Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 40 views

    10 Berlioz

    Uploaded by

    Lyndi Scott

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content

    You might also like

    10 Berlioz

    Uploaded by

    Lyndi Scott
    40 views22 pages

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    40 views22 pages

    10 Berlioz

    Uploaded by

    Lyndi Scott

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    of 22
    GREAT COMPOSERS AND THEIR MUSIC 1¢ Great Composers Born into a respectable, religious country family Berlioz showed bis extraordinary temperament atan carly age, At 12 be fell in Tove with Estelle, @ girl of 18, becoming so Obsessed with her that, twhenerer she was near, he felt physically ill. He Tearntto play three instruments and. by 16, (right) was sending bis Compositions to Paris publishers. Butbis father (above), a doctor. refused to let bio study Imusic; at Ibe was sent ‘away to medical school in Parts To Hector Berlioz, possibly the most original Romani composer sd conductor, muni Wis heavenly at He declared tht: ‘Nothing surpasces jg but true ove. The one wil always make me ie Unhappy asthe other but, a lest, shalt nave Wve The way’ he lived, with a hery tempersmens perverse delight in provocation alienated any ot Contemporaries. Mendcicahn'i freak, wihouta vest feiend List, were entranced by hi edictability. They found hin childlike, and reveled. in: his ded humour. Much impressed, the German delightful, even Poet Heine called Berlioz ‘an immense nig ssan eagle AIM Hs fe Berlioz struggled against bankrupt} peg furced to work as a music journals fora living Pata: opposition to his works and personality inh futve ‘Hance meant. that he went largely un ppreciated, despite having such a profound influenes iptother countries that fe is often considered th fauher of madern orchestration. Berlioz would whip himself into emotional frenzi alternately unable to work, thea rushing into asta Gt urcless composition and study. His violent swing Of mood, combined with rejections. and_ mat Sitteuttis, produced an unprecedented directness passion in his music, but left him an embittered man who died alone, and chronically il Yer this excessively, Romantic igure was al® professional who demanded exacting standards himself mn all that he did. One of the greatest musi innovators, he wis grandiloguent,unclssifable a jeccentriesa true maverick ofhis time ghtingale; a lark as grea The serious child Louis Hector Berlioz was bom on 11 December, 180 at La Cote-St. André, in the district of Dauphiné # father was a much-loved country doctor and t mother a pious, orthodox. Roman Catholic: TB feligion, which iberioz. described as ‘0 att since it gave up burning people’, kept its place it allections even though he publicly mocked ifr m Of his life: Rerlioz’s father was his principal teachet childhood, instructing him in Latin, classical litera and rudimentary medicine, the profession he Hop his son would follow. The boy was encouraged t0 only as an educational hobby. He ply uit and recorder rather well Put sbo Kerest in the piano at this stage. Berlioz Se child in his highly entertaining Memoirs he ee from ithe, a8€ of seven, when translating a pass Sa XitBil’s Aeneid, he was overcome by a Nem mnchatcEing. AE 12 he discovered his two majestic hicee, Passions music and love. Estelle, neighbo Tatas 28 18: The moment Berlioz set eyes o0 het ‘ote, he felt an electric shock, and misao cen et, 2 known for bts fiery as taint ape bin nance iy packed him A musical vocation The Paris of the 1820s was, to the young Berlioz, an artistic and musical paradise that made medical school most unappealing. At first, horrified by the sight of the dissecting room, he jumped out of the window and fled. Later, he developed a bored detachment from it amusing himself by feeding pieces of cadavers to the birds, Respecting his father’s wishes (and dependent ‘on his money), he kept up his studies for several years, but his musical ambitions gradually took complete control ot him. He becamea regular at the Paris Opera there, seized by the music of Gluck, he felt that short of fainting he could have had no greater experience. He read and copied Gluck’s scores in the library: “An Cestasy possessed me... Twent without sleep because Of them, and forgot to eat or drink’, he wrote. He umbrella Canopy overbanging the beakeafa bird of prey at once comical and diabolical! Hector Berlioz: a life abandoned the dissecting room and, on submitting, apie compositions to the composer Lesucur, was accepted as a private pupil Berlioz’s father took violent exception demied the musical profession, and Madame Berlioz felt sure it would lead to her son's damnation. tn fury Berlios wrote to them that: Twould rather be Gluck oF Mehul dead than what [am in