Product Description
During the performances of fashionable operas in an unidentified but "civilized" town in northern Europe, the musicians (with the exception of the conscientious bass drummer) tell tales, read stories, and exchange gossip to relieve the tedium of the bad music they are paid to perform.In this delightful and now classic narrative written by the brilliant composer and critic Hector Berlioz, we are privy to twenty-five highly entertaining evenings with a fascinating group of distracted performers. As we near the two-hundredth anniversary of Berlioz's birth, Jacques Barzun's pitch-perfect translation of Evenings with the Orchestra --with a new foreword by Berlioz scholar Peter Bloom--testifies to the enduring pleasure found in this most witty and amusing book.

"[F]ull of knowledge, penetration, good sense, individual wit, stock humor, justifiable exasperation, understanding exaggeration, emotion and rhetoric of every kind."--Randall Jarrell, New York Times Book Review

"To succeed in [writing these tales], as Berlioz most brilliantly does, requires a combination of qualities which is very rare, the many-faceted curiosity of the dramatist with the aggressively personal vision of the lyric poet."--W. H. Auden, The Griffin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Brilliant! Absolutely, positively brilliant!
Two hundred years ago this week, Louis-Hector Berlioz was born. This, then, is a time for me to comment on a few of his works, some of them "favorites by acclamation" and others simply those in which I find special merit.

When Berlioz died, in April, 1869, an obituary in the Musical Times read, in part, "...there can be little doubt that he will be remembered by his able and acute contributions to musical criticism than by any of the compositions with which he hoped to revolutionize the world."

Anyone familiar with Berlioz's "Memoirs" already knows that he could write with flair, and often with a trenchant sense of humor as well. And, while no one these days takes that Musical Times obituary notice seriously, in terms of evaluating his compositional vs. his critical contributions to music, it is true that Berlioz was a significant contributor to the art of musical criticism. He lived and wrote during a time when the feuilleton (an essay often bathed in scathing wit) was the main in-print vehicle for criticism in the arts, and he was one of its most able and knowledgeable practitioners, using the medium for rendering his critical judgements on the musical matters of the day. (As a side note, credit for the feuilleton is often - but mistakenly - given to Heinrich Heine, the German poet, who wrote many such essays when in Vienna. But Heine had earlier been a friend of Berlioz's while in Paris, and it seems clear - at least to this writer - that the feuilleton migrated from Paris to Vienna, with Heine as its means of transport.)

"Soirées de l'Orchestre" (the original French title of these works) can be variously translated as "Evenings with the Orchestra" or "Evenings in the Orchestra." The latter seems more accurate and appropriate, notwithstanding the expertise of Jacques Barzun, one of a handful of true Berlioz experts working today: Berlioz - in the form of an alter ego for purposes of commenting on concert and opera performances - places himself IN the orchestra, as a participating musician in the evenings' events. He utilizes this "second party" vehicle, with some connective narrative, to tie together a number of his most famous feuilletons that "reached print" in the arts journals and newspapers of his day.

Never one to mince words, Berlioz makes clear his personal preferences of composers he knew, and either admired or despised. Of the former (including, inter alia, Beethoven, Gluck, Mozart, Spontini and Weber), his feuilletons would invariably speak to the strengths of these composers. On the other hand, of the latter (including, inter alia, Bellini, Cherubini, Donizetti and Rossini), an evening in the orchestra while performing such works provided him the opportunity to take imaginative flights of fancy as a means for writing about anything BUT the music (which he personally abhorred).

It is in these latter feuilletons that Berlioz hits his stride. And what an imaginative stride it is! Edgar Allen Poe and H. G. Wells (to name just two), had they been aware of Berlioz's writings, would well know that they had a worthy competitor in terms of his ability to write tales about the bizarre and the fantastic and, even, science fiction. But with a "gallows" humor that neither Poe nor Wells possessed. And this gallows humor, it turns out, is - at its best - screamingly hilarious. Two examples will have to suffice, lest I run over my allotted space.

Consider the Eighteenth Evening, during which a German opera (likely one by Meyerbeer) for which the pit musicians have little interest, so that a series of tales is spun amongst them, concluding with "The Piano Possessed," a sly and barely disguised dig at Felix Mendelssohn. The piano takes on a life - and even an afterlife - of its own while thirty-one pianists in a competition are required to play the Mendelssohn work, one after the other.

