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Music
Les Troyens, by Hector Berlioz,
at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. 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 d’été) to the lesser known (L’Enfance 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 is available to subscribers and for individual purchaseSubscribe to TNC (Print and Online editions) Subscribe to TNC (Online only) This article originally appeared in The New Criterion, Volume 21 March 2003, on page 57 Copyright © 2012 The New Criterion | www.newcriterion.com http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/operanote-march03-1792
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On the lasting power of the composer & his tumultuous life. A review of The Triumph of Music: The Rise of Composers, Musicians and Their Art by Tim Blanning.
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