Symphonie Fantastique, Essay Example

The Symphonie Fantastique was composed in 1830 by Berlioz.  The work is considered to be a masterpiece of music and the influence of Beethoven is clearly demonstrated in the works. The fourth movement of the symphonie had its origins in the March of the Guards, the early opera of Belioz Les Francs Juges. This is an extremely dramatic piece of music building up to a climax in the March. It tells the story of the artist being led to his execution at the Guillotine for murdering his beloved. ” persuaded that his affection is not reciprocated, the frenzied lover takes poison with the intention of suicide, but the drug instead of killing him only produces a stupor filled with hallucinations. He imagines that he has killed his mistress and is the witness of his own execution. “(Music with ease, 2010). He finally remembers her on the scaffold and the melody is suddenly interrupted by the fall and thump of the guillotine and the concluding cheer of the crowd bringing the movement to a conclusion.

The movement portrays a sense of both drama and melancholy with the listener feeling the sense of resolve and punishment, intertwined with the sense of remorse and despair of the accused.  The sudden sense of release and tranquility of remembering the sweet times with his beloved and then the sense of termination as the music is halted and the guillotine drops bring the music to its finality.  (bar 164 at the end of the movement).

I was inspired by this piece of music and it’s ability to preserve the evenness of tonal balance, particularly in the third movement where the viola section is divided into two.  He also obtains a semblence of crescendo and decrescendo, particularly on the timpani rolls demonstrated at the closing of the movements.  The sudden interruption of the music in movement fall before the thud of the guillotine dropping is spell binding, you feel the serenity of the mind of the victim before the sudden reality of his death takes place.  The rush of reality and then finality interrupted by a bloodthirsty crowd bringing the scene to closure.

Works Cited

Music with ease. (2010). Symphonie fantastique. Retrieved 7 23, 2010, from Music with ease: http://www.musicwithease.com/symphonie-fantastique.html