A symphony that has come to be associated with the macabre “Symphonie Fantastique” by Hector Berlioz, will be performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. A description of the piece calls it:
“One of the repertoire’s most challenging test pieces for both conductor and orchestra . . . requiring virtuoso brilliance, panache, subtlety, and masterful pacing.”
Unlike most of the symphonies of his time, Berlioz's composition has five movements instead of four. The work is a dream describing episodes in the life of an artist who has fallen in love with a woman who does not return the sentiment.
The first “Rêveries – Passions" (Reveries – Passions), describes the moods of the artist, from exultation to despair, while the second, “Un bal” (A ball) takes place at a dance. The third, “Scène aux champs" (Scene in the Fields), paints a peaceful country scene, while the fourth reverses everything. This is the "Marche au supplice" (March to the Scaffold), in which he dreams he has killed the woman and been condemned. The fifth is “Songe d'une nuit du sabbat" (Dream of a Witches' Sabbath), when monsters of all kinds have gathered for the artist's funeral.
The orchestra will perform the work on October 9, and again on October 10, with both shows at 8:00 pm, at the Music Hall. Brochure printing can be used to provide programs for events like this.