Hector Berlioz Books

The autobiography reveals Hector Berlioz's significant role in the Romantic movement while providing a deeply personal narrative. It details his passionate relationship with Harriet Smithson and his intellectual connections with literary giants like Shakespeare, Scott, and Byron. Berlioz also offers vivid portraits of contemporaries such as Liszt, Wagner, and Balzac. Through his candid self-reflection, he emerges as a sympathetic figure, ultimately driven by intense creative impulses that lead to a solitary yet distinguished existence.

In this masterpiece of "program" music — a genre invented by the composer — an obsessed musician is overcome by increasingly bizarre visions of his lover. This miniature score version is handy, inexpensive, and perfect for use in the classroom or concert hall.

Possibly the most colourful figure in the history of Western music, Hector Berlioz (1803âe"1869) was certainly the most eloquent. His autobiography is among the greatest ever written. Larger than life âe" like his massive works âe" Berlioz was a seminal figure in the Romantic movement and his book is both a personal testament and an account of his role in that movement. It tells the story of his romance with Harriet Smithson âe"with whom he fell in love when he saw her playing the part of Ophelia âe" and his even more passionate affairs with Shakespeare, Scott and Byron. Familiar with all the great figures of the age âe" Liszt, Wagner, Balzac, Delacroix, Weber, Rossini âe" Berlioz paints brilliant and often mordant portraits of them in a style which is one of the glories of French prose. Above all, this is the intimate and detailed self-revelation of a complex and attractive man, driven by his creative urges to a position of lonely eminence. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz were translated some years ago by David Cairns now famous himself as the composerâe(tm)s finest biographer. For the Everyman edition he has completely revised the text, and the extensive notes which accompany it, to take account of the latest research.

During the performances of fashionable operas, the musicians tell tales, read stories and exchange gossip to relieve the tedium of the bad music they are paid to perform. We are privy to 25 entertaining evenings with a fascinating group of distracted performers.

Gluck and His Operas is a classic study of one of the most important composers of the late 18th century. Written by the renowned French composer Hector Berlioz and translated into English by Edwin Evans, this book offers insights into Gluck's life, work, and musical philosophy. It also provides detailed analyses of his most important operas, including Orfeo ed Euridice and Iphigénie en Aulide. With its clear writing, insightful commentary, and detailed musical analyses, Gluck and His Operas is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of music and opera.

This captivating memoir takes readers on a grand tour through some of Europe's most vibrant and exciting cities. From the romance and beauty of Italy to the grandeur of Russia, the author provides a firsthand account of the people, places, and experiences that shaped his life and fueled his passion for music.