Topic: Hector Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique–

Music Year Group: 12/13

Context, structure, sonority and melody
1. Context and structure 2. Melody 4. Key vocabulary
Hect French composer crucial in Idee fixe A repeated musical idea that keeps returning Romanti An artistic movement in the
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or development of Romantic throughout. The whole symphony is based on this. c period 1800s, known for the
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Berli music. Wrote on a large scale, development of instruments and
First The first subject is the idee fixe, first seen in bar 72.
oz increasing orchestra size and expressiveness.
2 subject Opens with a rise of a 4th, then a 6th and then descends
performance techniques.
1 by step. Program Music that is written to tell a
Mostly self-taught until he
me story. In this case the story of a
pursued career in composition Second Shares similarities with the idee fixe. Starts with long
Music talented artist with a lively
at the Paris Conservatoire, 3 subject note, leap of 4th and 6th but then descends with two
2 imagination who has poisoned
where he was inspired by note sigh effects.
himself with opium in the depths
Beethoven's compositions.
Counter Secondary melodies. These are based on ascending and of despair because of hopeless
Intro A long, slow introduction in
4 love.
melodies descending arpeggios. E.g. bar 30-34/
ducti ternary form. Bar 1-2 intro. A is
2 Sequence Melodic material repeating at a higher or lower pitch. Movem An independent section in a
on bar 3-16, B is bar 17-27 and Av 5
E.g. Ascending sequence in bar 94. ent longer piece of music. Our piece
is bar 28-42. Coda bar 43-63.
3 is in five movements, which is
Chromatic Melodies that move in semitones. For example bar 107
Link Bar 64-71 acts as a link 6 unusual for a symphony, we
melodies and 198, 439 and 443.
3 between the intro and the study the first.
exposition. 7 Repetition Melodic ideas repeat to create tension. E.g. bar 146
Sonata A common structure in the
Expo The first time the main musical Extreme Some sections with large leaps in the melodic line. E.g. Form Classical era and later. Consists
8 4 of expositions, development,
4 sitio material is introduced. Bar 71- leaps Bar 226-7 in Violin 2.
n 167. recapitulation and coda. Berlioz
3. Sonority – How the instruments are used adds a long intro and coda.
Deve Musical ideas are developed
lopm through various means. For Orchestra A large group of performers playing a variety of instruments. Subject The main musical ideas used in a
1 5 piece in Sonata form. Ours has
5 ent example musical ideas passed Berioz uses a very large Orchestra for the time.
around the ensemble. Bar 166- two.
String Uses advanced techniques including con sordini (mute),
231. 2 writing punta d’arco (point of bow), pizzicato and con arco, Appoggi A 'leaning' dissonant note that
Reca The main ideas return, and double stopping, tremelo and divisi. 6 atura comes before the chord and
pitua develop material further. Bar resolves onto it.
6 Timp Uses both sponge and leather drumstick heads and drum
tion 232-474. 3
writing rolls.
Coda The end of the recapitulation. Performa Lots of detail given by Berlioz – romantic feature. Includes
7 4 nce semi-staccato, portato, legato and staccato.
Ours is from 475-end.
directions

Other points of interest: Increased orchestral size and techniques; Programme music; Treatment of the symphony; How the music reflects the narrative; Idee fixe
 Topic: Hector Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique–
Music Texture, Harmony and Tonality, Tempo, metre and Year Group: 12/13
rhythm.
5. Texture 7. Harmony and Tonality 8. Key vocabulary
Homophonic An accompaniment that moves together, often The home key of the piece – Main The texture throughout is
1 C minor
1 in block chords – for example the woodwind at uses 3 flats. 1 Texture varied and changes
the opening. frequently.
The tonic major key – used
2 Monophonic texture One part only. E.g. bar 7 and 505. 2 C major frequently. E.g. bar 61 and the Largo A slow tempo. Seen in
2
end. the opening.
Unison Different lines playing the same music at the
3 same pitch. E.g. bar 72 when the idee fixe is 3 Piece modulates to both 3 4/4 Simple quadruple time.
first used. related and unrelated keys
Modulati 4 2/4 Simple duple time
including Ab major (42 and
Octaves Parts playing an octave apart. E.g. bar 166 in ons
4 133), G major (150), E minor Rests and Used in the intro to
lower strings. (155) and G major (166). 5
pauses fragment the melody lines.
Dialogue Motifs exchanged between parts without 4 A sustained or pulsating note
5 Homorhyt All parts play the same
overlapping. E.g. bar 36. sounded against changing 6
Pedal hm rhythm. Bar 1.
Melody dominated A tune with clear accompaniment. E.g. bar 92. harmonies. Uses tonic (in bar
6 46). Highly Includes quaver (b1) and
homophony
varied crotchet triplets (b358),
5 4-3 Temporary dissonance created 7
Homophonic chordal All instruments move together in chords. The rhythms sextuplet semiquavers
7 suspensi as the 4th degree of the chord
texture best example is from bar 511. (b17) and all in between.
on falls to the 3rd. Bar 123.
6. Tempo, metre and rhythm Chords and melody belong
6 Dominan Chord V with the 7th added. Bar 8 Diatonic
to the key, not chromatic.
Anacrusis One or more notes that occur before the first strong t 7th 146.
1 Music that uses traditional
beat of a phrase – used in the idee fixe in bar 74. 9 Functional
7 Diminish Chord built on minor thirds. Bar cadential progression.
Dotted rhythms A swung rhythm usually with the 1st longer than the ed 7th 224
2 Chromatic notes added
2nd. Used in second subject. chord
1 Chromatic to chords to create
Long duration The movement ends with rhythms of longer duration. 8 Dominan A chord with more dissonant 0 harmony chords not from the main
3
E.g. Tied semibreves in bar 511. t 9th extensions. Used in bar 10 but key.
Cross-rhythms Instruments playing different rhythms that cross each chord isn’t prepared or resolved.
4 The chromatic movement
other. E.g. bar 29 or 60. 9 Plagal Chord IV-I, used at the end. 1 Tonal
of the melody and chords
cadences 1 ambiguity
Syncopation Rhythmic device where a note is stressed on a weak often hide the key.
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beat or between beats. E.g. Bar 43-45.
1 Chord V-I, used frequently to
Perfect
Moto perpetuo Continual crotchets to add excitement to the music. 0 confirm key changes. E.g. bar
6 cadence
crotchets E.g. bars 198-227. 110-111.

Wider listening: Lizst – Les Preludes; Berlioz – Harold in Italy; Dvorak – Symphony No.9; Mahler – Symphony No.7; Mendelssohn – Symphony No.4.