist’s genius was established in 1998, when he first interpreted an opium dream from the pen of Hector Berlioz in a 500-gallon aquarium. Some critics called Twist’s Symphonie Fantastique a nonrepresentational underwater puppet show. More accurately, Twist defined his instant hit as a “spectacle of abstract form.” For the landmark New York revival of 2018, Twist expanded his original quartet of operators to a team of 10 and doubled the capacity of the tank. At the same time, more controversially, he switched canned music for a live piano reduction. Brilliantly shot and edited, Symphonie Fantastique, The Movie is now available for streaming. —M.G.

A live piano reduction accompanies “Symphonie Fantastique, The Movie.” Photo: Richard Termine.