Symphonie Fantastic
Project Funder: Leon Levy Foundation, undated article: by Nicholas Temperley from unnamed source on the Genesis and Composition of Berlioz`s Symphonie Fantastique
On the New York Philharmonic website there was these program notes of a performance of Berlioz`s Symphonie Fantastique, Op 14, on October 23, 1968-March 16, 1974.
In this document talks about what the symphony is about and has a lot of grammatical errors and it looks like the author was proofreading the program notes and was going to write a final product. It talks about how Berlioz was new to Shakespeare and also to love at first sight. He author talks about how there was a moment were in the theater felt emotional and even choked up.
The author continued to compare Berlioz and Shakespeare. And how Berlioz talks about the first performance of Hamlet which was on September 11th. And he talks in great detail how Berlioz felt this intense emotion and he felt a nervous condition. This document also talks about how Berlioz saw the premiere of Romeo and Juliet on September 15, and it is reported that after this performance Berlioz declare he would write his greatest symphony inspired by the drama and love of the play, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.
This document talks about Berlioz had a love interest named Harriette and how he decided to give a concert of his own works in France to show her that he was a dramatic artist but many did not attend and the document talks about Harriette never even knew about the concert. Harriette left Paris and she did not meet Berlioz but he remained longing for her attention and affection. And even wrote to his sister about Harriette.
The document the fast forwards and starts talking about the “grand fantastic symphony” in five parts. And how each movement has a different meaning. The first talks about restlessness, the next about passion, his tenderness, jealousy, fury and fears. The second part talks about a shepherd that is piping to their flocks. The third is set in a ball. The fourth talks about how the artists poisons himself with opium and the fifth is about witches that gather on the sabbath day.
