Full Score. Par BERLIOZ HECTOR. Hector Berlioz (1803–1869), considered the father of modern orchestration, possessed an intuitive musical genius all the more remarkable for his limited formal musical education. A brilliant colorist, a master of the unexpected rhythmic break, he brought a new symphonic richness to Romantic music. Both damned and venerated by his contemporaries — Mendelssohn considered him devoid of talent, Paganini declared him the one true heir to the spirit of Beethoven — Berlioz seems to have sought in music a way to soothe and give voice to the turbulent psychological instabilities and contradictions of what has come to be called 'program music' — i. e. , instrumental music with an extramusical significance. He strove to communicate musically the experiences, psychological themes, scenic description, and literary allusions more commonly associated with the confessional writings of Romantic poets. This Dover edition presents two of the greatest of these 'program' pieces: the Symphonie Fantastique (1830) and Harold in Italy (1834). Here are the full scores of both major symphonic works — painstakingly reproduced from the authoritative Breitkopf & Härtel edition, available for the first time in one convenient volume — plus Berlioz's 'program' for the Symphonie Fantastique. Musicians and music lovers everywhere will value this high-quality, inexpensive edition — ideal for study and performance. Reprint of Nos. 1 and 3 of Serie I, Symphonien (1900), of Werke von Hector Berlioz, Breitkopf and Härtel, Leipzig, 1900–1910. Breitkopf & Hartel edition./ Répertoire / Orchestre

Par MANTOVANI BRUNO. This piece is indeed a tone poem with allusions to Strauss (the orchestral composition Ein Heldenleben), and the theme found in Chamisso's book: Peter Schlemihl's Miraculous Story. The narration is not linear, but rather, metaphorical (in this sense, the model leans more towards Hamlet by Franz Liszt). In fact, the discourse vacillates between luxuriance (symbolising the infinite wealth of Chamisso's hero) and rarefaction, aridity (the growing psychological vacuum of this same hero). Though the language is modern, there are several references in this homage to Strauss (the use of the horns, for example) and above all, a dramaturgy based on contrast. Strauss is a composer who has always obsessed me, in particular for his orchestral hedonism. He greatly influenced Edgar Varèse, who, for me, is a constant reference. It is this composer's sonic opulence, that was, in part, my inspiration for Schlemihl./ Répertoire / Orchestre