Hector Berlioz Essay

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Hector Berlioz Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was born in La Cote Saint-Andre, a small town in France. His father, Louis Berlioz, a well-to-do physician expected him to follow in his footsteps. At eighteen, Berlioz was sent to attend medical school in Paris. Five years later, he gave up medicine and ended up studying music at the Paris Conservatoire. Having been cut off by his parents, Berlioz gave lessons and sang in a theater chorus. Berlioz, along with the writer Victor Hugo and the painter Delacorix, found himself in the camp of “young France” – the French Romantic artists. He loved the works of Shakespeare to whose plays he was introduced by a visiting English company in 1827. Berlioz had an overwhelming passion for Harriet Smithson, the actress who played the role of Ophelia, and Juliet. For the next five years, until their actual meeting, the image of the lady ruled his life. In 1830, he described his love for Harriet Smithson in Symphonie fantastique. During that time he found a replacement to Harriet in a very good pianist Camille (Marie) Moke. Although they engaged, Camille eventually married Pleyel, a piano maker. In that same year, Berlioz was awarded the Prix de Rome by the Paris Conservatory, which gave him an opportunity to live and work in Rome for two years. Returning to Paris in 1832, he at last was introduced to Harriet. There were strong objections on the part of both their families and violent scenes, during one of which Berlioz attempted suicide. Finally they were married in 1833. His passion for his wife cooled. It was Shakespeare’s Juliet and Ophelia Berlioz had loved rather than Harriet. They separated nine years later in 1841. Berlioz formed a liaison with the singer Marie Recio, and married her after the death of Harriet in 1854. By age of forty, Berlioz had produced most of his important works. He conducted his music in all the
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