PROGRAM NOTES
THE FANTASTIC SYMPHONY
Hector Berlioz
Born December 11 , 1803 in Isère . France Died March 8 , 1869 in Paris , France
SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE [ 1830 ]
An iconic artist of the Romantic era , Hector Berlioz was full of grand ideas and dramatic self-expression . He studied medicine briefly in Paris — his father was a doctor who expected his son to follow the same path — before devoting himself to music and literature . The inspiration for Symphonie fantastique was ignited after Berlioz attended performances of Shakespeare ’ s Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet in Paris in 1827 . He fell madly in love with the Irish actress Harriet Smithson , who had starring roles in both productions , and pursued her with an all-consuming passion that grew into obsession . This unrequited love fueled his creativity , and the resulting symphony tells a semi-autobiographical tale of an artist
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE : HARRIET SMITHSON
By Paula Maust
B erlioz ’ s primary muse and inspiration for the Symphonie fantastique was the Irish Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson ( 1800 – 1854 ). The daughter of an actress and theater manager , Smithson made her 1814 stage debut at the Theatre Royal in Dublin . She continued to hone her craft as a teenager , working for various companies in Ireland and learning more than forty roles in various genres . The Times gave a mixed review of her 1818 debut at Drury Lane in London , saying that she had “ a face and features well adapted to her profession ,” but she was “ not likely to make a great impression … or to figure among stars of the first magnitude .”
The aforementioned review was not prophetic , however , and Smithson went on to work in Paris , where she achieved extraordinary fame and had a tremendous influence on future actresses . In particular , she was beloved for her 1827 portrayal of Ophelia in Shakespeare ’ s Hamlet . Reviewers who , after driven to the brink of suicide by a failed love affair , overdoses on opium and has a series of drug-induced dreams . Berlioz idolized Beethoven , who attached a program to his “ Pastoral ” Symphony with music that reflected scenes from nature . Berlioz took this idea to the next level , composing the first true programmatic symphony : a work that is tied to a storyline rather than an abstract musical form . The innovation of this work is astounding and at the time of its premiere in 1830 , it was unlike anything audiences had heard before .
A recurring theme , known as the ideé fixe , appears in different guises within each movement and is associated with the artist ’ s beloved , who never escapes his mind . The theme is first heard as a yearning and lilting melody in the violins and flute after a slow introduction in the opening movement . Low strings punctuate the melody like irregular heartbeats . The music fluctuates between
said she acted the scene “ with utmost grace and truth . The most remarkable feature of her acting is her pantomime ; she adopts fantastic postures ; and she uses the dying fall in her inflections , without ever ceasing to be natural .”
Smithson ’ s resounding success as Ophelia resulted in her being cast as Juliet , a role in which she ultimately transformed the significance of women on stage . Prior to this time , women ’ s roles were often heavily cut , but Smithson demonstrated that Juliet was just as important as Romeo . During this time , she ushered in a new style of acting that many others endeavored to emulate . In particular , Smithson worked to truly become her character on stage .
Berlioz witnessed Smithson ’ s Parisian performances as Ophelia and Juliet in 1827 , and he subsequently became obsessed with her . Smithson initially rejected Berlioz ’ s advances , but the two were eventually married in 1833 . bouts of restlessness and peace as the protagonist sees his love for the first time . The harps make a grand entrance in the second movement , a fevered dream-state waltz that builds in energy before halting at the sound of the beloved ’ s theme in the solo clarinets . The orchestra then comes crashing in , whipping the dance to a raucous conclusion . The third movement is a pastoral reverie as the artist finds himself in the country listening to distant herdsmen exchange calls across the fields , represented by the English horn and an offstage oboe . The timpani create chords of rumbling thunder , an ominous darkness that tinges the scene with a sense of dread . In the fourth movement , the artist dreams he has killed his love and is condemned to death . A powerful array of instrumental forces bands together to create a dense and feverish scene . A clarinet plays a bit of the ideé fixe before it is quieted by the fall of the guillotine . The final movement follows this execution with a ghostly funeral . The music sounds possessed as the high E-flat clarinet plays the theme in a demonic jig , as if taunting the artist in his death . Berlioz quotes the medieval funeral chant Dies Irae as the orchestra gathers like a storm , hurtling toward a tumultuous conclusion .
Instrumentation Two flutes including piccolo , two oboes including English horn , two clarinets including E-flat clarinet , four bassoons , four horns , two trumpets , two cornets , three trombones , two tubas , two timpanists , percussion , two harps , and strings .
Musical Terms Avant-Garde : New and unusual or experimental ideas , especially in the arts , or the people introducing them . Sonority : the color , character , or quality of sound an instrument or voice produces . Allegro : At a brisk tempo . Coda : A concluding section , typically extensions of the main themes . Dies Irae : A Latin hymn sung in a Mass for the dead .
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