Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
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Born to French father (doctor) and Huguenot mother. First lessons in music;
studies guitar and flageolet (never learned piano); educated by father
Congress of Vienna - Napoleon escapes
Execution of Andre Chenier (young French poet) at the guillotine
Travels to the mountains near Meylan, first sees Estelle Gautier; inspired to write
Je vais donc quitter pour jamais, a song from Florian's Estelle e Nemorin.
Revolutionary wars throughout Europe
Goes to Paris to study medicine, fulfilling his father's wishes; later, reports his
revulsion toward dissection and aversion to death in his Memoirs
Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859) publishes "The Confessions of an English
Opium Eater".
After exposure to Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride, and operas by Salieri and others,
Berlioz forsakes medicine and enrolls in La Sueur's composition class
Publishes his Polemique musicale, attacking the French musical establishment; he
also composes an opera based on Florian's Estelle e Nemorin
Berlioz first hears Weber's Der Freischutz
Liszt debuts in Paris
A mass by Berlioz is performed.
Victor Hugo writes Cromwell
Composes Les francs-juges (overture and six fragments survive). Work is
indebted to La Sueur and von Weber. Marche des gardes survives as the 'Marche
au supplice' in Symphonie fantastique
First of four attempts to win the Prix de Rome, an annual composition contest
which he was entitled to enter as a Conservatoire student. La mort d'Orphee, a
cantata, was judged unplayable, even though it had been played in rehearsal in
1828.
Sees Shakespeare's Hamlet with Harriet Smithson (September 27). Falls in love,
though he will not meet her for five years. He later wrote: "The impression made
on my heart and mind by her extraordinary talent, nay her dramatic genius, was
equaled only by the havoc wrought in my by the poet she so nobly interpreted."
Berlioz did not understand English, and the production was presented in the
Garrick version (in English).1
18281830 Pursues Harriet relentlessly, but totally ineffectually. In 1830, his frustrations
break out into Symphonie fantastique. According to Grove's, "For Berlioz, there
was no clear distinction between the real Harriet and the idealized embodiment of
Shakespeare's heroines, so that when, later, he was to secure an introduction to
her and ultimately marry her, a relationship that had begun on an ideal level could
only spoil in the glare of everyday reality, and the wholly Romantic conjunction
of the artist with the ideal woman came to a bitter end."
1828 Enters Herminie in the competition. It contains the melody which will become
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Berlioz wrote Romeo et Juliette, Beatrice et Benedict, Roi Lear, 3 pieces inspired
by Hamlet, The Tempest, and borrowed from Shakespeare for Les troyens.
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the idee fixe of Symphonie fantastique. Wins second prize. In this year, he heard
Beethoven's Third and Fifth symphonies for the first time, conducted by
Habeneck. He also read Goethe's Faust in this year. He terms Shakespeare and
Goethe "the silent confidants of my suffering..." Other literary influences
included Thomas Moore, Scott and Byron, whose works all inspired
compositions. In this year he also met Camille Moke.
Sketches for Faust ballet, possible source for Un bal and atmosphere, if not some
musical ideas, for Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat.
Enters La mort de Cleopatre. No prize was awarded, probably to avoid giving
Berlioz the prize, thereby condoning "dangerous tendencies".
Enters La mort de Sardanapale and wins. He changes tactics and writes a
deliberately conservative work.
July Revolution. First performance of La mort de Sardanapale in October, with a
conflagration scene written AFTER the prize was awarded. The receipt of the
prize convinces his parents that he is serious. The prize is also enough to convince
Camille's mother of his worthiness. The prize provided two year's stipend to live
and work in Italy.
In this year, Symphonie fantastique received its premiere under Habeneck on
December 5, along with the overture TheTempest.
Spends a month at Cote-St-Andre. Camille's affections for Berlioz have already
begun to cool. Berlioz goes to Italy. Three weeks after arriving in Rome, he
heads back to Paris to investigate why he hasn't heard from Camille. At Florence,
where he also becomes physically ill, he learns that she has marries Camille
Pleyel, the piano maker. In a rage, he decides to murder both Camilles and her
mother. Upon reaching Nice, he calms down. In Nice, he conceives Le retour a
la vie, a half-musical, half literary work based on Thomas Moore, and designed to
be the sequel to Symphonie fantastique. In Nice, he also conceives the overture
King Lear and starts on Rob Roy
Paganini performs in Paris
1st Breakthrough (10 years). Receives a dispensation to leave Rome and returns to
Paris. He arranges for the premiere of the newly revised Symphonie fantastique
together with Le retour a la vie. He also attacks Fetis for his "corrections" of
Beethoven symphonies, for which he will suffer later when Fetis attacks his
Symphonie fantastique in print. Smithson attends the concert (December 5).
