Berlioz’s famous piece. Popular classical music.
Louis-Hector Berlioz, a master of Romanticism whose portrait once appeared on the French 10-franc note.
Among the works Berlioz created—led by the Symphonie fantastique—are many pieces inspired by literary masterpieces.
He was also a composer who anticipated the direction of Romantic music through large-scale expansions of instrumentation and a richly colorful orchestral technique.
This time, I’ve listed the works that became the starting point of Berlioz’s artistry, dividing them by movement.
I hope you’ll give them a listen.
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Masterpieces by Berlioz. Popular classical music (31–40)
From the Grand Symphony of Funeral and Victory, Movement IIILouis Hector Berlioz
From the Grand Symphonie funèbre et triomphale, Op.
15: Movement III, Apothéose.
This symphony was composed for the ceremony of reinterring the victims of the Revolution in a monument.
Performed by the Utah All-State Band, conducted by Samuel Hazo.
Lélio, or The Return to Life No. 1: The FishermanLouis Hector Berlioz
From Lelio, or The Return to Life (Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie), Op.
14b, No.
1: The Fisherman (Le pêcheur).
This work is a sequel to the Symphonie fantastique and is based on Berlioz’s experience of unrequited love.
Tenor: John Irvin; piano: Rita Kaufmann.
The Childhood of ChristHector Berlioz
An oratorio composed by the French Romantic composer Berlioz, known for the Symphonie fantastique.
The French lyrics were also entirely written by Berlioz.
At the time, plagued by harsh criticism rife with prejudice and malice, Berlioz released the work anonymously.
After it was acclaimed by audiences and critics, he later revealed that it was his own composition and regained his reputation.
The Carnival of RomeHector Berlioz
Berlioz was a French composer of the Romantic era.
He was not only a composer but also a music educator who left behind the renowned treatise used as a textbook, “Treatise on Instrumentation.” “Roman Carnival” is the prelude to Act II of the opera Benvenuto Cellini.
Rakoczi March from the dramatic tale The Damnation of FaustHector Berlioz
The Rakoczi March is originally a Hungarian folk song with an unknown composer.
It became famous when Berlioz used it in his own work, The Damnation of Faust.
The Damnation of Faust is based on Faust by the German writer Goethe.
The piece is also used as a Hungarian military march.
Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14Hector Berlioz
This piece is Berlioz’s first symphony, composed in 1830.
The hallmark of Symphonie fantastique is the “idée fixe.” While commonplace today, it was a novel concept at the time.
The work bears the subtitle “Episode in the Life of an Artist,” and it is said to have been inspired by his own experience of unrequited love.
Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath (from Symphonie fantastique), Fifth MovementHector Berlioz
The final movement of a symphony composed by Hector Berlioz at age 24.
It depicts terrifying hallucinations under the influence of opium, unfolding into a frenzied revel where witches, ghosts, and monsters gather for the protagonist’s funeral.
Amid an eerie, weighty atmosphere, the portrayal of the monsters’ dance is breathtaking.
Special violin techniques and the tolling of heavy bells vividly express a world of death and chaos.
Perfect as background music for Halloween parties or scary storytelling.
Highly recommended for those who want to enjoy spine-chilling music.
Symphonie fantastique, Movement I: Dreams, PassionsHector Berlioz
Symphonie fantastique is a piece of music that Berlioz composed based on his own heartbreak.
A morbid young musician, driven to despair by the anguish of love, attempts suicide by taking opium, but does not die; instead, the visions he experiences appear as musical images.
The first movement depicts the joy, passion, and suffering of his thoughts about the woman he loves.
ElegyHector Berlioz
A work for chorus and orchestra composed by Berlioz.
It consists of three movements.
As the title suggests, the overall mood is dark and heavy, yet the glimpses of beautiful harmony evoke a faint sense of hope.
The tense quality of the chorus at the beginning of the third movement is distinctive and captivating.
Lélio, or the Return to Life, No. 4: Song of HappinessLouis Hector Berlioz
From Lélio, or The Return to Life (Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie), Op.
14b, No.
4: Song of Happiness (O mon bonheur, ma vie).
Berlioz specifies that the Symphonie fantastique and Lélio should be performed consecutively.
Tenor solo by Michael Spyres.