Harold in Italy

The Symphonie in four parts with viola principal “Harold in Italy” (COp 16 or H 68) of Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) is a musical work made up in 1834 of a mixed kind, between the Symphonie and the Concerto (one can perhaps classify it in the symphonia concertantes although the viola does not hold a concerting place strictly speaking). It is dedicated with Mr Humbert Ferrand, friend of Berlioz.

History

It is celebrates it Violoniste Italy N Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) which would be at the origin of this work. Of passage to Paris, it assists with a representation of the fantastic Symphonie of Berlioz on December 22nd 1833. According to the dires of Berlioz, filled with enthusiasm for its music, it would have ordered to him a few weeks later a work for viola solo. It is a question for him of exploring all the possibilities of the viola Stradivarius which he has just acquired (cf Quatuor Paganini). Berlioz tells their meeting in this passage of its Mémoires :

“Paganini saw me. " I have a marvellous viola, says me it, an admirable instrument of Stradivarius, and I would like to play about it in public. But I do not have ad hoc music. Do you want to write a solo of viola? I rely only on you for this travail." ”

Flattered, the young person Compositeur can only accede to the request. January 16th, 1834, one can read in the columns of the musical Review the following news:

“Paganini, whose health improves of day in day, has just required of Berlioz a new composition in the kind of the Fantastic Symphony, which the famous virtuoso intends to play at the time of his round in England. This work will be entitled " Last moments of Marie Stuart" , dramatic imagination for orchestra, chorus and viola solo. Paganini will hold, for the first time in public, the part of viola. ”

But it seems that Berlioz gave up this idea first because the work which he starts to compose does not contain of chorus, and does not base itself on the history of the decapitated Scottish queen. On the contrary, it composes a symphony with principal viola where this one Marie skilfully with the Orchestre, without however dominating it as in a Concerto. Once the first completed movement, it shows it in Paganini which is disappointed, not finding enough brilliance in the part of viola and regretting the many “vacuums” of the range of viola. But Paganini leaves for Nice and did not return to Paris before three years. Berlioz thus continues the composition of this symphonic work where it gives like role to the viola to be made the cantor of a character melancholic person and pensive whose song “is superimposed on the other songs of the orchestra”. It finds in particular the inspiration in the memory of its voyage in the the Abruzzi Italy born and in the novel in Towards Childe-Harold' S Pilgrimage (in French “the pilgrimage of Childe Harold” 1812-1818) from Lord Byron of which it draws the name from the symphony: it will be “Harold in Italy”.

Carried out for the first time on November 23rd 1834 with the Conservatoire of Paris with Chrétien Urhan with the viola, it obtains a real success even if the type-setter is disappointed by the direction of Narcisse Girard.

Rejouée several times thereafter, it is on December 16th 1838 which Paganini, weakened by the disease which corroded it, hears it for the first time at the Academy, coupled with the fantastic Symphonie in a concert directed by the type-setter himself. Berlioz tells in these terms the reaction of the Italian violonist:

The concert had just finished, I was exténué, covered with sweat and all trembling, when, with the door of the orchestra, Paganini, follow-up of his/her Achille son, approached me while gesticulant highly. In consequence of the disease of the larynx of which he died, he already had then entirely lost the voice, and his/her son alone, when he was not in a perfectly quiet place, could hear or rather guess his words. He made a sign with the child who, going up on a chair, approached his ear of the mouth of his father and listened to it attentively. Then Achilles going down again and turning to me: “ My father , says it, orders to me to ensure you, Sir, that of his life it did not test in a concert a similar impression; that your music upset it and that if it were not retained it would put at your knees to thank you. ” With these strange words, I made a gesture of incredulity and confusion; but Paganini seizing me the arm and râlant with its remainder of voice of yes! yes! involved me on the theater where still many of my musicians were, put itself at knees and the hand kissed me. Need is not, I think, to say of which dizzy spell I was taken; I quote the fact, here are tout.

The admiration of Paganini is translated a few days later by a gift of twenty thousand gold francs in Berlioz, summons considerable which makes it possible this one to sponge many debts and to peacefully engage the composition of a new symphony (future the Romeo and Juliette ).

Harold in Italy is published for the first time in 1848 at Maurice Schlesinger, dedicated with his friend Humbert Ferrand.

Liszt, faithful friend of Berlioz, allured by work, carried out of it a reduction for Piano and viola since 1836-1837. It will give the manuscript to be read again in Berlioz, recovered it in 1852 and will modify somewhat it (Berlioz having modified its symphony), by giving in particular to the viola the exact part of symphonic work. It will however appear only in 1879 in the editor Gemmy Brandus.

Movements

The symphony lasts forty minutes approximately. Its four movements are:
  1. Harold with the mountains - Scene of melancholy, happiness and joy (Adagio - Allegro) 15 '
  2. Walk of the pilgrims singing the prayer of the evening (Allegretto) 7 '
  3. Serenade of In love in the Abruzzi (Allegro assai-Allegretto) 6 '
  4. Orgy with brigands - Memories of the scenes (Allegro frenetico - preceding Adagio) 11 '

Discography

nonexhaustive List

Random links:Oléastre | Optical reflection | Louis Niedermeyer | Divine (film, 1975) | Ernani Méro | Conseil_d'énergie_nucléaire