Berlioz and Symphonie Fantastique Flashcards
What types of demonstrations was Berlioz interested in his music?
Public Demonstration, Cycles of Human Emotions (A pendulum) “I feel therefore I am”
What is Symphonie Fantastique About? (Brief)
The life of an artist being destructively passionate about a woman who doesn’t know he exists, the symphony represents all his feelings before he kills himself
What are some facts about Berlioz’s life?
He was born in 1803 in the french first republic, his mother was a catholic, his father a doctor, he played many instruments such as flute, guitar, drums
What were Berlioz’s favorite childhood books about? (In his father’s library)
Vows of Eternal Love, the book was called Estelle
What did Berlioz Suffer from?
Isolation, exhausting mood swings, agony
What was and is the Idee fixque?
Fixed idea, the melody was of his love
What was the first movement in Symphonie Fantastique called?
“Passions”
What was the first movement - Passions - About?
Berlioz remembering how he felt before he first met his love, meeting his love (establishing the idee fixque)
What was the second movement called?
“A Ball”
What was the second movement of Symphonie Fantastique about?
a waltz at a ball - berlioz sees his love but is too scared to approach her. The idee fixque is recapped here
What is the 3rd Movement Called?
“Scene in the Fields”
What was the 3rd Movement about?
Intimacy, English Horn + Oboe, Love and suspension of time, then he imagines seeing her with someone else.
What is the 4th movement called?
“March to the scaffold”
What was the 4th movement about?
He poisoned himself with opium, and he has horrible visions. He imagines himself being executed for killing his love, the blade falls and he dies.
What was the 5th movement called?
“Dream of a witches’ Sabbath”