Better yet, consider the Twenty-Fifth Evening, arguably Berlioz's crowning achievement in the genre and titled "Euphonia, or the Musical City." This might well be called "Hector's Revenge," as he uses the feuilleton to settle a few scores with Camille Moke, a lady - and musician - to whom he had once been engaged and who had betrayed that engagement with the able assistance of her mother. The three characters, so barely disguised that Berlioz might well have used their proper names, are interwoven in a tale of intrigue and betrayal that is beyond fantastic and bordering on the morbid. Berlioz's alter ego exacts his revenge on the two women in a most poetic, if equally grotesque, way. And you'll laugh your way right through to the final word.

There is much about these Soirées that is autobiographical, and those familiar with Berlioz's life and times will likely not have much difficulty finding the autobiographical needles in the various haystacks that make up these Evenings. At the same time, the genre of the feuilleton permits Berlioz the luxury of commenting on matters musical (and otherwise) in a wholly unique way and style. And he had no shortage of style.

This is truly a "lost art"; no one seems to have been successful in duplicating Berlioz's ability to combine trenchant humor with critical commentary since his time. In modern times, only the name of Norman Lebrecht comes to mind, and he is far too buttoned down to challenge Berlioz in the genre. And more's the pity, now that we live in the time of Andrea Bocelli, Charlotte Church, Sarah Brightman, Russell Watson and - sakes alive! - Britney and JLo. I think Hector would have a field day with the likes of these.

Bon anniversaire, M. Berlioz!

Bob Zeidler

Brilliant but dated
Hector Berlioz was one of the finest composers and writers of his day, and so when one reads "the rise and fall of a tenor," the biographical sketch of Spontini, or some of the other pieces here, one understands and sympathizes with him.The only real problem is that so much of this describes a musical world now long dead and gone, whose heros and villains no longer matter in the realm of history, so that there are some pages one skims through.But if you are musical in your blood and soul, by all means get it...."Suicide by Enthusiasm" alone will put you right in the thick of the Romantic era!!

Unusual, eccentric, hilarious and historic
Berlioz was a man of great ideas - his music abounds with fresh approaches to form, to orchestration, and to melody. And mostly he succeeds. It was a surprise when I first encountered this book to discover what a great writer the man was with words too - and this book is so diverse with its historical accounts, its unscrupulous critiques of the then currently popular music, its humour (don't miss the story about the piano contest), its reporting of the musical world of the time, its insights about great works (Mozart, Gluck - but also Spontini!)..... It's a sort of Decameron of music!

I have subsequently read the Memoirs and these are not to be missed either. Berlioz was an extraordinary man and so neglected in his native France.

For music lovers generally, I would also draw your attention to Jan Swafford's biography of Johannes Brahms - it is very insightful and wonderfully well written.

Fascinating and entertaining
This book will appeal to both music lovers and lovers of witty and incisive writing.

Buy it and enjoy.

This is the funniest book in the world!
Just the funniest book on earth ... Read more

Product Description
The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz has long been considered to be among the best of musical autobiographies.

Like his massive compositions, Berlioz (1803-69) was colorful, eloquent, larger than life. His book is both an account of his important place in the rise of the Romantic movement and a personal testament. He tells the story of his liaison with Harriet Smithson, and his even more passionate affairs of the mind with Shakespeare, Scott, and Byron. Familiar with all the great figures of the age, Berlioz paints brilliant portraits of Liszt, Wagner, Balzac, Weber, and Rossini, among others. And through Berlioz's intimate and detailed self-revelation, there emerges a profoundly sympathetic and attractive man, driven, finally, by his overwhelming creative urges to a position of lonely eminence.

For this new Everyman's edition of The Memoirs, the translator--the composer's most admired biographer--has completely revised the text and the extensive notes to take into account the latest research. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not Just for the Musicologists.
No doubt, those who are passionate and knowledgeable about music will inhale the Memoirs as soon as they can get their hands on it.It is a precious gift for that select group.I want to make the point that this book will fully reward anyone who is generally interested in many things and who loves great literature.Reading it, I am frequently reminded of Mann's Doctor Faustus but only in that both are books about a composer and the Memoirs is so utterly superior a reading experience. I am nearly at the end now and have found the actual reading to go slower than I would have expected for, say, a work of fiction.This is good.The book has become a part of my life.I'll be sorry to see it go.

