who conducted the premiere of symphonie fantastique

When was Symphonie fantastique first performed?

Symphonie Fantastique was premiered in 1830 but Smithson did not hear the work until 1832, when she realised she might be the inspiration for it.

What is the main idea of Symphonie fantastique?

Central to the work is the "idée fixe" (“fixed idea”), a recurring theme of rising longing and falling despair – a depiction of gripping obsession and the epitome of Romanticism. Symphonie Fantastique is cast in five movements: the first a dream, the second a ball where the artist is haunted by the sight of his beloved.

Is La Symphonie fantastique based on a true story?

La Symphonie fantastique is a 1942 French drama film by Christian-Jaque and produced by the German-controlled French film production company Continental Films. The film is based upon the life of the French composer Hector Berlioz. The title is taken from the five-movement programmatic Symphonie fantastique of 1830.

Is there a copyright-free recording of the Symphonie fantastique?

A copyright-free LP recording of the Symphonie fantastique by Willem van Otterloo (conductor) and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the European Archive Beyond the Score.

In what year and what city did the Symphonie fantastique premiere?

Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (Fantastic Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist, in Five Parts), Opus 14. On September 11, 1827, Berlioz went to the Paris Odeon for a performance of Hamlet by a company from London.

Who composed the Symphonie fantastique quizlet?

Terms in this set (6) Symphonie Fantastique: Episode de la vie d'un artiste (Fantastic Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist) was composed in 1830 by French composer Hector Berlioz ( 1803-1869).

Why did Hector Berlioz write the Symphonie fantastique?

In 1827, the 23-year-old Hector Berlioz attended a performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Odéon Theatre in Paris; Harriet Smithson, a charismatic Irish actress, was playing Ophelia. Berlioz was smitten and wrote her an impassioned letter – Smithson did not reply.

For whom did Hector Berlioz write the Symphonie fantastique?

On 3 October 1833, Berlioz married Harriet Smithson. A few years earlier, his infatuation with the actress led him to compose his monumental Symphonie fantastique to win her over. Here's the story…

Which movement from Symphonie Fantastique is this from?

Berlioz called the five movements inspired by this program: "Reveries and Passions," "A Ball," "In the Country," "March to the Scaffold" and "Dream of the Witches Sabbath." All of the symphony's innovations — the radical orchestration, eerie harmonies, eccentric rhythms, and the idée fixe representing the beloved (a ...

What happened at the premiere of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique that shocked the audience?

At its premiere in Dec 1830, listeners found Symphonie fantastique so unexpected and shocking, that it immediately caused an uproar among critics and patrons alike. Some saw it as thrillingly new and exciting, and couldn't stop applauding, couldn't wait to shake Berlioz's hand afterwards.

When did Berlioz compose Symphonie fantastique?

1830Symphonie fantastique / Composed

What was controversial about Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique?

In his rush to complete his Symphonie fantastique, Berlioz took musical materials from which of the following sources? The waltz was controversial in 1830s Paris, in part because: Parents feared that the quick spinning of the dance would make young girls disoriented.

Who is the beloved in Symphonie fantastique?

The text the composer writes to tell the story is the program. Throughout the symphony, Berlioz uses a melody to symbolize a woman. The woman is called "the beloved" and the melody is called the "idée fixe". That melody comes back again and again over the course of the five parts of the symphony.

When was the symphonie Fantastique premiered?

Symphonie Fantastique was premiered in 1830 during one of Berlioz’s periods of intense, pre-nuptial infatuation with Harriet. It’s really one long, musical expression of his passion, embodied in the person of a struggling artist who is mired in depression and seeking solace for the fact that his cries of desire go unanswered. ...

What is the name of the symphony that caused an uproar?

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique: The symphony that caused an uproar. Berlioz's spectacular Symphonie fantastique is truly fantastic, says Jane Jones. I think this really is a fantastic symphony – not only in name.

What was Berlioz's idea for Harriet?

