History: The 11th of September, 1827, was a day of great importance for Berlioz who that day attended a performance of “Hamlet” at the Odéon theatre with Miss Harriet Smithson playing Ophelia. “The impression made on my heart and mind was equaled only by the havoc wrought in me by the poet she so nobly interpreted”. Berlioz’s attraction to Smithson was immediate and for the next two years he was obsessed with the actress, seeking opportunities to approach her and writing numerous letters. But Smithson left France without even acknowledging her admirer’s existence. By 1830 Berlioz’s emotional tension broke out in a work that would become his first true masterpiece: “An episode from the life of an artist: a fantastic symphony “, first performed in December of the same year under the direction of Francois Habeneck. The success of the work and Berlioz’s subsequent triumph at the 1830 Prix de Rome consecutively brought him great public acclaim and a trip to Italy during which he composed a sequel to the symphony, the more overtly autobiographical “Lelio”. Upon returning to Paris, the composer once more arranged for the actress, on another tour, to attend a performance of both works. Smithson was overwhelmed by the music and finally met Berlioz. Despite their poor financial situation and their parents’ objections, the young people married on the 3rd of October, 1833. The language barrier and the strains of temperament, however, were too powerful, and by 1842 the couple had drifted apart, though Berlioz supported his “muse” until her premature death in 1854. As for the symphony, Berlioz would revise it ceaselessly in the decade after its premiere, publishing it only in 1845.
Narrative: Berlioz carefully thought out the plot of the symphony, even going as far as writing two full sets of program notes to be distributed among the audience during the work’s performances: “a young musician poisons himself with opium in a moment of despair caused by frustrated love, plunging into a heavy sleep accompanied by musical invocations of his memories”: the first realization of his love, “a glittering fête”, a lonely walk in the country, an imaginary execution and, finally, a witches’ Sabbath during his funeral. Though at first the scenes may seem episodic in nature, Berlioz through sheer talent attains a striking continuity and dramatic credibility to all the images the work suggests.
Music: Instead of an overall assessment of the music, each separate posting of the series includes notes and some of my personal thoughts on each section of the piece to provide, hopefully, a complete account of the symphony.
P.S. A complete score of the presented movement with a midi soundtrack can be found here:
http://www.hberlioz.com/Scores/79358328.htm
I(a). The varied multi-sectioned opening movement of the symphony does not paint a particular scene from our hero’s life. Rather, it is a depiction of the artist’s inner tempest of emotion at the thought of his beloved, ranging “from dreamy melancholy to religious consolations”. After a brief prelude for the wind section, the first violins launch into a languorous melody of rare lyricism (adapted from an early song), gently caressed by the subdued lines of the other strings (0:18). The slightly foggy line suggests the beginning of the hero’s delirium, and this notion is partially proven correct by the sudden transition to a much more jaunty tempo which effectively breaks the natural flow of the music (1:45), as the violins revel in a playful array of ornaments and trills, with a hint of an Irish dance in between the lines. However, this ray of sunshine, foreshadowing the secondary material of the allegro, is kept brief, and we soon return to the original melancholy, as the strings continue their unfinished monologue (2:07) with a rising figure for the violas and cellos sounding as a stern critique of the preceding flight of fancy. Horns/bassoon/oboe then join the strings for an ardent cantabile, playing complementary sustained lines, while flute/clarinet enjoy an elaborate line which serves as an echo of the violins’ burst of happiness (2:29). Soon, however, a chilling crescendo leads to another dark passage, as the violins return to the main theme which now gradually dies away over an accompaniment of strong cello/bass lines and dropping wind gusts (3:10). Sustained lines for the lower strings form a base for a warm tempo di mezzo, featuring a gentle melody for the horn, delightful figures for the flute/clarinet, rising pizzicatos for the violas and staccatos for the first violins (4:14). These various musical effects are gradually unified into an illuminating tutti, as Berlioz prepares for a transition to the brilliant allegro.
Recording: The classic 1974 Philips recording under Colin Davis, leading the enchanting Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, is, probably, one of the most ardent and warm renditions of Berlioz’s masterpiece.
Hope you’ll enjoy =).