Hector Berlioz, Dream of the Witches\' Sabbath task 2 PDF

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Hector Berlioz, Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath

Hector Berlioz, Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath from Symphonie fantastique, 1830

Lena Smith WGU

Hector Berlioz, Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath

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Hector Berlioz, Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath I selected Dream of the Witches' Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastique written by Hector Berlioz in 1830. The title caught my attention as it stood out from the other options. And it is almost Halloween. I found an old recording of the entire Symphonie Fantastique conducted by Hungarian conductor, Eugen Szenkar, and listened to the 5th movement. The first few seconds of the recording drew me in because they seemed to convey a myriad of emotions within just a few bars. I could follow a storyline of some sort, intended or not, music is about the experience created for the listener. Listening to this piece of music was like riding a roller coaster. There are multiple transitions from fanciful music filled with strings and flutes moving, rather suddenly, to dramatic percussion and the brass filling you with dread and forlorn. Then right back into gleeful strings. It seemed as though the composer, Berlioz, had such a story to tell and I wanted to find out more! In the years leading up to the composition of Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz, it was relatively peaceful and industrious in Paris and all of France. The end of the 19th century began with the abdication of Napoleon 1 and with that, a newfound period of "repose and a resumption of business." (Drumsta, 2006) This newfound stability both socially and politically, allowed citizens to take time and enjoy prosperity and the arts. The Romantic period brought about expanded symphony and operas and more expressive music. (MindEdge, 2017) Hector Berlioz was born in 1803. He was the oldest child of Louis Berlioz and Madame Berlioz. In his youth, Hector did learn flute, guitar, and had voice lessons. His father

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refused to purchase a piano for fear that his son would favor the arts over medicine. (Reichert, n.d.) His father was a physician and, as such, Hector was predestined to the same profession. At age 17, Hector was sent to Paris to study medicine. After a year of schooling, he left to pursue his true passion, music, for which his parents all but disowned him. (Reichert, n.d.) Berlioz was enamored with Shakespeare, and his work influenced Berlioz's music. It was at a performance of Hamlet that Berlioz discovered Harriet Smithson. She played the role of Ophelia that evening, and Hector was instantly infatuated with Harriet. When Hector wrote Symphonie Fantastique, he wrote a letter stating, " I will share the progress of my infernal passion." (Konold, 2011) I believe that the underlying Romantic period theme within this piece, Dream of the Witches' Sabbath, is the theme of Passion. Famed Musicologist, Wulf Konold said "(Berlioz was) intent on making sure the entire world knew how he felt." (Konold, 2011) It is evident that Berlioz wants to get everything he is experiencing emotionally out through his music. More importantly, he wants his audience to know the experience, and even better, feel it. The entire Symphonie Fantastique is a recounting of his pining for the lovely Harriet Smithson and subsequent rejection. (Konold, 2011) The fifth and final movement; Dream of the Witches' Sabbath, is representative of the hell that comes after dismissal. Hector Berlioz uses music unconventionally to convey emotion, pain, sadness, mockery, and some joy. As a result, he transforms the abstract nature of the symphony audiences had come to expect into a fully dramatic experience. (WW Norton, 2001) This piece of music is relevant today. I believe that it is an excellent representation of the passion and emotional nature of the music in the Romantic period. Berlioz has

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created a symphony with an authentic and sensational story behind it. He so passionately wanted everyone to understand what this music meant to him. He wrote, essentially liner notes for the entire symphony to spell out to his audience exactly what he wanted to convey. It was somewhat successful marketing. (Konold, 2011) Everyone loves to gossip and here was an entire symphony chronicling the personal strife, joy, angst, love, passion, and rejection of a man. What a brilliant way, in this day and age, to intrigue younger generations and draw them into a better understanding of Symphony music. My initial impressions of Dream of the Witches Sabbath by Hector Berlioz were that there was a story to tell based on the dynamic music I was hearing. I am delighted to have found that to be true. It was incredibly satisfying to discover details about Berlioz and the events and experiences that influenced him to create Symphonie Fantastique. Wulf Konold indicated in a documentary I viewed in my research, that Berlioz loved Faust by Goethe. Berlioz said of Faust, "It explains my life." (Konold, 2011) Kunold also pointed out that there are parallels and similarities to Faust in Berlioz' symphony, specifically the 5th movement. (Konold, 2011) Dream of the Witches Sabbath illustrates the expressive and dramatic ways that a story full of emotion can be conveyed without any words. In this highly technological era, it is essential to continue to listen intently and learn from the past.

Works Cited

Hector Berlioz, Dream of the Witches’ Sabbath

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Drumsta, E. (2006). Paris: Capital of the 19th Century. Retrieved from Brown University Library Center for Digital Scholarship: http://library.brown.edu/cds/paris/Drumsta.html Konold, W. (2011, APR 20). Introducing Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique. Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zijlumzbJSI MindEdge. (2017). Introduction to the Humanities. Waltham, MA: Mindedge, Inc. Reichert, M. (n.d.). Belioz and Shakespeare: A Romantic Life. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20100707035211/http://home.vicnet.net.au/~bard/Berlioz %20and%20Shakespeare.htm. Sadie, S. (1996). The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. London: Macmillan Press Ltd. WW Norton. (2001). Essentials of Music. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20090411120533/http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/compos er/berlioz.html: https://web.archive.org/web/20090411120533/http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/compos er/berlioz.html...