October 3. Berlioz and Smithson are married after a bizarre courtship
Louis is born
On a commission from Paganini, Harold in Italy is composed. Paganini never
performs the work. The work is loosely based on Byron.
18341838 Work on Benvenuto Cellini, based on Cellini's memoirs about the artist-hero
1835 The premiere of Harold in Italy is bungled by Girard, and Berlioz determines to
conduct his own music henceforth.
1835 Suffers a financial collapse, becomes a critic
1835 Robert Schumann's essay on Symphonie fantastique is published
1838 Paganini gives Berlioz 20,000 francs. This made possible the completion of
Romeo et Juliette and consoled Berlioz for the complete failure of Cellini.
1842 Next 10-year point. While his music was increasingly heard outside of Paris, he
was a failure at home. His musical creativity waned and no major works were
created for five years.
1843 Published Grand traite d'instrumentation
1844 Separates from Smithson, who was in severe health decline. Travels with Marie
Recio, who was a singer. She pursued him, and his relationship with her never
had the "passionate elan" of his relationship with Harriet. His letters and memoirs
are nearly silent about her. The relationship lasted 20 years.
1845 Concert tours
1846 Completes Damnation of Faust
1848 Learns that Estelle is widowed, but fails to meet her
1848 Father dies
1852 The next 10-year point. Liszt gives a Berlioz Week at Weimar. Princess SaynWittgenstein convinces Berlioz to compose Les troyens.
1854 Smithson dies, Berlioz marries Marie Recio. Composes the L'infance du Christ.
He has a mental and spiritual calm which he lacked in the 1840s and is able to
produce a series of masterpieces
1856 Abandons most concert tours and journalism to compose Les troyens, which he
finishes in less than two years, although he revises it over the next five years. He
has little hope of getting this five-act grand opera performed.
18601863 Series of complex disappointments over production of les troyens, which was
eventually mounted in fragmentary form. It was never performed in complete
form in his lifetime. B. composes Beatrice and Benedict to his own libretto,
omitting the Hero subplot.
1862 Final 10-year point. Recio dies. Berlioz retires from composition and journalism
and sinks into despair. He suffered from intestinal neuralgia (which first appeared
1849 and reached severe proportions by 1859).
1864 Revisits Meylan, meets Estelle in Lyons. Berlioz is enraptured by her presence.
She is uncomprehending at first. He gains permission to write to her, which he
does monthly for the rest of his life. He sees her in three succeeding summers.
1866 Accepts invitation to conduct in Vienna. Hanslick criticizes the music, but Berlioz
has success.
1867 Conducts in Cologne (Harold in Italy and parts of Beatrice and Benedict)
1867 Louis, who became a sea captain, dies in a harbor accident in Havana.
1867 Conducts in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Perhaps he believed the conducting
would be restorative, but the concerts shattered him and nothing would prevent
his collapse.
1868 Travels to Nice in December, seeking to recapture a positive outlook. He fell
twice while walking. Returns to Paris.
1869 Dies in March, cared for by his mother-in-law (mother of Marie).
Fantastic Symphony
Berlioz wrote a “program” to describe the action of the symphony which was distributed
at the performance. It is paraphrased below.
Program of the Symphony.
A young musician of morbidly sensitive temperament poisons himself with opium in
lovesick despair. The dose is too weak to kill him, but plunges him into deep slumber
and strange visions. The beloved appears to him everywhere in a melody (idée fixe)
which haunts him. (The first appearance of the idée fixe is scored for violins and flute).
Part I: Reveries and Passions.
He recalls his soul-sickness (introduction). The beloved’s image appears before him
(idée fixe), inspiring volcanic love, frenzied suffering, and jealous rage (allegro).
Part II: A Ball.
