Still chiefly known as the extravagant composer of the Symphonie fantastique, Berlioz was an artist caught in the crossfire between the academic classicism of the French musical establishment and the romantic modernism of the Parisian musical scene. He was a thinker in an age that invented both the religion of art and the notion of the 'genius' who preached and practised it. This Companion contains essays by eminent scholars on Berlioz's place in nineteenth-century French cultural life, on his principal compositions (symphonies, overtures, operas, sacred works, songs), on his major writings (a delightful volume of memoires, a number of short stories, large quantities of music criticism, an orchestration treatise), on his direct and indirect encounters with other famous musicians (Gluck, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner), and on his legacy in France. The volume is framed by a detailed chronology of his life and a usefully annotated bibliography.
Chronology; Introduction: Berlioz on the eve of the bicentenary Peter Bloom; Part I. Perspectives: 1. Berlioz as man and thinker Jacques Barzun; 2. The musical environment in France Janet Johnson; Part II. Principal Compositions: 3. Genre in Berlioz Julian Rushton; 4. The symphonies Jeffrey Langford; 5. The concert overtures Diana Bickley; 6. The operas and the dramatic legend James Haar; 7. The religious works Ralph Locke; 8. The songs Annegret Fauser; Part III. Major Writings: 9. The Mémoires Pierre Citron; 10. The short stories Katherine Kolb; 11. The criticism Katharine Ellis; 12. The Grand traité d'instrumentation Joël-Marie Fauquet; Part IV. Execution: 13. Performing Berlioz D. Kern Holoman; Part V. Critical Encounters: 14. Berlioz and Gluck Joël-Marie Fauquet; 15. Berlioz and Mozart Hugh Macdonald; 16. Berlioz and Beethoven David Cairns; 17. Berlioz and Wagner Peter Bloom; Part VI. Renown: 18. Berlioz's impact in France Lesley Wright; Bibliography Jeffrey Langford.