the flower of my Manhood...” His father relented, allowing him t© Study music for a trial period: if he failed he was to uen to medicine, oF takeup some other respectable profession. Th 1826, the Paris Conservatoire admitted Berlioz, by then 23, He wrote an opera, then a Mass which, as no one else would perform it, he staged himself with borrowed money. Desperate to pay back the Toan he fave music. lessons, but couldn't eam enoug Unfortunately his father heard of the affair and was outraged by such extravagance. He settled the debt on. Berlior's behalf, as a matter of honour, but then cut off his son's allowance altogether. Berlioz, more certain than ever of his vocation following his teacher's Approval of the Mass, decided fo go italone. But with the coming of winter in 1825, he found himself cold ind his clothes threadbare. Needing extra income, he Bored by medical school Berlioz began to spend bis time atconcerts, the opera and the theatre, drawing inspiration from Shakespeare, Beethoven, Gluck and the many othe ‘greats’ of bis time. Romantic theatre usually portrayed its characters in the grip of luncontrollable passions (lef), and Berlioz was Indeed like this himself. Composers became a singer in the vaudeville chorus of the Theitre des Nouveautes. Aibough the inanity of the ic he had! to perform almost drove him mad Berlioe coped with this, and the strains of overwork, tantil his father, eventually, agreed to support his prodigal son again Paris and Rome The years, 1827-30 were certainly Berlior’s most formative. Twice, he fell hopelessly in love. His work eyan to receive critical acclaim and, on the fourth datiempt, he won the coveted music scholarship, the Prix de Rome, Berlioz adored Shakespeare and went c 4 season of plays, presented in Paris in 1827 by the English actor Charles Kemble. Appearing in Hamlet, as Ophiclia. was the Inish actress Harriet Smithson. Her perforinance enraptured most of theatre-going Paris Berlion himself was overcome, as maddened by her beauty ashe had been by Estelle's, He bombarded her i Tove letters, but so frightened was she by such tinrestrained passion that she finally refused to accept any more. Berlioz despaired Torn by his feelings for Harriet, he launched into the Symphonie Fantastique, a musical dramatization of his elaborate griet Despitcoffending some critics with its bizarre death sequence, the piece was fairly well received when first performed in December 1830. The composition seemed to. get Harriet out of Berlior’s system, for a time. He wrote to his friend Humbert Ferrand: “lam no loager in danger trom that quarter. I pity and despise her Later in the sume year, he fell in love with Camille Moke, a particularly silted young pianist. aspired, like most composers at this time, by the German poct Goethe, Betlioz also composed igh Scenes from Faust. He senta copy of the score tothe master, with a most effusive leer, But Goethe did not feply,hismusieal advisor toldhim Faust wasa work ‘coughs, snores, croakings and expectorations Rerlioz’s rst pieces submitted for the Prix de Rome met a similar reaction from the judges. But his fil attempt, Death of Sardanapalus, based on a Delac Painting, won him. the award unanimously This proved a mixed blessing as it included period of compulsory study in Rome. Berlioz left Pars unwillingly as, after overcoming severe parental opposition, he had just become engaged to Camille Rome precipitated another emotional cris: 100 wearing from his fancee, he started back to Pass Within weeks. But before he reached the French border, a letter from Camille's mother told him tat fad married somone else. Spurned in love once {Bin Besios records in his Memoirs his reaction ious crime’. He would return to Paris, disgubed wa Seay maid, packing a pair of pistols and bottles Of shine and laudanuim. Having murdered Camille ant Det mother, he would then kil himself. Stoppig chats Nice fora meal hough, his mood abrupal Shanwed. Instead. he stayed there, composed te ing Lear, then went back to Italy. For wi ext 12 months he th the: Hallan course tle except acquire a love Harold in nat Which later inspired is uring his stay he mi they ‘explored tie ct Mendelssohn, and together local ruins. fcligious man and Beri Mendelssohn was # a jetlioz tun Sas ocesson, both loz taunted him mercilest¥-O8 » Berlioz Ee ROPUORTIFIFE est seulement ainsi que tes gr mplexes de Tart mused! pouncst fade la'morsure dee fats qu iPr lea aie te hr d'Alemaeng meme, de juste. ¢ sare anon ee ere ries, she noe avons ~ uve at lian’ vu de Mn. watuye V' Alco Ae nel Ef Di gpemgat Brats cast doacutuah lotta nn» 2 C-ng De Cast son ‘caractére, ses connaissances spéciales et I've nd G2orstaotot avec une'rgidite afeclue qu ne con Nalin aie nt eeminy “tdon Fane arbres donne e ee voyant fsajoary pet sive? itr lps ear