Who Is The Symphonie Fantastique?

As noted by Robert Hughes, "Beethoven was not only the embodiment of all that was before him, but also of that which was yet to come" (Hughes 486). The truth of this may be seen by comparing Beethoven's 5th Symphony in C Minor to Haydn, the father of Symphony, and his 95th in C Minor. While Haydn's symphony is both playful and dramatic, Beethoven's symphony is grander both in terms of scale and vision. He expands the size of the orchestra to incorporate the sounds swirling around, underlying, and depicting the arrival of Fate in a rhythm-driven, thematic symphony that takes Haydn's form and runs with it as though to the top of a mountain peak. This paper will analyze the symphonies by movement, according to form, size, structure, tonalities, melodies, orchestral sound and overall mood and effect.

Romanticism. Romanticism is characterized by its impressive expressiveness in harmonic and thematic process with an increasing weight of chromatic and dissonant elements. There is a new tendency to give a particular importance to timber, texture and rhythm. Like the Renaissance after the Middle Ages, Romantic composers want to express the new-found independence of the humanity that is no longer under the constraining influence of the strict model that classical composers follow. Some Romantic compositions express a powerful individualism while others express the beauties and terrors of nature, but the most common theme is nationalism.

The development of symphonic music during the Classical Period is greatly responsible for shaping today’s orchestral music landscape. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is often considered to be the cornerstone of the symphony genre evolution. While his grand gem is somewhat revolutionary and unique to a certain extent, such as ‘expanding the brass section in the final movement.’ [1] On the other hand Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique is filled with minor references to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony

Symphonie Fantastique composed in 1845, by Hector Berlioz (1803–1869), is a program symphony; a five movement orchestral work that tells the story described by the CSO (2013) “as a purely musical melodrama”, a colorful illustration of the life of an artist, “replete with unrequited love, witches, guillotines and colorful, opium-induced hallucinations”. Its composer, Hector Berlioz at the age of twenty-seven wrote “Symphonie Fantastique both to explore German Romanticism and to give his hometown of Paris a symphony of its own; something not yet native to this city of operas and ballets” (CSO, 2013). Berlioz’s symphonic back ground in the operatic overture alludes to his program notes presented “as the spoken text of an opera”. The memorable dramatic flair of Symphonie Fantastique is understood to be one of the most well-known pieces of program music in his repertoire and is suggested that the story is a self-portrait of its composer, Hector Berlioz.

The symphonies performed were constructed by well-renowned composers such as Arnold Schoenberg, Olivier Messiaen, Igor Stravinsky and other compelling composers as well. Many of these composers led overwhelming lives that clearly influenced their works. The symphonies drew the listeners closer and closer to their rich and bold sounds. For instance, Schoenberg’s famous “emancipation of dissonance” was reflective in his “Five Pieces for Orchestra”. He derived the intriguing concept of dissonance and presented this as it was his first atonal piece. The colors and sharp sounds were very dynamic. The first four pieces I would say are programmatic and Stravinsky’s pieces are absolute; he made a clear reference to classical music. However it is important to note how Schoenberg intended his piece to be non-programmatic in order to focus more on the evolved music he had created. On the other hand his titles

The Classical and the 19th century Romantic Period were eras where many of the most famous composers and compositions that we know today were born. The Classical Period brought forth big name composers like Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, CP Bach, and Ludwig van Beethoven. The 19th century Romantic Period was characterized by composers like Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, and Edvard Grieg. But, what really were these artistic periods? What makes them different from each other? And how did the Classical Period inevitably end and influence the beginning of the Romantic Period? Here we will not only cite in depth research of both the Classical and the 19th Century Romantic Period, but also pull direct characteristics of the classical period from Beethoven’s “Zärtliche

Symphonie Fantastique is the first full musical outpouring of romanticism composer, Hector Berlioz. Hector Berlioz is a French composer, a microcosm of the romantic era. Symphony Fantastique is a quintessential example of romantic programmatic music. It is a novel, unlike poetry. It is free of structural form; based on Berlioz being under the influence and remembering of an unattainable woman. There are five movements; his first tempers his depression, his love and jealousy which then rage to religious consolation. The second movement is about his encounter with her at ball. The third movement consists of him seeking peace while wandering in the countryside only to have her disrupt his peace.

Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer during the 19 century. He was born in 1803 at La Côte-Sainte-André. He studied medicine, but abandoned his undesired career and instead attended the Paris Conservatoire in which there he studied opera and composition. His most famous work is Symphonie Fantastique and Grande messe des morts.

After a minor wobble of the director stand, a few adjustments and giggles, Symphony No.1 in D major began. The first movement started off with an eerie introduction, with the first two notes morphing into a birdcall as well as main theme but a very magical sound. It made for a very soothing, romantic time. Throughout the piece I felt as if it told a story as most music does, what I came to believe it was a love story. The Allegro begins in the cello with the second Wayfarer song, “Ging heut morgen Ubers Feld,” (I Walked this Morning over the Field). With a light and happy tone in the beginning as if two lovers had just met, this was the main theme of this movement. Suddenly there was a deep, heavy part maybe one of despair in paradise but that only lasted for a short period as it came to a victorious ending of happily ever after. (Kahn)

Hector Berlioz wrote the Symphonie fantastique at the age of 27. He based the program on his own impassioned life and transferred his memoirs into his best- known program symphony. The story is about a love sick, depressed young artist, while in his despair poisons himself with opium. His beloved is represented throughout the symphony by the symbolic idee fixe. There are five movements throughout symphony. The program begins with the 1st movement: Reveries, Passions symbolizing the artist's life prior to meeting his beloved. This is represented as a mundaness and indefinable searching or yearning, until suddenly, he meets her and his longing abruptly ceases and is replaced by volcanic love. The

The genre is a symphony, which is a multimovement composition for orchestra lasting about twenty-five minutes in the Classical perido to nearly an hour in the Romantic era. It has

The general plan of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies includes a very 'pessimistic' first movement, a sad, peaceful second movement, an allegro movement (often in dance form) and a fourth movement full of vigor.  His 6th symphony, the Pathetique, is an exception.  The themes are broad, decorative, and striking. The orchestration is rich - but without any attempt at spectacular effects.  The last movement is slow and mournful, and recent research reveals the reason.  The Pathetique was only partly finished when news spread of a homosexual 'encounter' Tchaikovsky had with a fellow student. Some believe that the composer finished the symphony as a farewell to life. The scoring is for the standard symphonic orchestra with winds, brass, strings, timpani, and other percussion instruments. It was premiered in St. Petersburg with Tchaikovsky himself leading the orchestra.

The 19th Century saw many composers come to light as they made a mark on the art music world. Unknown at the time, they would soon be remembered for their work in decades to come. As music developed so did the various ways to portray the piece that was being played. One type of art music that emerged at the time was ‘programme music’. This was defined as where the “composer intends to guard the listener against a wrong poetical interpretation” . In other words it was a way to correctly convince an audience of the story with a number of movements. Composer Camille Saint – Saens was one of the many who did this exceptionally well. Throughout his lifetime, 1835 – 1921, he was known to be one of “France’s most gifted musicians” . Many of his works are still used today and have helped inspire many in not only the musical world, but outside of it as well.

Music is a very powerful tool. It has the power to bring happiness or sorrow. It can stir up old memories that someone has forgotten. In Berlioz’s case he uses one of his most famous pieces, Symphonie Fantastique to tell a story. Berlioz combines the use of instrumentation, rhythm and dynamics in a stunningly effective way that conveys to the listener a tragic tale of an artist, whose true love didn’t reciprocate his feelings leading him down a path of self destruction.

The listener would perceive the slow-moving idea (mm. 23 – 29) which follows as the second theme, if it were not for its fleeting mysteriousness. It provides a contrast to the majestic themes which opened the movement. The harmonic ambiguities, created by the chromaticism, are very progressive for the Romantic era.