A GreatLife
This is one of the most engaging autobiographies I have ever read.Berlioz is a deeply original personality and a genius.Now I want to start listening to his music all over again.

One of my favorite books
As soon as I first started reading this book I knew it was one of my favorites. Berlioz has a very engaging style that brings you into his head. The details of his journeys, and trials, really draw you in. This is one of the few books that can bring out the full range of emotions in me. The ongoing feud with Cherubini is hilarious while his reflections on the loss of his family is very moving. The only negative about this book is the insertion of the letters from Germany in the middle of the book. It really disrupts the flow of the narrative. It does have some interesting things though. The book flows better if you skim over that part.

Fantastic
This is a rare, surprisingly lucid, firsthand account of the life of one of the most influential and innovative composers in history. Descriptions ofcontemporaries, the artist's balance of art/business, and the intimate history of specific works (Fantastique, Harold, Faust, Les Troyens, etc) are valuable to those interested in classical music and period history.

Why Not Go Directly To The Source?
The inimitable Hector Berlioz was a prolific writer (perhaps he missed his true calling).His memoirs are an irresistible and captivating read, giving us an all too brief window into his life-long struggles, both personally and professionally.Cairns did a bang-up job at translation (no real complaints here) and the Everyman's edition is splendidly printed. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a series of studies of individual operas written for the opera-goer or record-collector as well as the student or scholar. Each volume has three main concerns: historical, analytical and interpretative. There is a detailed description of the genesis of each work, the collaboration between librettist and composer, and the first performance and subsequent stage history. A full synopsis considers the opera as a structure of musical and dramatic effects, and there is also a musical analysis of a section of the score. The analysis, like the history, shades naturally into interpretation: by a careful combination of new essays and excerpts from classic statements the editors of the handbooks show how critical writing about the opera, like the production and performance, can direct or distort appreciation of its structural elements. A final section of documents gives a select bibliography, a discography, and guides to other sources. Each book is published in both hard covers and as a paperback. ... Read more

Product Description
The most influential work of its kind ever written, appraising the musical qualities and potential of over 60 commonly used stringed, wind and percussion instruments. With 150 illustrative full-score musical examples from works by Berlioz, Mozart, Beethoven, Gluck, Weber, Wagner and others, and numerous smaller musical examples. Complete with Berlioz’ chapters on the orchestra and on conducting. Translated by Theodore Front. Foreword by Richard Strauss. Glossary.
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Customer Reviews (7)

A simple review
An excellent book thats very concise and can help those of all ages. Is a must if into music, can be considered the bible of music.

Treatise!
This book on orchestration is top notch. Not only does it cover the basics, but it goes further by accepting that some "rules" can be broken to get the desired effect the orchestrator is looking for. I would recommend it to beginners as well as advanced students who want to learn to go beyond the borders.

A book for all levels of composers
This book was recommended to me by Amazon, having bought many similar titles in the past. This is by far the best book of it's type that I've found.

Hector Berlioz sets out each section of the orchestra in a logical fashion, reference book style and describes each instrument in a clear, readable and enjoyable manner. We gain, not just his in-depth knowledge of the instruments, but all his experiences of them within the orchestra. He offers tips regarding scoring that can make all the difference within an orchestration. The editing by Richard Strauss does nothing but enhance the work, adding his comments on the more modern versions of theinstruments etc.

This is a first class book on instrumentation/orchestration and would recommend it to composers of all levels of experience. (Who can't learn from a master?)

A.W. Roberts (Composer)

A true classic
The revision by R. Strauss added a lot of technical in-depth, that today remains current.

Strauss's additions are worth the price alone
Two of the best orchestrators of all time contributed to this book regarding orchestration and the mechanics of various instruments. With examples from many scores included in alsmost every section (especially Wagner, who Strauss admired highly), this tome is invaluable. Throughout the book limitations, advantages, and effects achievable by a broad range of instruments are discussed in detail with good examples included for each section.

I highly recommend the Treatise on Instrumentation. It is worth the price just to get to hear the personal opinions and thoughts of two master composers. ... Read more

Product Description
Memoirs written by composer Hector Belioz from the period 1803-1865. Thoughts and feelings from the man himself! Over 550 pages long.Paperback. ... Read more

Product Description
This biography of composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) describes with unprecedented intimacy, affection, and respect the life of one of France's greatest artists. After long being regarded as an oddity and an eccentric figure, Berlioz is now being accepted into the ranks of the great composers. Based on a wealth of previously unpublished sources, and on a profound understanding of the humanity of his subject, David Cairns's book provides a full account of this extraordinary and powerfully attractive man.