To represent Harriet, Berlioz had a special idea; he wrote a musical theme which he called his idée fixe, which appears in the first movement and then reemerges throughout the Symphonie fantastique in different forms and played on different instruments.

Who was Berlioz obsessed with?

Berlioz, like a lot of composers, loved the ladies and his Symphonie fantastique was famously inspired by his stormy relationship with the Irish actress Harriet Smithson. He was completely obsessed with her – so much so, in fact, that she initially thought him to be insane.

Did Beethoven tell stories in his symphonies?

Berlioz moved the symphony into something altogether more like story-telling. That's not to say that Beethoven didn't tell stories through his music – for example, ...

What country is La Symphonie fantastique based on?

Language. French. La Symphonie fantastique is a 1942 French drama film by Christian-Jaque and produced by the German-controlled French film production company Continental Films. The film is based upon the life of the French composer Hector Berlioz.

Who is the central character in the movie Symphonie du rêve?

The French Bibliothèque du film (BiFi) contains an earlier draft plan for the film which envisaged a less realistic, more fantastic treatment of the story, entitled La Symphonie du rêve, with Pierre Fresnay in the central role.

How long is the movie La Vie passionnée et glorieuse d'un génie?

The title is taken from the five-movement programmatic Symphonie fantastique of 1830. The film lasts around 90 minutes and was first shown at the 'Normandie' cinema in Paris on 1 April 1942. The posters at the premiere contained the sub-title 'La Vie passionnée et glorieuse d'un génie' (which links with the quote from Hugo at the very end ...

What is the story of Hector Berlioz?

The film is biographical, telling the story of the life and artistic struggles of the French composer Hector Berlioz. Berlioz is shown as a recalcitrant medical student in an anatomy class dreaming of becoming a composer; at a demonstration during a performance at the Paris Opéra conducted by Habeneck; at supper with other young artists ( Hugo, Janin, Dumas, Mérimée, Delacroix ); and chasing after his future wife Harriet Smithson, after a performance of Hamlet. Also depicted are his life in a garret, while suffering from an illness due to an abscess in the throat; a visit from his mother who curses him; and the composition of the Symphonie fantastique. The film then shows his marital breakdown, the premiere of his opera Benvenuto Cellini, his travels throughout Europe, his second marriage to Marie Recio (called "Marie Martin" in the film), public acceptance in old age and reconciliation with his son.

What is the name of the 1942 movie based on the life of Hector Berlioz?

La Symphonie fantastique. La Symphonie fantastique is a 1942 French drama film by Christian-Jaque and produced by the German-controlled French film production company Continental Films. The film is based upon the life of the French composer Hector Berlioz. The title is taken from the five-movement programmatic Symphonie fantastique of 1830.

When was the symphony Fantastique premiered?

Symphonie Fantastique was premiered in 1830 but Smithson did not hear the work until 1832, when she realised she might be the inspiration for it. Intrigued, she agreed to meet the composer and was blown away by the force of his emotion.

How many movements are there in the symphonie Fantastique?

Symphonie Fantastique is cast in five movements: the first a dream, the second a ball where the artist is haunted by the sight of his beloved. After a country scene, the fourth movement slips into nightmare: “Convinced that his love is spurned, the artist poisons himself with opium,” explained Berlioz. “The dose of narcotic plunges him ...

What instrument did Berlioz play?

A master orchestrator, Berlioz wrote a part in his Symphonie Fantastique for the bass ophicleide , a brass instrument that looks like a cross between a bassoon and saxophone, with long, cone-shaped tubing and a mouthpiece similar to a trombone’s. The word “ophicleide” in Greek literally means “serpent with keys”.

What did Berlioz write to his friend?

Berlioz wrote to a friend: “You don’t know what love is, whatever you may say.

When did the Fantastique take place?

. . . [His beloved] is now only a prostitute, fit to take part in such an orgy.”. The premiere of the Fantastique took place in the winter of 1830. Two years later, Berlioz introduced a revision, much sharpened and improved.