He encounters the loved one at a ball. She scorns him (idée fixe). He flees the ball.
Part III: Scene in the Country.
Summer evening in the country. The artist hears two shepherds piping in dialogue. The
pastoral scene, the duet and the quiet rustling of wind in the trees raise his hopes. Her
image appears again (idée fixe). What if she were deceiving him? Fear tightens his heart.
Distant thunder is heard. One shepherd plays alone. Emptiness -- silence -- sadness.
Part IV: March to the Scaffold.
He dreams he has killed his beloved and is condemned to death. Noisy clamor of the
crowd accompany his heavy steps. Her image appears before him (idée fixe) for a
moment. His final thoughts are interrupted by the fatal blow of the ax.
Part V: Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath.
He sees himself at the Sabbath in the midst of a frightful troupe of ghosts, sorcerers and
monsters of every kind who attend his funeral. Strange noises. The beloved’s melody
appears again (idée fixe). It has lost its nobility and shyness and is now grotesque. A
roar of joy at her arrival. Funeral knell. A burlesque parody of the Dies Irae (Chant for
the Dead in the Latin Mass). Witches’ Round Dance. The Round and the Dies Irae
combine in tumult.
The Orpheus Trilogy. Three Berlioz works can be seen as an Orpheus Trilogy:
Symphonie fantastique
Self-destruction and rebirth
Myth
Music
Orpheus falls in love with Euridice
Aristeus ("bad" Orpheus) pursues Euridice
Euridice is bitten by snake and dies
Orpheus travels to the Underworld
Artist falls in love with the beloved
Artist fails to gain favor
Artist kills beloved
Artist dies twice. First death = takes opium
and sinks into "reverie". Second death = is
executed at the guillotine
Artist is mocked by beloved
Orpheus fails to rescue Euridice
Lelio, or the Return to Life
Rebirth
Orpheus returns to Earth, lost
Artist returns to life, seeks his lost
inspiration. "When will my Ophelia, my
Juliet, return to me?" he asks.
Harold in Italy
Wandering
Orpheus wanders the Earth, rejects
Thacian women
Artist (Harold) wanders the Alps
Bevenuto Cellini
Vindication and Triumph
Perseus (new Orpheus) rescues
Andromeda (new Euridice)
Cellini (new artist) wins his battle against
his enemies and casts statue of Perseus
Various Literary Sources for Berlioz’s “Orpheus Trilogy”
La Ronde du Sabbat, Victor Hugo
See in front of the walls of this black monastery
The moon to veil itself, as for a mystery!
The spirit of midnight passes, and, spreading fear,
Twelve times are balanced with the leaf of the belfry.
The noise shakes the air, rolls, and a long time still
Thunder, as locked up under the sound bell...
"Here the signal! The hell claims us;
One day any heart can
Not to have of another flame
How its black lamp!
Our round can,
In the major shade,
To lock up the world
Of an infernal circle!"
Confessions of an Opium Eater, Thomas De Quincey
“I have often been asked how I first came to be a regular opium-eater; and have suffered,
very unjustly, in the opinion of my acquaintance, from being reputed to have brought
upon myself all the sufferings which I shall have to record, by a long course of
indulgence in this practice, purely for the sake of creating an artificial state of pleasurable
excitement. This, however, is a misrepresentation of my case. True it is, that for nearly
ten years I did occasionally take opium, for the sake of the exquisite pleasure it gave me;
but, so long as I took it with this view, I was effectually protected from all material bad
consequences, by the necessity of indulgence, in order to renew the pleasurable
sensations. It was not for the purpose of creating pleasure, but of mitigating pain, in the
severest degree, that I first began to use opium as an article of daily diet.”
Other Works:
 Harold en Italie—Berlioz’s 2nd symphony. Composed in 1834, based on four
scenes from Byron’s Childe Harold. It is a blending of concerto and
symphony,and uses the solo viola part less prominently than in a concerto and,
therefore, Paganini refused to play it.
 Romeo et Juliette—a “dramatic symphony” for orchestra, chorus, soloists.
Composed in 1838, it is a blending of cantata, unstaged opera and symphony, in
seven movements.
Influence:
 Founder of modern orchestration
 Developed cyclical forms
 One of the first “modern” conductors