BERLIOZ - Symphonie Fantastique

when was SF composed and in which period?

1830 - romantic period

berlioz’s background

studied composition at a conservatoire

who was berlioz influenced by?

fascinated by beethoven’s music

what is interesting about the orchestration?

very large symphony orchestra

structure of SF?

modified sonata form

length of the introduction?

63 bars

TRM - introduction 4

largo, common time, b17 lively sextuplet scalic melody in violins, rests and pauses

INSTRUMENTATION - introduction 2 (+rhythm)

beings with woodwind triplet dominant notes, then taken over by strings after C minor chord

TEXTURE - introduction 3

begins with flutes and clarinets in octaves, bar 7 monophonic, joined by bassoons and oboes in a homophonic manner

TONALITY - introduction 5

begins in C minor, b17 tonic major, b24 tonic, b42 Ab maj, b61 tonic major

HARMONY/Harmonic device - introduction 4

chords often diatonic and functional, b22 - dim 7th, perfect cadences to establish modulations, b46 Ab maj tonic pedal

what proceeds the introduction? (64-71)

a 7 bar linking section

SONORITY - introduction 4

con sordino, b17 senza sordini, a punta d’arco (delicate), b34 tremolo in upper strings

4 features of link

homophonic, alla breve, tonic major, quaver motif (heartbeat) introduced

SONORITY - linking section 2

pizz in double bass, arco in upper strings

what happens after the linking section? 2

exposition b72-161, idee fixe introduced

describe the idee fixe 6 (+marking)

begins with an anacrusis, beings on the dominant, rises a perf 4th, then a maj 6th, descends in a conjunct manner (sigh-like motif), canto expressivo

TEXTURE/SONORITY - exposition 72-161 (3) idee fixe

flute and 1st violins play idee fixe in unison, b92 melody-dominated homophony - strings accompany melody, b121 double corde

TMR - exposition 72-161 (1)

b133 - transition passage with triplet crotchet melodies

what happens after b150

2nd subject introduced

TONALITY - exposition 3 (transition, 2nd subject, ending)

transition passage in Ab major, 2nd subject in G major, passes through E minor towards end

HARMONY - exposition 3 (interesting use of chords)

b123 4-3 suspension (dissonance), b146 dom 7th chords, ends with a V7 in C major

MELODY - exposition 4 (development of idee fixe)

b94 part of IF played as ascending sequence, chromatic melodies, repetition, b111 descending broken chords

b166-231?

development

MELODY - development 4 (repetition)

1st subject in lower strings, repetitive ascending melodies, b191 second subject in woodwind, ascending and descending chromatic scales

TONALITY/HARMONY - development (1)

begins in G major, but chromaticism obscures the tonality

RTM - development

moto perputuo crotchets, 3 bars of silence before recapitulation

b232-475

recapitulation

what is interesting about the recapitulation?

acts more like a development, playing with former material

HARMONY/TONALITY - recapitulation 3

G major w idee fixe, dominant pedal in horn, chromatic leaping quavers

MELODY - recapitulation 5

idee fixe, repeated rising 4ths in violins, chromatic leaping quavers, descending appogiotura scales in strings, 2nd subject in cello - imitation through strings

b475-end

coda

TONALITY/HARMONY - coda 3

C major established in idee fixe, 3 plagal cadnces (religiosamente section), concludes on a paused C maj chord

TEXTURE - coda

b503 idee fixe is monophonic, homophonic

TRM - coda

idee fixe begins after 3 bars of silence, descending arpeggios with accented offbeats, final section largo

what did berlioz say the purpose of his program notes was?

“…serves to introduce musical movements and to motivate their character and expression”