eau poten, ie coupatlet == 5,0 Confers Dep nd long " cea woe et ee he ( ‘or > fous deinander tablssement Wi despoim™ fata. Wier Cavee Ce "ile Ya rmaithe = pojdak & fond lama Ica tales Iyriques surtout, ot dans lor blintemeat ght“aat pat de wo résultat musical au moyen d'un Weeatann de doe ae unseat et mme buy tad teenth male te désplising tally, te despotieme militaire, fe despotisme dua ge heral‘en thet, d'un antral en temps iors Ge Ait n'y aque restllate tacomlets, contre tesordre ct eacophonie. below. Picking him up, Berlioz declared: “There's an ‘example of divine justice for you. | blaspheme, you fall. Mendelssohn decided never to discuss religion ch him again “My Thirty Years War® in 1832, Berlioz found himself stilt facing strong opposition and a battle to Consolidate his reputation. Harriet was back (00, this time running a theatrical company that soon fell into Gebt. After a performance of the now revised Symphonie Fantastique, the (wo met. Berlioz’s Feawakened passion for her was reciprocated. They had a stormy affair. Atone time Harriet accused him of hot loving her; exasperated, he decided to make her regret it by taking poison in front of her. Ina letter to his friend Humbert, he described her reaction to this macabre piece of melodrama: Dreadful cries. (er despair was sublime) ~ vomiting Twas ill for three days but | fiendish laughter on my part desire to live ag seving ber prostestation of love —emett Jor two hours survived. ed on October 3, 1833, and had. so nths later. Berlioz later described the period from then until his retirement as “My thirty Years war against... academicsand the deat’ Although, Harold was received quite well, and the government ‘commissioned him, in 1837, to write his Requiem, his opera Benvenuto Cellini was reviled and the cost of its production cast him further into debt, He was saved They marr Louis, 10 m tinued to nd conduct, compose but his unortbodox stile Of the time (above | In Hamlet, as Ophelia, the actress Harriet Smithson (lef?) ‘overwhelmed Berit The moment be saw her be fell bopelessty in love. Despite parental ‘opposition, Berlioz became a muste student, eventually winning a Scholarship to study in Rome. He bated the place, but the Surrounding villages (right) and countryside greatly inspired bistater work. Back in Paris, Short of money, be was forced to become a ‘music critic for a living, lbich be loathed. In bis Memoirs be describes that be went through to deliver a plece of copy (abo do lanything to fight off the boredom and fatigue. Ncan take eight or nine attempts before Lam rid ofan article. And then ‘blots and the Seratchings-oul! The first draft looks like a battlefield. Sanne The Great Composers only by a gift of 20,000 francs, probably from Paganini, the virtuoso violinist, himself a notorious ecce He used the money to compose Romeo and Juliet, which proved highly successful Despite incessant work, however, Berlioz’s earnings from 1832-42 did not exceed £2,000 at present value. He needed, 2s other composers had, a professorship or major conductorship, but these were denied him. The Paris opera, which paid extra ordinarily high royalties 0 composers, Consistently rejected his works. So music eriticism for the Journal des Debats remained his mainstay, depriving him of valuable composition time As one would expect, Berlioz was a caustic, provocative writer whose pieces won him a select following But they also show just how he disagreed with the musical standards of his time; in every sense, he fought an uphill battle with his contemporaries. His reputation in France begin to, Slide, Nonetheless, throughout his 30s, he composed prolifically, became a figure of European repute, and fost none of his youthful fire and panache. An account Of the time describes a performance of his Sympbont Funebre et Triompbale in the open ait. Confronted by 42 fall orchestea and brass band of 200, Berlioz Conducted with a drawn sword, collapsing at the end across the kettle drums, weeping. 230 By this time, Harriet was weeping Rosinreraer: many wo jets aver he age ee and actress Marie Reco, Two year ner he ge Harriet for good. i cece en ire enormously successful for Berlioz; icclaimes tan materially provided for by he oe, Reseed 304 travelling for the next 25 years. In London, in 1846, h af accepted an invitation to conduct opera at the Do Lane Theatre, but unfortunately the « ae ram off wi te kane am He cove Fars The cya en ioe a 151. His music continued ower mice on OF throughout the 0s and 30s Derg net Treatise on Modern manna Pubes feimains a standard text today, began his Memon os Issued a collection of his ournalien aad Europe cS ced back to, uprising this successes and inter Berlioz did not win his self atonal Promin his sel proc, . Proclaimed struggle Rerito: was never real ‘accepted in