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555810 bk Berlioz US 13/6/03 9:45 AM Page 20 DDD 8.555810 Also available: BERLIOZ Cantatas Herminie • Death of Cleopatra Lagrange • Uria-Monzon • Galvez Vallejo Orchestre National de Lille • Jean-Claude Casadesus 8.553597 8.555810 20 555810 bk Berlioz US 13/6/03 9:45 AM Page 2 Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869) Prix de Rome Cantatas Also available: Hector Berlioz was born in the French province of as a critic, while as a composer and conductor he won Isère, the son of a doctor, in a family of some local more distinction abroad. Both then and in later years he substance. As a child he was taught principally by his was seen as the very type of an individual genius, the father, and was swayed by various enthusiasms, romantic artist, driven to excess by enthusiasms and including an overwhelming urge towards music that led paranoid in reaction to criticism or opposition, as his him to compose, not for the piano, an instrument he did Mémoires show. After the death of his wife in 1854 he not play, but for a sextet that included his music- was able to marry the singer Marie Recio, with whom teacher’s son, a horn-player, and the flute, which he he had enjoyed a relationship already of some twelve played himself. He later took the opportunity of years. Her sudden death in 1862 and that of his son learning to play the guitar. At the insistence of his Louis, a naval officer, in 1867, saddened his final years. father, he embarked on medical studies, taking his first He died in 1869. qualification at Grenoble, before moving to Paris. There was a conservative formality about the Prix Three years later he abandoned medicine in favour of de Rome. The first stage of the competition tested the music, his enthusiasm increased still further by the technical competence of the candidates, particularly in opportunities offered in Paris by the Opéra and by the counterpoint. Those successful in the first stage would library of the Conservatoire, of which he was later to then proceed to the second, the composition of a scène serve as librarian. In earlier years he had not been idle lyrique, which might suggest future ability in the as a composer, but in Paris he prudently took lessons composition of opera. The set text of the work was from Le Sueur, whose Conservatoire class he entered in dictated to the candidates, who were then given 25 1826. In the following years he attempted the Prix de days, during which they were confined to their quarters Rome, the award established for musicians by in the Institut de France. An initial judgement on the Napoleon, which brought with it a stay of two years in works submitted was made by the members of the Rome at the Villa Medici, a significant honour for any Music Section of the Académie des Beaux-arts a few ambitious young composer. At his fourth attempt, in days later, when the compositions were performed with 1830, Berlioz was successful. piano accompaniment. The Music Section made its In 1829 Berlioz had seen Shakespeare’s Hamlet for report and it was the whole Academy, with the the first time, with Charles Kemble as the Prince and representatives of the various other arts, painters, the Irish actress Harriet Smithson as Ophelia. The architects, engravers and sculptors, which made the experience was overwhelming and in the season he had final decision, with the exercises performed again at the opportunity to see much more, sharing in the their meeting. The winner would receive his award at a popular adulation of Harriet Smithson, with whom he public session at which the winning composition would fell violently in love, at first to be rejected, leading to be played, with an orchestra, at a concert that might his autobiographical Symphonie Fantastique. It was include envois from earlier winners, now resident in only after his return from Rome, where he had spent Rome. two years, and when her popularity began to wane, that Berlioz made his first attempt at the Prix de Rome she agreed to be his wife, a match that brought neither in 1826, but failed to pass the first stage, the concours of them much happiness. d’essai, lacking the necessary skill in counterpoint. The In the following years Berlioz remained an outsider following year he entered again. The first stage of the 8.660072-73 to the French musical establishment. He earned a living contest in 1827, held on 26th July, allowed all four 8.555810 2 19 8.555810 555810 bk Berlioz US 13/6/03 9:45 AM Page 18 Toi qui fus mon maître, entends-moi; You who were my master, hear me; candidates to proceed to the next. They included their cries for