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Louis-Hector Berlioz [n 1] (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic composer and conductor.
- Julian Rushton
- 1983
- Who Was Hector Berlioz?
- Early Life
- Beginning A Career in Music
- Growing Musical Success
- Later Years and Legacy
Hector Berlioz turned his back on a career in medicine to follow his passion for music, and went on to compose works that showcased the innovativeness and search for expression that were hallmarks of Romanticism. His well-known pieces include the Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts. At the age of 65, Berlioz died in Paris on March 8, 1...
Louis-Hector Berlioz was born on December 11, 1803, in La Côte-St-André, Isère, France (near Grenoble). Hector Berlioz, as he was known, was entranced with music as a child. He learned to play the flute and guitar, and became a self-taught composer. Heeding his physician father's wishes, Berlioz went to Paris in 1821 to study medicine. However, muc...
In 1826, Berlioz enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire. The next year, he saw Harriet Smithson in the role of Ophelia and became captivated by the Irish actress. His ardor inspired the Symphonie fantastique (1830), a piece that broke new ground in orchestral expression. With its use of music to relate a story of desperate passion, it was a hallmark o...
In the 1840s, touring throughout Europe began to offer Berlioz another source of income; he was particularly appreciated as a conductor in Germany, Russia and England. When the production of another choral work, La Damnation de Faust, became a financial sinkhole after its premiere in 1846, touring again came to the rescue. Berlioz found his financi...
Following more European tours, a lonely Berlioz returned to Paris in 1868. His marriage to Smithson had not lasted, and his second wife had passed away in 1862. He had lost his only child, Louis, in 1867. At the age of 65, he died in Paris on March 8, 1869. Berlioz left behind many innovative compositions that had set the tone for the Romantic peri...
Apr 17, 2024 · Hector Berlioz was a French composer, critic, and conductor of the Romantic period, known largely for his Symphonie fantastique (1830), the choral symphony Roméo et Juliette (1839), and the dramatic piece La Damnation de Faust (1846).
- Jacques Barzun
Nov 10, 2023 · Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was the leading French composer of Romantic music, best known for his innovative Symphonie fantastique and use of large-scale orchestras and choruses in works like The Trojans opera.
- Mark Cartwright
- What is Hector Berlioz well known for?Hector Berlioz is known for being the most important French composer of Romantic music in the 19th century. His most famous work today is Symphonie...
- Why was Berlioz controversial?The composer Hector Berlioz was controversial because he used an expanded orchestra with innovative orchestration and use of instruments. His Roman...
- What did Hector Berlioz struggle with?The composer Hector Berlioz struggled to make a living and gain a reputation in Paris. He was esteemed in other countries and had some successes in...
- Symphonie Fantastique. In 1830 Berlioz cemented his reputation as a musical radical with the premiere of Symphonie Fantastique, his most famous work, which is widely recognized as an early example of programme music.
- Harold In Italy. Harold In Italy, based on a poem by Lord Byron, is a symphony in four movements for solo viola and an orchestra. Berlioz composed Harold In Italy in 1834 on commission from the virtuoso violinist Paganini, who had just bought a Stradivarius viola.
- Grande Messe Des Morts. Berlioz’s monumental Requiem Grande Messe Des Morts was composed in 1837 for the French soldiers killed in the war. The composer declared, “If I were threatened with the destruction of the whole of my works save one, I should crave mercy for the Messe Des Morts.”
- Roméo Et Juliette. Roméo Et Juliette, one of the best Berlioz works, is based on Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet and was composed in 1839. Berlioz’s initial inspiration came from a performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Odéon Theatre in Paris in 1827, not only from the dramatic force of the poetry and drama, but also because the leading actress was Harriet Smithson, who also inspired Symphonie Fantastique and later became his wife.
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Mar 8, 2019 · To mark the sesquicentennial of the composer's death — and a new box set of recordings — Berlioz biographer David Cairns celebrates the one-time musical misfit from France.
Hector Berlioz: biography, music, writings, career in Paris, travels, articles by Berliozians, catalogue, bibliography, discography, concerts, reviews, news and more.
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