Hector Berlioz

Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803–March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer best known for the Symphonie fantastique, first performed in 1830, and for his Grande Messe des morts Requiem of 1837, with its tremendous resources that include four antiphonal brass choirs.

Musical influence

Berlioz had a keen affection for literature, and many of his best compositions are inspired by literary works. For La damnation de Faust, Berlioz drew on Goethe's Faust; for Harold in Italy, he drew on Byron's Childe Harold; for Benvenuto Cellini, he drew on Cellini's own autobiography. For Roméo et Juliette, Berlioz turned to Shakespeare's tragedy of the similar name. For his magnum opus, the monumental opera Les Troyens, Berlioz turned to Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid. For his last opera, the comic opera Béatrice et Bénédict, Berlioz prepared a libretto based loosely on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

Related Topics:
La damnation de Faust - Goethe's - Faust - Byron - Benvenuto Cellini - Cellini - Magnum opus - Les Troyens - The Aeneid - Comic opera - Béatrice et Bénédict - Libretto - Much Ado About Nothing

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Apart from the many literary influences, Berlioz also championed Beethoven who was at the time unknown in France. The performance of the "Eroica" symphony in Paris seems to have been a turning point for Berlioz's compositions. Next to Beethoven, Berlioz worshipped Christoph Willibald Gluck, Etienne Mehul, Carl Maria von Weber, and Gaspare Spontini.

Related Topics:
Beethoven - "Eroica" symphony - Christoph Willibald Gluck - Etienne Mehul - Carl Maria von Weber - Gaspare Spontini

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