Volume II follows Berlioz's life from 1832 to his death in 1869, his most active years as a composer, conductor, and critic. This volume provides telling portraits of those close to Berlioz: his two wives, his son and his sisters, his friends and colleagues, fellow composers and critics. Cairns vividly evokes Berlioz's music and the music-making world of nineteenth-century Paris. Volume II also includes chapters on Wagner, Berlioz's career as a critic, the composer's concert tours in Germany, Russia, and England, and much more.Amazon.com Review
The conclusion to David Cairns's epic biography of Hector Berlioz has been eagerly awaited ever since the first volume, Berlioz: The Making of an Artist, appeared in 1989. With an achievement as massive as that highly praised volume, part of the tension of waiting for the follow-up involves wondering whether Cairns can capture again the sweep, the vividness, and the power of his first book. But he has managed to do exactly that.

Cairns picks up the story at the time of Berlioz's marriage to Harriet Smithson in 1833, with whom he had been obsessively infatuated for so long. It's a mournful story, with her alcoholism, their separation in 1844, and her premature death in 1854. Cairns links the vicissitudes of Berlioz's own life directly with his music: the composition of La Mort d'Ophélie marks the symbolic end of their marriage. "The elegiac significance of this infinitely sad melody would be hard to miss." Cairns writes sensitively and evocatively about Berlioz's music, and one of the central pillars of this second volume is a compelling defense of the composer's Les Troyens (1856), his much-maligned and chopped-about operatic masterpiece. Critics of the day were not kind: "so vulgar, so badly designed and so distorted with impossible modulations that one would take it to be the music of a deaf man," said one. There were many cartoons, which Cairns reprints, along the lines of "new method of killing cattle to be introduced at all slaughterhouses," in which an ox is pictured felled by having The Trojans played to it through a large tuba. But Cairns convincingly demonstrates just how far ahead of his time Berlioz was and how heroic was his struggle to have this titanic opera performed and accepted in the teeth of persistent obstacles. It is Cairns's opinion that Berlioz, "like the biblical man, was born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards." His biography follows the tragedies and the triumphs of this larger-than-life individual with a narrative force as gripping as a good novel. --Adam Roberts ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The last word on Berlioz?
50 years ago, two ambitious young British musicians became aware of the neglected genius of Berlioz. At that time, only the Symphonie Fantastique, the Carnaval Romain overture and three Faust pieces were performed in concerts. Harold, some excerpts from Romeo and one or two other items were available on 78 recordings. The Requiem, the Trojans, Benvenuto Cellini gathered dust: extravagent eccentricities, probably unperformable and certainly uncommercial. The end of the century saw the climax of the Berlioz revival and of the careers of Sir Colin Davis and David Cairns. The publication of the long-awaited second volume of Cairns' biography coincided with the start of Davis's final great cycle of performances. All Berlioz's works are now widely known. Even his early mass has been rediscovered, performed and recorded. LPs. tapes and now CDs have familiarised us with Berlioz, as with many other neglected composers. But much credit of course goes to Davis, the great interpreter and to Cairns, the untiring propagandist and critic, now the author of the great biography.

It is a remarkable biography. Berlioz at last stands before us as a living man: a son, a husband, a father; a great artist, but also a gentleman, a man of great moral strength. Not only Berlioz:perhaps the greatest revelation of the book is the real Harriet. Only Marie Recio remains elusive.

All Berlioz lovers will buy this book and treasure it. Yet it is not the last word. For Cairns' purpose is to place Berlioz: to put him firmly where he should belong, in a musical tradition which starts with medieval plainsong and is has been represented in the 20th century by Stravinsky, Britten Messiaen... How could he do otherwise? David Cairns is an establishment music critic. And yet to write in Volume One of Berlioz as 'the greatest French composer between Rameau and Debussy'! Is London only the greatest city between Dover and Milton Keynes? Cairns has shown us Berlioz the man. Berlioz the composer is much more: he is still our great contemporary, for no one who has followed can be compared with him.

