Hector Berlioz : French Romantic Music

When Still graduated from high school, he attended medical school at Wilberforce University, in Ohio. He conducted the university band, learned to play many types of instruments, and started to compose and to do orchestrations. He was awarded a scholarship to

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 concert is Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, performed by The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Stéphane Denève, recorded in high definition at Orchestra Hall in December 2013.

Also he had composed keyboard pieces, oratorios, symphonies, and operas. He performed his first major opera when he was fourteen it was staged in Milan in 1770 the style of the opera was opera seria, Mitriade.

Finally his studies led him to France at the age of 21, where he studied under Paul Vidal for a short period of time and then under Mlle. Boulanger for three years. Before

Beethoven’s work appears to have had a strong influence in the compositions of Berlioz, as a matter of fact; Berlioz was mainly responsible for making Beethoven’s compositions famous in other parts of Europe through performance. Berlioz’s

The first and opening piece was a Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9, by Hector Berlioz. In major tonality, classical piece started with vivace statement, and then slow introduction progressed later in allegro. It featured an independent solo that was performed with an English horn and gradually changed dynamics throughout the classical movement.

The first piece that was played was Mozart’s Symphony No.40. This is a beautiful piece of music. There are 38 players in the orchestra for this piece. And they all played

In what period was the work composed? List three aspects of the musical style of this period that apply to this work.

Beethoven is perhaps the most famous musician of all time. His influence on later composers was extremely huge, to the extent where many composers were intimidated by his music. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770 into a family of musicians. His father and grandfather were both musicians at the court of Elector in the German town of Bonn. His grandfather was very respected, but his dad not so much given that he was an alcoholic. At a young age, Beethoven was put in charge of his family’s finances and started a job at the court. He composed music and helped look after the instrumentation. Around the same time, he began to write music. In 1790, an important visitor passed through Bonn: this was Franz Joseph Haydn. He was on his way to London for a visit when he stopped to meet Beethoven and agreed to take him on as a student when he came back from London to Vienna. In 1792, Beethoven moved to Vienna to study with Hayden. Apparently, it did not go as planned. Hayden was old fashion and a little overbearing, while Beethoven was rebellious and headstrong. Beethoven found support among the rich arts who lived in Vienna. Prince Lichnowsky gave him board and lodging at his place for in return, Beethoven would compose music and preform at evening parties.

The 1st movement is in sonata form. The slow introduction to this symphony is unusual in that it begins in the subdominant key - E minor, solemnly introduced by the bassoons. It modulates into B minor and the tempo increases for the principal subject. This theme is elaborated and developed, and a march-like motif forms a bridge passage leading to a climax. The strings then introduce an amorous, song-like second subject in D major. The development section enters with a bang. This section brings no startling thematic growth or transformation, but is

He remained a clerk for three years. He hated his job but he worked feverishly at it for he worked hard at every task he was given. He continued to be drawn into the music world and he took piano and theory lessons. Finally, in 1862, he quit his job and devoted the rest of his life to music which he began by entering the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He graduated with a silver medal in 1865. After graduation he was unsure of what to do until 1866 when Nicholas Rubenstein offered him the job of professor of harmony at the newly formed Moscow Conservatory. It was here that he wrote his first serious works which included AA Festival Overture on the Danish National Hymn,@ his First Symphony in G AWinter Daydreams,@ and his first opera AThe Voyevode.@ Showing his desire for perfection he tore up the opera because he was dissatisfied with it and it wasn=t until 1949 that it was revived.5

The first piece was “Overture from the Singspiel”, which is composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The conductor is James Martin. When it comes to the acomposer, Mozart was born January 27, 1756, Salzburg, archbishopric of Salzburg [Austria]—died December 5, 1791, Vienna), Austrian composer,

Born in Bohemia, Gluck built a more international style of opera. He was strongly affected by the movement of the reform in the 1750s. He became court composer to the Emperor at Vienna after visits to London and studying under Samartini in Italy. After a collaboration with a poet named Raniero Calzabigi, Gluck composed two of his famous operas, `Orfeo ed Euridice' in 1762 and `Alceste' in 1767. Gluck's aims were to remove the unpopular characteristics of opera seria, as shown by his famous quote:

The second tool Berlioz employed in this symphony is rhythm. Berlioz uses a wide variety of rhythms in this piece ranging from quick, scurrying passages to calm, smooth melodies. The rhythm used in conjunction with the instrumentation helps to further expand upon the idea that Berlioz is trying to portray. The beginning of the fourth movement is supposed to be one of dread, the artist has just killed his love and Berlioz uses a slow and heavy melody to express this. The parts where Berlioz uses the horns to represent the crowd cheering are quick, giving a feeling of rejoice, of victory