Also titled episode in an artists life, it was created just three years after his idol beethovens death, and, in its way, it was as revolutionary as the eroica or the ninth. Do they reflect berliozs own changing feelings for his heroine. The symphony describes his obsession and dreams, tantrums. The greatest versions of berliozs symphonie fantastique classical. With those words, berlioz introduced his symphonie fantastique at its. Bbc proms 2019 prom 72 berlioz s symphonie fantastique 320kbps. The composition of this revolutionary masterpiece marked a breakthrough in the composers career, at once the culmination of his years of apprenticeship, and the starting point of his mature work as a symphonic composer. The story is about a love sick, depressed young artist, while in his despair poisons himself with opium.
Hector berlioz s symphonie fantastique is a celebrated example of program music. The symphonie fantastique is a highly original work of its time in terms of both its treatment of melody, rhythms and harmony and berliozs ability to express moods and drama through music. The five movements follow a novellike journey from despair and. Also titled episode in the life of an artist, this first symphony by berlioz was one of the most original and fanciful work of the 19th century. Grande symphonie funebre et triomphale beethoven orchestra bonn. Operas les francsjuges, h 23 benvenuto cellini, h 76 les troyens, h 3 beatrice et benedict, h 8. Immensely influential, the remarkable symphonie fantastique was composed while hector berlioz was suffering an intense and unreciprocated passion for the irish actress harriet smithson. Symphonie fantastique is an epic for a huge orchestra. Complete your berlioz, paul paray, detroit symphony collection. Explore three versions of the program as they pertain to each version of harriet. The symphonie fantastique is a symphony written by the french composer hector berlioz. On this edition of milestones of the millennium we experience the panoply of emotions of a young, lovestruck musician and composer, hector. He based the program on his own impassioned life and transferred his memoirs into his best known program symphony. It is an important piece of the early romantic period.
The program of the symphonie fantastique concerns the artist understood to be berlioz himself who was at the time deeply in love with a shakespearean actress named harriet smithson, who, unhappy in love, swallows an overdose of opium. Orchestration symphonie fantastique, the idee fixe. With its program of romantic infatuation, a dizzying waltz, an opiuminduced delirium, murder, suicide, a beheading and a witches dance, there was no going back to the sedate, refined days of the classical. Aug 19, 2014 something a little different this week. Hector berlioz symphonie fantastique franz liszt les preludes westeastern divan orchestra daniel barenboim. It is an important piece of the early romantic period, and is popular with concert audiences worldwide. The programme symphonie fantastique, the idee fixe. Download torrent berlioz symphonie fantastique fast. More specifically, ralph locke notes that berliozs teacher, jeanfrancois lesueur, had written an 1801 symphonic ode that placed orchestras in the four corners of the vast invalides church in the heart of paris, the same venue and array for which berliozs requiem would be crafted. To berlioz, this symphony would be the artistic embodiment of his love for harriet smithson, and his ultimate success that would win her over.
The symphonie fantastique has always been the work with which berliozs name is most closely associated. Full citation of documents supporting the facts stated in this article will be found in the foreword. Transferred and restored from the original rca victor mono lp lm11. Rattle and the orchestra hold berliozs dramatic thread throughout the symphony. In contrast to abstract instrumental music that is, music without pictorial or verbal allusions, program music intentionally recreates visual and literary ideas by musical means. Episode in the life of an artist in five sections op. This is the symphonys idee fixe, the melody that appears in all five movements. Each movement depicts an episode in the protagonists life that is described by berlioz in the program notes to the 1845 score. Identifying the instruments berlioz chose to play the idee fixe gives us another way to examine his feelings toward harriet. Symphonies symphonie fantastique, h 48 harold en italie, h 68 romeo et juliette, h 79 grande symphonie funebre et triomphale, h 80.
The second movement of berlioz s symphonie fantastique describes the hero at a sumptuous 19th century ball. The symphony shows unity through the use of an idee fixe, a recurring theme, which acts as a structural foundation of the work. Hector berlioz wrote the symphonie fantastique at the age of 27. Berlioz symphonie fantastique or fantastic symphony if you are insecure pronouncing french words, was a revolutionary symphony. Through its movements, it tells the story of an artists selfdestructive passion for a beautiful woman. The music captures the elegance and superficiality of. Its autobiographical tale describes a young musicians opiumpoisoned nightmares of jealous despair and fatal justice following the murder of his beloved. Therefore the only truly disappointing recording should be routine. They take a gutsy approach to it should be expected. A study set for the life, career, and musical style of hector berlioz, as well as his composition, symphonie fantastique. It is an important piece of the early romantic period, and is popular with concert. An analysis of the five movements in the symphonie. A full description of its many versions will accompany my forthcoming critical edition of the symphony in the new berlioz edition. Work analysis 20 hector berlioz symphonie fantastiq.
Symphonie fantastique, berlioz movement four analysis. In the hands of robin ticciati and the scottish chamber orchestra, hector berlioz s symphonie fantastique receives a nearperiod style reading that is full of special surprises, not least that a modern instrumental ensemble can sound quite close to an early romantic orchestra. At the helm is gardiner, who has a powerful personality. Hector berlioz discussion on symphonie fantastique. Oct 12, 2014 berliozs symphonie fantastique was an exceptional symphony that stood out for two main reasons. A detailed analysis of berlioz s symphonie fantastique mvt iv, march to the scaffold. Consider, too, how berlioz gives his introduction visceral excitement by means of both dynamics. Completed in february, 1830, the programmatic symphony described a romantic tale of a young artist meeting a woman, his unreciprocated love, and the eventual. Aug 09, 20 berlioz symphonie fantastique mariss jansons conductor bavarian radio symphony orchestra proms festival 20, london royal albert hall mariss jansons 70th birthday this year god bless the.
It is one of the most famous romantic works for orchestra. Episode in the life of an artist, orchestral work by french composer hector berlioz, widely recognized as an early example of program music, that attempts to portray a sequence of opium dreams inspired by a failed love affair. Symphonie fantastique berlioz simple english wikipedia. An innovative orchestrator, berlioz assigned each instrument its own emotional attributes. An episode in the life of an artist, in five parts op. An authoritative score historical background, analysis, views and comments critical scores by h.
Hector berlioz wrote these words to a friend in 1829, and a year later, he embodied them in his first symphony, the still astounding symphonie fantastique. Pierre monteux conducting the san francisco symphony orchestra. Symphonie fantastique baltimore symphony orchestra. In three different versions of the program, we see that berlioz changed his story in subtle ways.
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