France, bi became an acclaimed musical figure throughout Englandand therest of Europe in te 1S4osaind sos Mostofbis itonts were composed during this ime, but tha tokoartts tbe ond of is tfe thar be wrote he ‘Trojans, based on Virals erote ate of Dido and Aeneas (abgee) He bad serested albeit se Best to pay ol {tin muste,and for bi ‘tical bis grentet ere, tbe opera compa ofturoperefused 0 lage trexcepein a lardised form Bertiox considered tis ‘an incu, and became Meepty depressed. against the French musical establishment. After his 50th year, a series of losses and setbacks gradually wore him down, defusing his once volatile spirit. The first of these was Harriet’s death in 1854, Despite their separation, Berlioz grieved deeply. He married Maric soon after, and finished his Memoirs, but his health Started to fail and within three years he was suffering ‘an acute intestinal disorder that made him miserable. He started his monumental work, The Trojans, based on the Aeneid which took more than a year to finish. Then, no-one would perform it, except in a drastically cut version in 1863 which Berlioz called a idiculous travesty’, Ironically, this brought him, colades, enthusiastic reviews and money, but to Berlioz it was the crowning insult to all his years of effort. He completed his last work, Beatrice and Benedict, but with Marie’s death, decided to compose no longer. Also resigning his post on the Journal des Débats, he wrote: Iam... past hopes, past illusions, past high thoughts and lofty conceptions. My contempt for the folly and baseness of mankind, my hatred of tts atrocious ‘cruelty have never been more intense. And I say hourly to death: When you will In an attempt to revive himself, he sought out his first love, Estelle, By then a 67-year-old widow, she was bewildered by this intense old man who said he had loved her for 50 years, but eventually agreed to write to him. Otherwise, prematurely aged and deeply depressed, Berlioz withdrew from the world. Tor mented by the increasing pain in his bowels, he took larger and larger doses of laudanum which’ left him dazed and stupid. Then, in 1865, his son Louis died of yellow fever in Havana, He found one last pleasure i Conducting trip to Russia, where he left a lastin impression on Rimsky-Korsakov and the other young, composers there, ‘After his return to Paris, the death of his life-long friend Humbert proved the final blow. Berlioz died on March 8, 1869. According to accounts by his friends, Berlioz died tragically believing that his genius had been an illusion; that in death, his name and works rould disappear forever. In this, thankfully, he was proved wrong. nee paneer eats (above) where be was almost idolized by eee a eeineded tice tet ye cece ey Tahaced Symphonie The earliest authenticated portrait of Berlioz (above), signed and dated 1830, the year he wrote his extravagant | Symphonic Fantastique. Episode in the Life of an Artist This is the title given by Berlioz to his Symphonie Fantastique, and there is no doubt that the artist concerned is meant to be the composer himself, the episode a fanciful extension of his own experiences. In 1827 Berlioz had discovered ‘the madness and melancholy’ of Hamlet and the charms of Harriet Smithson in the role of Ophelia And if the play struck his dramatic sensibilities a powerful blow, the actress ‘wrought havoc’ in his heart. Yet, while he could attend as much Shakespeare as he wanted, his approaches to Miss Smithson ~ whose moving performances were the talk of Paris — went unheeded. To be fair to the lady, Berlioz's letters ng admiration and undying love ised only a fraction of the proposals = both honourable and otherwise — that she received, and she could not have known that this 24-year-old composer was so carnest and persistent that he would eventually become her husband. Even his attempt to interest her by mounting a concert of his own music at his own expense was unsuccessful ‘To have any dealings with her in real life, then, appeared impossible, so, since he was bursting with frustration, he would deal Fantastique, op. 14 Unrequited love, opium, suicide, the guillotine and a monstrous Witches’ Sabbath, are some of the lurid ingredients of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, 4 work of vast imagination and originality. with her in music, In February, 1830 he Concocted a romantic tale of his un Ceiprocated. love. and. its tragic con Sequences for the lady and for himself, and Twithin two months the $ymmpbonte Fantas. Mique’ was. substantially “complete. Its programme “may. seem un fmauuiin and gory, but there denying the immense sklland imagination with which the young Berlioz carried to The work. was. fist pert December, 1830, at the Pais of Musfe under’ the baton of Francois Antoine Habeneck. The thinly-disguised identity