Hector berlioz interesting facts
- •
Hector Berlioz
French Romantic composer and conductor (1803–1869)
"Berlioz" redirects here. For other uses, see Berlioz (disambiguation).
Louis-Hector Berlioz[n 1] (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the Symphonie fantastique and Harold in Italy, choral pieces including the Requiem and L'Enfance du Christ, his three operas Benvenuto Cellini, Les Troyens and Béatrice et Bénédict, and works of hybrid genres such as the "dramatic symphony" Roméo et Juliette and the "dramatic legend" La Damnation de Faust.
The elder son of a provincial physician, Berlioz was expected to follow his father into medicine, and he attended a Parisian medical college before defying his family by taking up music as a profession. His independence of mind and refusal to follow traditional rules and formulas put him at odds with the conservative musical establishment of Paris. He briefly moderated his style sufficiently to win France's premier music prize – the Prix de Rome – in 183
- •
Hector Berlioz
(1803-1869)
Who Was Hector Berlioz?
Hector Berlioz turned his back on a career in medicine to follow his passion for music, and went on to compose works that showcased the innovativeness and search for expression that were hallmarks of Romanticism. His well-known pieces include the Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts. At the age of 65, Berlioz died in Paris on March 8, 1869.
Early Life
Louis-Hector Berlioz was born on December 11, 1803, in La Côte-St-André, Isère, France (near Grenoble). Hector Berlioz, as he was known, was entranced with music as a child. He learned to play the flute and guitar, and became a self-taught composer.
Heeding his physician father's wishes, Berlioz went to Paris in 1821 to study medicine. However, much of his time was spent at the Paris-Opéra, where he absorbed Christoph Willibald Gluck's operas. Two years later, he left medicine behind to become a composer.
Beginning a Career in Music
In 1826, Berlioz enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire. The next year, he saw Harriet Smithson in the role of Ophelia and becam
- •
| Hector Berlioz |
|---|
Portrait of Berlioz by Signol, 1832 |
| Born |
| December 11, 1803 La Côte-Saint-André, France |
| Died |
| March 8, 1869 Paris, France |
Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 – March 8, 1869) was a FrenchRomanticcomposer best known for the Symphonie fantastique, first performed in 1830, and for his Grande Messe des Morts (Requiem) of 1837, with its tremendous orchestral resources.
Born into a well-educated family, he was expected to follow in his father's footsteps and practice medicine or, alternatively, law, but he dared to disrespect the wishes of his family in order to pursue music. He studied music in Paris and also took private lessons from teachers who encouraged his 'misfit' genius. Both of his marriages were unhappy, the first consummated after years of infatuation and rejection, only to grow into alienation and separation; the second equally miserable. He had one son, Louis, with his first wife Harriet. The dramatic events of his life were mirrored in his music, which also mirrored the prevalent moods of the age of Roma
Copyright ©bitelogy.pages.dev 2025