revenge accompanying the pleas of Apollon, du haut de ton trône, Apollo, from your throne on high Guiraud, the eventual winner, a pupil of Berlioz’s Orpheus. The whole work ends with an orchestral Lance tes feux, je n’ai d’espoir qu’en toi. Hurl your fire, I have hope in you alone. teacher Le Sueur, and two pupils of Henri-Montan Tableau musical, showing the departure of the Berton, who had provided the text to be set. The Bacchantes, after they have killed Orpheus, the wind Orphée et Bacchantes (ensemble) Orpheus and Bacchantes (together) technical requirements of the required composition blowing through the strings of the broken lyre and the were strict. There was to be a récitatif obligé, leading to sound of a flute, in fact a solo clarinet, played by a Orphée Orpheus a cantabile followed by a récitatif simple and a mountain shepherd, trying to capture again the music of distinctive air de mouvement. In the event Berlioz took Orpheus. After this there is calm, silence and solitude. Barbares, arrêtez; pardonnez à mes pleurs, Cruel ones, stop; pardon my tears, some liberties with the text of La mort d’Orphée and The contest of 1828 took the same strict form, with Qu’ai-je fait? qu’ai-je dit? What have I done? What have I said? with his treatment of it, and these changes were four candidates fulfilling the conditions of the first ces pleurs sont tout mon crime, These tears are my only crime, certainly beyond what the examiners would have found examination and proceeding to the setting of a text by Épargnez en ce jour la tremblante victime Spare this day the trembling victim acceptable. When the work was played through, the Pierre-Ange Vieillard de Boismartin. The first Que le sort livre à vos fureurs! That fate delivers to your fury! pianist found himself defeated by Berlioz’s orchestral adjudication by the Music Section recommended no Mais rien ne peut toucher leurs inflexibles cœurs. But nothing can touch their unbending hearts. writing and Berton, a member of the judging Music award to Berlioz, but the full session of the Academy Ô Dieu puissant, etc. O mighty God, etc. Section of the Institut, declared it unplayable, even by gave him second prize, seemingly nearly securing him an orchestra. Berlioz set out to prove him wrong and the first in the bargaining that went on at these Tu m’as abandonné, grand Dieu, You have abandoned me, great God, arranged for a performance in May the following year. occasions, as the old porter at the Institut, Pingard, Aux horreurs d’un affreux supplice. To the horrors of a terrible torture. Unfortunately the illness of the soloist, Alexis Dupont, reported to the composer. Now learning some Euridice, attends-moi... je vais mourir... Eurydice, await me … I am about to die … the singer who had undertaken the part during the prudence, Berlioz adhered more closely to the Adieu. Je meurs, je te réponds, Euridice... Farewell. I am dying, I am answering you, Eurydice examination, prevented a performance and Berlioz was conditions of the competition and to the set text, the Euridice... … Eurydice … obliged to substitute another of his compositions. The work of a widely respected dramatist and librettist. In manuscript was copied and possibly revised. The Prix the preliminary Music Section discussion, however, Bacchantes Bacchantes de Rome went that year to Guiraud, who, after an Berton took exception to the final Prière, a setting of earlier second prize, had been expected to win. the last part of the final Air de mouvement. Ô Bacchus! Évoé! vengeons-nous de l’outrage O Bacchus! Euoe! Let us avenge the insult The text takes the death of the legendary musician The subject of Erminia, from Tasso’s La Dont l’orgueilleux Orphée a payé notre amour, That proud Orpheus has cast on our love, Orpheus, torn to death by followers of Bacchus, women Gerusalemme liberata, was a very popular one with Qu’il tombe sous nos coups, et que nos cris de rage May he fall beneath our blows, and our cries of rage who resented his rejection of them, after his failure to librettists providing texts for the Prix de Rome Le poursuivent encor au ténébreux séjour! Pursue him even to the dark abode below! bring his beloved Eurydice back from the Underworld. composers. The princess of Antioch, in love with the Ô Bacchus! etc. O Bacchus! etc. Berlioz in a sub-title describes his work as Monologue crusader knight Tancredi, seeks his affections, although De son corps palpitant déchirons les lambeaux! Let us tear his trembling body to pieces! et Bacchanale rather than simply scène lyrique. After he has conquered her father’s kingdom. She plans to Du torrent mugissant qu’ils rougissent les eaux!.