There are two varieties of Berlioz. The first is the subscription concert Berlioz: the composer known for his concert overtures, the Symphonie Fantastique and, on a good day, the Harold en Italie viola concerto. The characteristics of this variety are vivid orchestral textures, memorable themes, agreeable brevity, and lots of noisy bits. Then there is the private Berlioz. This is much bigger category and runs from the vaguely familiar (Les Nuits dété) to the lesser known (LEnfance du Christ, Roméo et Juliette) on its way to the obscure (Lélio). Works of the private Berlioz suggest a predisposition for the voice, avoidance of the sonata form, a more pronounced degree of literary inspiration, and a more extended d ...
This article originally appeared in The New Criterion, Volume 21 March 2003, on page 57
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