Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique

Recording: Sir Colin Davis and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

  1. Rêveries – Passions
  2. Un bal
  3. Scène aux champs
  4. Marche au Supplice
  5. Songe d’une Nuit du Sabbat

Score: (Urtext edition only public domain in Germany, Canada)

  1. Rêveries – passions
  2. Un bal
  3. Scène aux champs
  4. Marche au Supplice
  5. Songe d’une Nuit du Sabbat


Program Notes: English translation of both versions

Lecture points

Review sheet for Berlioz and Symphonie Fantastique

Berlioz

  • not a virtuoso, never played piano (was guitarist)
  • 1830 (age 27): wins Prix de Rome and writes Symphonie fantastique
  • Grand traité d’instrumentation et d’orchestration modernes (Treatise on instrumentation), still used today
  • Romantic lifestyle, nonconformal, moved around a lot, freelance career as guest conductor and critic
  • wrote no pure abstract music, often drew inspiration from literature
  • admired Gluck and Beethoven, knew many contemporaries including Liszt, Paganini, Mendelssohn

Symphonie fantastique

  • written out of Berlioz’ obsession with Harriet Smithson (Irish actress in Shakespearean troupe)
  • program music: music that follows an extramusical plot or text
  • idée fixe: “fixed idea”, a recurring theme found in all movements
    • more substantial than a motif, does not occur frequently
    • key appearances: middle of I, II, and III; end of IV, early in V
  • Sabbath: a day of rest and worship, versus witches’ sabbath, pagan rites associated with witchcraft
  • Dies irae: latin for “Day of Wrath”, a medieval plainchant (Church music)
  • unusual instrumentation: a very large orchestra (15/15/10/11/9 strings)
  • special instruments include:
    • ophicléide: “serpent”, precursor to tuba, a keyed brass instrument
    • cloches: (French) bells, part of the large percussion forces
  • detailed instructions in score, including playing techniques, mood, off-stage instruments
    • con sordino (sord.): muted string instruments
    • col legno: playing with the wood (back) of the bow, producing a weak and scratchy sound
    • portamento: a vocal technique, joining notes by sliding (adopted for string instruments)