of Harriet Smithson in the édee xe had been pierced by the Parisian gossip. mongers, nd the relatively “unknown Composer's treatment of their heroine Goublless intrigued the concert-going public. Furthermore, the programme was handed out to the audience, leaving room for doubt only in the densest listener. The. symphony was a great success, Its March was encored (the Paris audience apparently having developed a voracious taste for blood in the revolutionary decades since 1789), there was prolonged applause at the end, and reviews the following day were most. favourable Bizarre’ and. ‘monstrous’ wrote Figaro, which is not only nothing less than the truth but also precisely the qualities the Public craved Before we embark on the semi autobiographical drama Berlioz has pre. Pared for us, it is necessary to pointout some things to remember as it unfolds tly, the Symphonie Fantastique as Berlioz conceived itis onlyhalfa work Ite the first part of what today we would call a multi-media event. ‘The audience ie expected (0 sit ina theatre for some 50 minutes with the curtain down while the symphony is played through. Then. the Curtain rises and the symphony's sequel Lello, ix performed by. orch Vocalists and. chorus and impractical nature of such apresentation Like Berlioz’s Symphonic yu itt = : I. Indeed, Berliox’s) ae loodshed. er’s guide Throughout the Symp, he inuder the fuenceosan pum inspired eam, ts anted yan teense fois Beloved (the actress Harriet Smithson tetbrichom Bertiox tae infatuated) She becomes inextricably tassoclated with musteat melody, an ice fine which appears ioorment hearst Rocetts patnting gb Grivortatizes bis Beloved = Lisxy Siddtal~ seth Smtlar intensity ‘obvious, and the Symphonie Fantastique Secondly, the programme devised for the-symphiony was something quite new in its day. Love lavarialy found is way onto the operatic stage, butt write symphony dealing so explicitly with aman's felis fora woman bordered on the permissive “Thily, the “events depicted are supposed to take place nan opkum inspired dream “Fourthly, this 8 the fist symphony by a prominent’ composer to employ an idee ies or fixed tle, n every movement Its fn casly recognized melody representing the composers beloved and th modified tach time to atte context 234 symphony is calculated to brin from the audience, it will be seen komm tne Programme that ic docs ta represent the time-honoured h 5 ‘are of in Lelio, subtitle Itis worth stating that in his on of the programme for this work, ‘was intended t0 be ‘a vision of revelry’. There was no mention o love turned so intended gaiety changed te ‘A Return 0 Lite Our examination of prefaced with an abbr Berlioz’s own program: cach moveme ment is reViated Version of Programme notes First movement: largo-allegro ag : largo ato © appassionato assat TReveries= Passions ee Reveries- Passions. tate as my subject (maatist blest with sensibitinyand a lived) dentin bo mets atsoman ho wakens in bim for theyirst time bis ton acest: Jails desperately in ove beloved i linked inseparnb ein Gendt nay lea representing ber graceful Sion ible character. Thistdce ke baunts "toronto begins 10% introduction, Largo (‘broad th one flute and Gne. clarinet Other woodwind quickly together with four ho chord which seems already 00 bring a hal ut violin, muted, playa. stl hesitating melody which gradually pins in power. Ata minor climax, cellos con tnbute a disturbed oscillating pase, and then pirzicato. (plucked) double basses sound word of waming Suddenly, violins flare into action, andthe rest ofthe stings plus horns and bassoons, bring about a fore intense climax.’ This’ quiclly craporates. Berlior’s reveries are indeed disturbed: asthe violin theme, now tinmuted, develops under agitated wood wwind figures, a strange atmosphere. of foreboding sweeps mistily around. the tusic. Gradually these’ doubts are dispelicd’ A romantic solo horn melody ecomes yearning. hom duet, before ‘woodwind and horn chords and trembling rings swell then recede and swell agai, Togive way to the fast section Marked Allegro agitato © appassionato join in and, ns, play a quiet assai (fast, agitated and extremely passionate), this commences with punctuating chords that prepare the way for the idée fixe, a melody no less than 40 bars in length on flute and first violins in unison, It is possible to give only the beginning of this noble theme: A passionate outburst ensues during which this vitally important melody i referred to Several umes on violins alternating with woodwind. At one point the woodwind return briefly to the pulsating figure heard earlier on lower strings ‘But a phrase (b) growing out ofthe first ‘wo bars (a) of Example I presses the ‘music urgently forward: Because of its brevity, the exposition section is repeated. ‘At the stat of the development