Berlioz

[reith]

What do you think of Berlioz. He's pretty obviously a good orchestrator but I'm having difficulty finding any depth to his music. I've only listened to a couple of pieces but don't feel encouraged to go further. The only piece I've listened more more than once now is the Symphonie Fantastique, having found an old but good recorded performance from Beecham.

Any suggestions in the recorded repertoire would be welcome. Ta!

reith

[MaestroX]

I first discovered Berlioz when I went to my first live orchestral concert a couple of years ago. The Russian State Philharmonic played Symphonie Fantastique and I was blown away. Nothing I had heard before could compare! I later got a copy of the score and a good recording for some light reading/listening.

You say you don't find any depth in his music? I would admit he's not entirly pouring out his soul as some other romantic composers did but his music has a unique atmosphere. When thinking about Symphonie Fantastique his use of"idée fixe" for me brings depth to the work. The story, the characters the way the music presents events. (I remember reading that Berlioz was taking opium when he wrote this, is this true?)

As for other recording my knowledge of Berlioz is very limited, but any suggestions to some of his other works would be nice!

[Student]

Actually, I find him far more "Romantic" then his contemporaries. Ever listened to his Requiem or Los Troyens? The man was ahead of his time when it came to ridiculous melodrama. Then there's the fact that Symphonie Fantastique was autobiographical...

If you're looking for exceptional writing for any instrument, however, Berlioz is not the composer at which to look. He produced amazing sounds and forms, but he could not play any instrument well and it shows in his writing. He also didn't use the thick textures that the Germans did, maybe that's what you're hearing as lacking depth?

Anyway, if you want musical depth I recommend listening to the song cycle Les Nuis D'été it's Berlioz at his best, with beautiful orchestration and amazing sounds as well as a very distinct form. Just watch out for the singers that try to turn it into 20th century opera... Janet Baker has a pretty nice recording out.

[reith]

I may well look up Les Nuits d'Eté. I'm pretty sure I have a recording of it somewhere with Jessye Norman.

I have to confess that my starting knowledge of Berlioz was his excellence at orchestration. I seem to rememb someone saying he wrote a book about it. When I get time I'll try to explore more. I don't get on too well with French Opera (serious) even having trouble with Pelleas et Mellisande....but I'll give one of those a try when I can.

I quite like the Symphonie Fantastique except the over heavy last movement. If anything puts me off trying opium, that's it!

cheers,
reith

[some guy]

Then there's the fact that Symphonie Fantastique was autobiographical...

Well, no. If this is supposed to be about his passion for Harriet Smithson, then it's remarkably free of autobiographical material. He had never seen her at a ball, he had never gone on a picnic in the country with her, he never had his head chopped off, and he never had any Witches Sabbaths with her, though after they were married, they may have spent a Sunday or two in the country together, with or without food...

As for Reith's original comment, I have to say that I too found Berlioz rather thin when I first heard his music. And I can now safely say that that's a huge illusion. It's certainly not thick like Beethoven or Schumann or Wagner, but it has plenty of depth. You could say (I do, all the time;-)) that Berlioz was the greatest writer of chamber music. No string quartets or piano sonatas or the like, but everything he wrote was very economical. He had huge forces for each piece, but then he only used a few players at any given time, reserving tuttis for rare moments.

He's a great composer, for sure. His music is subtle and intricate and exquisitely crafted. He always get described as some wild hyperRomantic, but listening carefully to his music reveals what a careful and thoughtful craftsman he was. So give it some time. You'll hear something, some day that will knock you sideways. Otherwise, it's kind of hard to recommend anything particular. For one, all his pieces are good. For two, each piece is different from the next--if you like Symphonie Fantastique, that's no guarantee that you'll like Romeo et Juliette.