A massive treatise, seldom dull, often enlightening
I bought this book in July and am still reading it, though I am now more than halfway through it.Like any biography of this size, Cairns occasionally runs into the "and then he wrote....and then he played..." syndrome, and to be honest, after a while each struggle to pull together an orchestra and interest an audience reads like each previous instance.On the other hand, it dispels many myths about Berlioz and his acceptance in his time, among them the fact that he never really stopped loving Harriet or her artistic soul even after her descent into alcoholism, delusions and strokes.It also shows that Berlioz did indeed have his champions, even in Paris where he also had enemies, based solely on the fact that his music was multi-rhythmic and therefore hard to follow!Among the many champions of his music were the Germans, Austrians and Russians, but especially the Hungarians and British, who heard and appreciated the great and wonderful things in his music.

The person one feels sorriest for is his son Louis, born into a marriage that Berlioz' father and sisters opposed, sent to boarding school when his mother descended into alcoholism and madness, seldom receiving the bonding love of his all-too-busy father.We also learn that Berlioz purposely suppressed inspirations to compose symphonies because he couldn't afford to perform them, and he wanted to use the money to help set up his son as a sailor.

Best of all, however, we get a VERY realistic glimpse into the performing world of the early-to-late 19th century, in which composers had to foot the bill for the performance (and copying) of their own works, playing to half-filled houses and often losing money on their ventures.We also learn of the strengths and weaknesses of the various musical centers of Europe, particularly the weaknesses, so much so that the composer often deleted movements from his symphonies and masses because the performers could not play them correctly.Thus the "golden age" of the Romantic era is dispelled as a myth propagated by rumor and hearsay.The reality is far less sunny, making us realize that even then art music struggled to find an audience and be appreciated.

Most of all, one suffers along with Berlioz, feels his angst and anguish as he struggles time and again to establish and re-establish himself in the face of organized, official opposition.Yes, there were critics and audiences who did recognize his genius and love his music, cruel reviews and nasty caricatures to the contrary, and this acceptance was much more widespread among lay listeners than we have been led to believe.Berlioz was cheered, mobbed and loved by practically every European culture center EXCEPT Paris, and even there he had his partisans....just never enough to keep him afloat financially or help him get his music produced.

If you love classical music and enjoy Berlioz, this is a recommended read.....just go slowly, don't try to speed-read through it, and you will get a lot more out of it.

Berlioz finally gets the royal treatment he deserves!
As a dedicated Berliozian since my teens, I've read several biographies on him in both English and French, but nothing comes close to David Cairns' exhaustive (but never exhausting) treatment, not even Jacques Barzun'snow-classic treatment which helped to ignite the Berlioz revival decadesago. Part of the reason is the author's style--consistently engagingwithout everbecoming weighed down by boring detail. Cairns has a way ofenlisting the reader's sympathies not only for Berlioz himself but also forhis wife Harriet Smithson and his son Louis as well as his friends likePaganini and Liszt who fostered his career. These are all well-roundedportraits of some of the most prominent figures of an immensely ecitingperiod of musical history. Most of all, onegets an indelible impressionofBerlioz not onlyas a musical genius but even more as a brilliantwriter. His letters, hundreds of which are fully quoted, reveal him as aman passionately dedicated the cause of great music and willing to expresshis honest convictions regardless of the opposition of the the crowd ofmediocrities who had turned the Parisian musical environment into a havenfor everything meretricious. It is sad to read of the success of suchminitalent as Adolphe Adam , Auber and Thomas while Berlioz, the greatestFrench musician of his time (or perhaps the Greatest French musician,period) was forced to earn his living as a critic. If this book has anydrawbacks, it is in the relatively little space devoted to discussion ofthe music itself. Whatthe author does write about Berlioz's works is soinsightful that it leaves me wishing for more--a lot more. This isespecially true of Les Troyens. A vast opera such as this cannot beadequately discussed in a few paragraphs. But, admittedly, this is abiography, not a work of musical analysis. I'm grateful for what we have--avivid portrait of a musical genius who really come alive as never before inthese pages. Berlioz was incapable of writing a dull page. His letters arefull of vivid imagery--metaphors and similes that paint the picture orexpress the thought memorably. My favorite example is, I am afraid, onethat shows the caustic side of the man: Describing the singing of hismistress--later his wife--Marie Recio, he wrote "She sings like acat". But Ishould not end on that note--Berlioz was a kind man aswell as a genius--what a contrast to Wagner, whose overwhelming musiccaused the undeserved neglect from which Berlioz is still recovering over acentury after his death. I hhope this book will send its readers back tothe music as it has done for me. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A collector's delight
As a true Berliozian, I was surprised and delighted to find this work from 1967 available -- and at an astonishingly modest price.The condition, said to be ""very good" was, if anything, even better than that. ... Read more

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No Description provided. ... Read more

Product Description
French composer Hector Berlioz believed in love at first sight. When he was 23, he attended a performance of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet and fell head over heels in love with Harriet Smithson, an English actress who had a leading role. Harriet didn’t show any interest in him. She ignored his letters. When he tried to meet her backstage she ordered the guard to throw him out.

