Program Music

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)

But now you shall hear about Berlioz and his music.
He makes me sad, because he is really a cultured
agreeable man and yet he composes so very badly
Mendelssohn
Indifferent drivel, mere grunting shouting and
screaming back and forth Mendelssohn
French composer, music critic and conductor, very
public figure
A Passionate idealist, widely misunderstood and
under-appreciated during his life.
Was not a skilled or competent
instrumentalist/performer though a remarkable
orchestrator He wrote the first significant treatise on
instrumentation
Relatively small output of works, many of which are
ambitious, extended works and each one being
highly distinctive and individual in form
Composed virtually no chamber music or piano
music. Broke down rigid categories of form and
medium
E.g Responding to programmatic elements and later
adding voices and theatrical elements to symphonies
At times, employs vast resources on a grand scale
At times he employed spatial effects
Major Works
Symphonie Fantastique, 1830, programmatic
symphony in 5 movements
Harold in Italy, 1834 (Symphony for orchestra with
Viola soloist)
Benvenuto Cellini (Opera)
Grande Mese de Morts (Requiem mass)
Romeo and Juliette (A unique combination of
symphony, oratorio and )
La Damnation de Faust (Large scale dramatic work
for voices, chorus and orchestra)
Te Deum (for large chorus and orchestra)
He wrote a considerable volume of literary writings
and music criticism

 He wrote a treatise on instrumentation including

ranges and tone colours they can produce
Memoir of Hector Berlioz published in 1970
Saint Seans called Berlioz a paradox in human form
it is remarkable how he has remained controversial
up to our own time
His musical style was idiosyncratic it did not fulfill
traditional expectations of me melody, harmony and
form. Phrase lengths are often irregular. Hardly ever
does a consequent correspond to an antecedent or
question to answer (Schumann)
Major Influences on his Style and Development
include: Gluck, Beethoven, Goethes Faust,
Shakespeare, Harriet Smithson
I might add that at that time I did not know a word
of English (Shakespeare)
Harriet Smithson (an English/Irish actress with whom
he was infatuated for several years and later
married)
Typical romantic cant separate art and life
Episode de la vie dun artiste, Symphonie Fantastique
130 players at its premiere
The biggest band ever assembled outside of an opera
house
Virtuosic orchestration for 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes,
cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 4 bassoons, 4 horns, 2
cornets, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 ophicleides,
timpani, bass, drum etc
Influence of Beethoven being in 5 movements
reflective of his pastoral symphony
Various different versions of the programmed evolved
from Berlioz, he handed out programmed explaining
what the music was about which was unique, a story
was explained.
All the movements related through an Ide Fixe
representing his beloved in the programme
To what extent does knowing an external idea to a
piece hinder or help someones enjoyment of a work?

 Sometimes he would provide programs and other

times he wouldnt, the story that was told would
sometimes change and differ
Berlioz Grande Messe de Morts Dies Irae (Requiem)
1837
Liszt established the new genre of Symphonic Poem
See article by Roger Scruton on Programme Music
Liszt Faust Symphony
He conducted Schumanns Scenes from Geothes
Faust in 1849 and Berliozs Damnations of Faust in
1852
First Version composed in 1854 then revised 3 years
later with choral ending
In the form of 3 character pictures
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