Symphonie Fantastique
Of the following, which is NOT an orchestral work by Berlioz?
Of the following, which is NOT an orchestral work by Berlioz?
a. Harold in Italy
b. Romeo and Juliet
c. Italian Symphony
d. Symphonie fantastique
??
Although Berlioz created many symphonies based upon Italy, your best guess is (c) Italian Symphony.
Supported answers:
(a) Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) encouraged Berlioz (1803-1869) to write Harold en Italie. The two first met after a concert of Berlioz’s works conducted by Narcisse Girard on 22 December 1833, three years after the premiere of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. Paganini had acquired a superb viola, a Stradivarius — “But I have no suitable music. Would you like to write a solo for viola? You are the only one I can trust for this task.”
(b) The composition of the dramatic symphony Romeo and Juliet in 1839 was made possible by the generous gift of 20 000 francs by Paganini to Berlioz, made after the great virtuoso had publicly knelt before Berlioz after a concert at the Conservatoire on 16th December 1838 and hailed him as Beethoven’s heir. The work was first performed in 3 concerts conducted by Berlioz at the same Conservatoire, on 24 November, 1st December and 15th December 1839, before an audience that comprised much of the Parisian intelligentsia of the time and included none other than Richard Wagner, whose Tristan und Isolde of 1859 bears evident traces of the impact that the music had on him. The work did not reach its final form until several years after its composition: after a performance of the complete work in Vienna on 2 January 1846, the first since 1839 and the first abroad, Berlioz decided to make several important cuts and changes to the Prologue, Queen Mab Scherzo, and the Finale, and the full score was not published till 1847.
(d) An Episode in the Life of the Artist Opus 14, usually referred to by its subtitle Symphonie fantastique (Fantasy Symphony) is a symphony written by French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is widely regarded as one of the most important and representative pieces of the early Romantic period, and is still very popular with concert audiences worldwide. The first performance took place at the Paris Conservatoire in December 1830. The work was repeatedly revised between 1831 and 1845.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique- 5th Movement
