Composed by Hector Belioz Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) Conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras Label Royal Philharmonic Price £12.99 Available in most good music stores
Berlioz was born in Lyons in 1803 and spent most of his working life in Paris. Belioz used his musical idol Beethoven as his role model when composing his Symphony Fantastique. He was obsessed by the Irish actress Harriet Smithson. He wrote her dozens of letters to which she never replied. Years later, she they did meet and they eventually married though not successfully.
Berlioz decided to express his experiences through music. Using Beethoven's handling of the symphony, Berlioz set about to construct a a symphony that retained many of the traditional elements yet pushed it towards a new direction.
Symphonie Fantastique has five movements each detailing a different episode of his relationship with Harriet. He completed the symphony in 1830. He provided a detailed programme for the symphony with a synopsis. An artist "who sees for the first time a woman who realises the ideal of beauty and fasination that his heart has so long invoked, and falls madly in love with her".
1st Movement: Dreams / Passions. A slow introction recalls the emptiness before he met his beloved. The music leads into an obsessive love theme. The beloved is represent by an "idee fixe", a theme that recurs throughout the symphony. Berlioz wrote that this movement was to represent "frenzied passion with all its bursts of tenderness, jealousy, rage, alarm etc".
2nd Movement: A Ball. This is a delightful waltz using multiple harps.It is graceful to start but becomes more hectic as the music progresses. The "idee fixe" emerges to represent the artist seeing his beloved across the dance floor.
3rd Movement: Scene in the Country. Berlioz dexribed this movement as "thoughts of love and hope disturbed by dark premonitions". A solo cor anglais is played echoed by a distant oboe. Shepherds pipes and bird calls represent the country. The music becomes turbulent and thunder is heard.
4th Movement: March to the Shaffold. A dream sequence. The artsi has taken opium and dreams he has murdered his beloved and is to be executed. The music builds in intensity leading to a fanfare of brass instruments as the music depicts the head falling into the basket below the gullitine.
5th Movement: Dream of a Witches Sabbath. Another opium induced nightmare, in which, his beloved appears as part of a group of witches. The theme appears twisted and ugly.
The Romain Carnival is a sinle movement in A major changing in tempo from Allegro assai to Andante to Allegro Vivace. It is written in sonat form with an introduction, exposition, develoipment, recapitulation and coda. A short fast introduction leads to a slower section beginning with a solo cor anglais, joined firstly by violas, then violas and cellos together. A rhythemic accompaniment enter played by the brass. The woodwinds enter with swooping scales. The music develops into a loud tutti (all the orchestra together).The recapitulation is heard before the coda which is played in a mock fugue beginning with the strings.
I requested Ciao to add this as it is one of the most wonderful pieces of classical music you will ever hear. It is filled with contrasts. The Symphonie Fastique contains peaceful portrayals of the countryside, elegant waltzs, hectic macabre and a doomed walk to death. I found myself isteneing out for the idee fixe and was pleased with myself when I did.
Belioz wrote in the Romantic period of tonal music and made full use of the contemporary instruments. His composition are unique and entertaining.
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