Why is it called Symphonie fantastique?

The official title of the piece is Episode de la Vie d’un Artiste (An Episode in the Life of an Artist), but it is always called by its subtitle Symphonie Fantastique which means Fantasy Symphony. The “Fantasy” refers to the story that is described by them music.

Who is beloved in Symphonie fantastique?

The text the composer writes to tell the story is the program. Throughout the symphony, Berlioz uses a melody to symbolize a woman. The woman is called “the beloved” and the melody is called the “idée fixe”. That melody comes back again and again over the course of the five parts of the symphony.

What is one innovative aspect of Symphonie fantastique?

The composition is also notable for its expanded orchestration, grander than usual for the early 19th century, and for its innovative use of a recurring theme—the so-called ideé fixe (“fixed idea” or “obsession”)—throughout all movements.

What instrument was used in Symphonie fantastique?

Instrumentation: Two flutes, piccolo, two oboes plus off-stage oboe, English horn, two clarinets, piccolo clarinet, four bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two cornets, three trombones, two tubas, timpani, percussion, two harps and strings.

What happened at the premiere of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique that shocked the audience?

In the midst of it all, his beloved appears but in a grotesque form. When it was first performed, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique was so novel and so shocking that it immediately caused an uproar. Even his friends were astonished that he would put into music something so explicitly personal.

What is a Symphonie fantastique?

It is one of the most famous Romantic works for orchestra. The official title of the piece is Episode de la Vie d’un Artiste ( An Episode in the Life of the Artist ), but it is always called by its subtitle Symphonie Fantastique which means Fantasy Symphony. The “Fantasy” refers to the story that is described by them music.

How long is Berlioz Symphony Fantastique?

Symphonie Fantastique (Berlioz) The symphony lasts about 45 minutes and is divided into 5 movements. Berlioz himself wrote down the story that the music describes, just as Beethoven had done with his Sixth Symphony. Berlioz’s work is about a young artist. In the music the young artist is represented by a tune.

Is La Symphonie fantastique based on a true story?

La Symphonie fantastique is a 1942 French drama film by Christian-Jaque and produced by the German-controlled French film production company Continental Films. The film is based upon the life of the French composer Hector Berlioz. The title is taken from the five-movement programmatic Symphonie fantastique of 1830.

When did Peter Maxwell Davies compose La Symphonie fantastique?

En 1971, Peter Maxwell Davies adapte le cinquième mouvement de La symphonie fantastique pour la bande originale du film Les diables de Ken Russell. En 1976, Bernard Herrmann utilise ce même mouvement pour composer la musique du film Obsession de Brian de Palma.