EzekielBardash

MusicHistory3

Asmusicians,ourjobistotellpeoplestories.Oftentimesthesestoriesdonothavea
plotorcharacters,buttheyarestoriesnonetheless.Theyarestoriesofsadness,orjoy,andthe
listenermayimagineanynumberofscenariostoaccompanywhateverpiecetheyarelistening
to,butitisourjobtoprovidetheemotionandthefoundationforwhatthestoryultimately
becomes.Somecomposershavesetouttowritemusicthatisveryobviouslymeanttodepicta
story.SincethefirstOperacomposershavewrittenmusicthatnotonlyaccompaniesastory,
butalsoembodieswhatthestoryisabout.BeethovensSixthSymphonyismeanttoevoke
certainemotionsfromthelistenerthatsuggestimagesofstormsandotherlandscapes.In1830
HectorBerliozsetouttowritethefirstcompletelyinstrumentalworkofmusicthattoldanexplicit
story.HisprogrammaticSymphonieFantastiquewastheresult.
PartoneofBerliozsprogramnotestellofayoungpassionateartistwhomeetsayoung
ladywhoistheperfectembodimentofphysicalbeauty.Heinstantlyfallsinlovewithher.Every
timetheyoungartistseesthebeautifulladyhehearsthesamemusicalidea.Nomatterhow
hardhetriestheyoungartistcannotstopthinkingaboutthiswomanandcannotgetthemusical
ideathatheassociateswithheroutofhishead.
WiththefirstmovementofthepieceBerliozintroducedtheworldtohisideaofideefixe.
Ideefixeisamusicalideathataccompaniesorrepresentsacharacterinthestoryofa
programmaticpieceofmusic.ThisisthesameideathatRichardWagnerwouldlatercalla
LeitmotifinhisOperas.Berliozusesabeautiful,livelyandpassionatemelodyashisideefixe
forthebeautifulyoungwomaninthestory.Clearlythisismeanttobethesamemelodyheard
bytheyoungartistwheneverheseesherorthinksabouther.
Theyoungartistexperiencesmanydifferentemotionsduringthefirstmovement,from,
upsurgesofaimlessjoy,todeliriouspassion,withitsoutburstsoffuryandjealousy,itsreturns
oftenderness,itstears,[and]itsreligiousconsolations.Berliozusesdifferentmusical
interludeswithdifferenttexturestoportrayallofthesedifferentemotionsthattheartist
experiences,butthroughoutitallhekeepscomingbacktothesamemelodythatrepresentsthe
younglady,muchthesamewaythattheartistconstantlythinksofher.
Theprogramnotesformovementstwo,threeandfourcontinuethestory.Inmovement
twoweseetheyoungartistgoingoffandhavingmanydifferentexperiencessuchaslarge
partiesorbeautifulscenesofnature.Everywheretheartisttravelsheisstillremindedofthe
beautifulwomanandthebeautifultunethataccompaniesthethoughtofher.
Inmovementthreetheyoungartisthearstwoshepherdssingingaduetinthe
countryside.Theduetisasortofcallandresponsetuneandwhentheartisthearsithisheartis
calmedfromtheconstantthoughtofthebeautifulwomanandhelongstoalonenolonger.He
worriesthatthewomanhasbeenunfaithful,andatthispointoneoftheshepherdsstops
responding.
Inthefourthmovement,strickenbygrief,theartisttakesanextremelylargeamountof
opiumandbeginstosleep.Hedreamsthathemurdersthewomanandthenwatchesfrom
outsidehisbodyashehimselfishanged.
Inthefifthmovement,stillinaheavilynarcotizeddream,theyoungartistwatchesaritual
witchdance.Hehearsmanystrangesoundsandseesmanystrangecreatures.Thehaveall
cometoseehisfuneral.Berliozusespassagesofintensechromaticismwithviolinsplaying
fast,descendingchromaticlinestoconjureupthesestrangeimages.
Thenallofasudden,theideefixerepresentingtheyoungwomanreappearsalthoughit
hasbeenperverted.Itisnolongerasweetandpassionatetune,buthasturnedintoa,vulgar
dancetune,trivialandgrotesque.Thewomanhasappearedandisjoininginthewanton
festivities.Thereare,roarsofdelightatherarrivalandheretheBerliozbuildsthepieceup
endingwithmassivecrescendothatfinallygiveswaytoalowpoint.HereBerliozhastwobells
playing,clearlymeanttobefuneralbells,shortlyfollowedbythetraditionalcatholicfuneraltune
ofDiesIrae.Themovementcontinueswithaninterminglingofthetwothemes(thedistorted
themeoftheyoungwomanandtheDiesIrae).
WhenBerliozwrotehisSymphonieFantastique,hehadsetouttowriteapieceofthe
musicthatconveyedanexplicitstory.Hewroteprogramnotestobehandedoutat
performancesofthepiece.Whilehewasnotthefirstpersontousethemesinhiscompositions,
hisuseofaspecificthemetorepresentaspecificcharacterorideawasrevolutionaryand
influencedcountlesscomposersafterhim.WhetheryouloveBerliozandthispieceoryouhate
them,itishardtolistentothispieceofmusicandreadtheprogramnotesandnotgetasense
thatthedifferentmusicalthemesrepresentwhatisgoingonintheprogram.Berliozisa
controversialfigureinRomanticmusic,andmanyofhiscriticsfeelthathisunderstandingof
harmonyisrudimentary,butisinnovationsinprogrammusicarestillnoteworthy.Nomatter
whatonesfeelingsonBerliozareitishardtodenythathewasanimportantfigureinthe
developmentofprogrammusic,andagreatstoryteller.

"BerliozSymphonieFantastique."BerliozSymphonieFantastique.N.p.,n.d.Web.09
Apr.2014.