section, the lower strings take (a)andrepeat itover and over as it gradually rises in pitch, while Soodwind cry out passionately, A’ fierce Thythmic figure for strings releases the woodwind’s cry of (b), immediately tchoed by strings. There follows another Slowly rising figure of pounding strings Under further anguished cries from woodwind, now joined by horns. This Teaches an abrupt halt and three whole bars of total silence. ‘Now, over a disturbed accompaniment Understanding music: programme music Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique was an innovative piece of music in many ways, One of the most remarkable Innovations was the fact that be distributed a programme to the audience before the performance, giving a detailed account of the Sequence of events embodied in th ‘music, Spohr had done the same earlier with his opera Faust (1816), but nothing of the kind had ever happened in purely instrumental music to quite the same extent. This programme is crucial toa full appreciation of the work, and so Berlior’s symphony is often’ regarded asthe first major example of Romantic programme ‘The term ‘programme music’ was invented by Liszt, and so is properly a tera! approach, Inthe Sympbonte ae Se ee erst ee [= Heldenteben, we hear a goat bleating Bectboven's astra inated example Ofcountry We musical ust ca tite Painting depicts winter etsually. Romantic term, Some people apply the term very looney to descriptive nse of any kind ~ that i, any mnie that ilustates an idea, 4 Uterary theme, 4 scene reen paisa min pice of son. Descriptive music ofthis hus been heard ever since instruments Were fist played. Imitations of natural Sounds, rom waves on the shore © kere crowing, abound ns Of are_ beginning ages. And in ‘the Renaissance full programme musiconce more tenga pieces depicting a atte, such as Willan Byra’s Bartels fiteen-section Suite. for harpsichord” (1596). were Hythe end of the 17h century, | however, pieces of music begin f0 emerge that at fst sight sccm to ful finnre® ‘requirement that t0. be programme music the listener needs (0 [how something of the scene or events dlescred to fully understand the piece Ii this sense, Vivaldi. Four Seasons (i728), each’ season preceded by a iescriptive poems programmatic so too.are Joseph Kuhnau’s ible Pieces — | SGhatas written as early a8 1700 which describe such scenes as David slaying Goliath, The crowning example, and the inspiration to the Romantics, was Beethoven's “Pastoral” Symphony’ (no. 6), with ts. four movements. each depicting facet of rural ie Bur in the Romantic era, there was a fundamental ‘change in attitudes. (0 music, which gave programme mus far greater sighiicance ~ and indeed makes the term scem inappropriate for the earlier pieces, Musicians began t0 see the creation of music not san end i itself bt asa vehicle for selfexpression be fall of meaning There was a widening ft betwee bsolute music — musie written for its Own. sike and. programme musi, Which was essentially musie written © express a non-musicl idea, Tisat used the concept of a pro- gramme simply to guide listeners tothe Correct interpretation of te musi; is Js programmes’ are never narratives Other, composers took a fir more for example, the description is detailed ight down to the B Sxecwuon ia. Richard. Suauss's Btn distinctly inthe’ hands of lesser composer, however, programme music could often degenerate into a substitute for genuine ereatvity "a compener Would. Snpy take a anus piece of literature anu! rite rudely, Mustaive musi. ‘iis, more than anything, gave Romantic programme music” a ‘bad name, an the ear 20h ce Composers Began to . Shu musicologist came think of programme music. as nlrior 10 absolute musi. Only in the 6s was is unude even Composers Binning to. wate Fantin Latour's ballroom scene (above) ‘was inspired by the second movement of the Symphonie Fantastique. The artist 1s instantly recognizable as Berltox bimself. the idée_ five returns) completes the recapitilation section “has arpived, This Covers much the same ground as belore but with radical diferénces in orches tration and’ thematic deal, including brict ‘engagement with, fgato (several Cverlapping statements) O¢¢) Soon the msi tens and ony a dram cl layed with sponge-headed sticks (one o Several novel instrumental fects Berior Introduced. inthe work), the musk 236 ‘meditates on what has gone before. Per Berlioz remembers that the exposing contained no real se leer makes amends now wit ‘oboe melody, very {deo fixe itselfand cle However, this s swamped in ‘cond subject, f th along and soulful coarsened by its transfer to) symphony betore! double climax a swirling strings. In th ‘escape from the ide seems to turn for con: J Thisreaches to Sinaly the ane second movement: Valse ~ Allegro non troppo

    You might also like