Berlioz was hurt and angry. He wanted revenge. He got it by murdering Harriet—musically. She inspired Symphonie fantastique, his most famous work. The hero kills his beloved, is executed for the crime, and the symphony ends with a bizarre dance of ghosts, goblins and other monsters.

In real life, Berlioz met Harriet several years later. He put on a special concert for her that included a performance of Symphonie fantastique. Harriet was impressed. Soon she fell in love with him and they were married. Did they live happily ever after? ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, this extraordinary series continues to amaze and captivate its readers with detailed insight into the lives and work of music's geniuses. Unlike other composer biographies that focus narrowly on the music, this series explores the personal history of each composer and the social context surrounding the music. In a precise, engaging, and authoritative manner, each volume combines a vivid portrait of the master musicians' inspirations, influences, life experiences, even their weaknesses, with an accessible discussion of their work-all in roughly 300 pages. Further, each volume offers superb reference material, including a detailed life and times chronology, a complete list of works, a personalia glossary highlighting the important people in the composer's life, and a select bibliography. Under the supervision of music expert and series general editor Stanley Sadie, Master Musicians will certainly proceed to delight music scholars, serious musicians, and all music lovers for another hundred years.
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Customer Reviews (1)

A MARVELOUS PORTRAIT OF AN INNOVATIVE EARLY ROMANTIC COMPOSER
This volume in the "Master Musicians" series of Oxford University Press is a worthy study of Berlioz' life (the first third of the book) and his music.

Berlioz' father wanted him to attend medical school, and his mother disowned him when he refused to give up music.(In fact, his parents never even heard a note of his music.)To make ends meet, he worked in a chorus for a theatre, and eventually became a fairly well-known music critic, and a "specialist" conductor.MacDonald notes that "he eventually came to be thought of as a critic who composed rather than as a composer who eked a living from writing."He further notes that Berlioz "regarded writing as an accursed drudgery, a millstone which oppressed him body and soul."Nevertheless, he had no choice, since "for his work as a comoposer he made virtually no money."

The story of Berlioz' fixation on the actress Harriet Smithson, and his turning this infatuation into his Symphonie Fantastique is told in detail, as well as his brief meeting with a young Brahms.Berlioz wrote several highly-regarded religious compositions (such as hsi Te Deum"), yet he was "contemptuous of traditional religion."

For anyone interested in Berlioz and his music, this is an excellent book to purchase.





... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1884.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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"Berlioz the person-composer-writer is the sensitive child of his century and a most passionate voice of his time." -- The Opera Quarterly

"Berlioz could hardly have been better served than by the translator of this English edition... It is an invaluable and long-overdue addition to the Berlioz literature in English. Elisabeth Csicsery-Rónay has given us an A travers chants for the millennium." -- Music and Letters

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was equally prominent as composer and music critic. A Travers Chants is the collection of writings he himself selected from his thirty-odd years of musical journalism. This new translation, phrased in lively, idiomatic English and annotated for the twentieth-century reader, is illustrated with lithographs and drawings from Berlioz's lifetime.

Customer Reviews (1)

Hector Berlioz - the literary composer
Hector Berlioz is remembered mainly as the composer of Symphony Fantastique, but he was also a gifted music critic and writer. This collection of essays is entertaining and witty; Berlioz's satirical andbiting humor is liberally spread throughout. This book is accessible toamateurs and professionals alike, filled with anecdotes and insight intothe mind of a creative genius. ... Read more

Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must for Berlioz Fans
Berlioz fans probably know that the composer was also a music reviewer and that he wrote famous memoirs.But readers may be surprized to find how well he was able to depict even some small moments from his life. He is very focused on his feelings and is a master of conveying them.A true romantic. Read the chapter about the re-burial of his first wife and be amazed.Reality is often more fascinating than fiction! ... Read more