Who conducted the New York Symphony?

US PREMIERE: February 27, 1879. Leopold Damrosch conducted the New York Symphony.

Who was the young actress who played Hamlet?

On September 11, 1827, Berlioz went to the Paris Odeon for a performance of Hamlet by a company from London. The younger female roles were taken by Harriet Smithson, a twenty‑seven‑year‑old actress who had been brought up in Ireland. Berlioz fell instantly and wildly in love with her.

Who is Michael Steinberg?

Michael Steinberg, the San Francisco Symphony’s Program Annotator from 1979 to 1999 and a contributing writer to our program book until his death in 2009, was one of the nation’s pre-eminent writers on music. We are privileged to continue publishing his program notes.

When did Berlioz and Smithson get married?

Before long she had said the fatal “ Berlioz, je t'aime ,” and on October 3, 1833 , they were married. Her French was roughly like his English. It was all a disaster.

What is the story of the symphonie Fantastique?

As mentioned, the Symphonie Fantastique tells a story: each movement depicts an episode in the protagonist’s life (a young musician) that is described by Berlioz in the program notes to the 1845 score.

How many movements are there in the Symphonie Fantastique?

The Symphonie Fantastique is a programmatic symphony in 5 movements: it tells the story of an artist gifted with a lively imagination who has poisoned himself with opium in the depths of despair because of hopeless, unrequited love. Clearly autobiographical, as Leonard Bernstein put it: “Berlioz tells it like it is.

What was Smithson's musical idea?

But not just any musical idea: this became an obsessive, recurring idea; an idée fixe, or, if you prefer, a leitmotiv.

What is the most famous symphony of Berlioz?

Certainly Berlioz’s most popular work, the Symphonie Fantastique could be defined as the first psychedelic symphony. Written in 1830, only 3 years after Beethoven’s death and 2 after Schubert’s, the Symphonie Fantastique is projected into the future in a way that had never happened before in the history of music.

Where did Harriet Smithson meet Berlioz?

Musee Magnin, Dijon, France. Harriet Smithson did not attend the premiere in 1830, but she heard the work in 1832 and realized Berlioz’s genius and also that she might have been the inspiration for it. The two finally met and despite neither speaking the other’s language they married in 1833.

Who is the conductor of Eddie?

Mr. Griglio took part in the first world recording of music by composer Irwin Bazelon and conducted several world premieres like "The song of Eddie", by Harold Farberman, a candidate for the Pulitzer Prize.

Who played Ophelia in Hamlet?

In 1827, the 23-year-old Hector Berlioz attended a performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Paris; the charismatic Irish actress Harriet Smithson was playing Ophelia. Berlioz was totally struck by her and wrote her an impassioned letter to which she did not reply.

How many times did Berlioz record the Symphonie Fantastique?

The best recording of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Berlioz’s greatest interpreter of modern times recorded the Symphonie fantastique three times, but this most recent version is the most gripping and satisfying, deftly treading a fine line between self-revelation and self-indulgence.

Who accused Boulez of non-phrasing?

Hans Keller famously accused Boulez of ‘non-phrasing’. But as Berlioz introduces his idée fixe, Boulez does a splendid job of conveying both her shapeliness and the feelings that arouses. Boulez ’s sense of symphonic shape is compelling: nobody makes a better case for Symphonie fantastique as a musical structure.

Is Fantastique static?

This Fantastique is never static: if it isn’t surging forward then it’s in a state of expectant transition, ready to move at the next musical stimulus. The pictorial element is less vivid – this is more Berlioz on the therapist’s couch, reliving his emotions, than a diary-like record of a vivid dream.

Is the Symphonie fantastique a symphony?

Yet for all this rampant pictorialism, the Symphonie fantastique is also a symphony. So a great performance has to balance these contradictory demands: it must tell an emotive, sensational story, but convince as a musical argument, too. The love story behind Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique.