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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

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.