Comments on: On Music: the strings in Symphonie Fantastique

By: Luke Hannington

Luke Hannington — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:21:43 +0000

Hello, I hate to be Captain Smartypants, but col legno is considerably oler than Symphony Fantastique. It is featured in the works of Tobias Hume, 1605, Farina, 1627, and Biber, 1673, and more famously in Winter from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi.

Great article though! Keep it up.

Captain Smartypants.

By: jasminerain

jasminerain — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:56:29 +0000

I love classical music commentary like this. I never know what’s going on in a piece, but having this kind of introduction really makes the piece interesting and alive.

It kind of reminds me of the Keeping Score site for Beethoven’s Third Symphony, which really changed how I saw classical music.

I’m looking forward to more On Music pieces!

By: Me!

Me! — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:47:36 +0000

Just as a correction, I think the part you mean, Jesse, is “March to the Gallows”. It’s probably the most famous part of Symphonie Fantastique, and it’s my favorite!

By: Stephanie K

Stephanie K — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:29:25 +0000

Great post! It is always nice to read articles about classical music by people who are just as enthused about it as I am. I am a bassoonist by profession, and this clip actually includes an excerpt that we have to play at many orchestral auditions. Any other classical musician mental flossers out there?

By: John Clayton

John Clayton — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 19:09:26 +0000

Looking for a particular version of Symphonie Fantastique – my wife remembers one from her youth where the bells of Notre Dame cathedral feature in the Witch’s Sabbath but I’m having trouble tracking it down. Any clues might help. I’ll certainly give the Bernstein a go if I can find it!

By: Eric H-A

Eric H-A — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 19:49:31 +0000

I first heard of Berlioz when my youth orchestra saw the Toronto Philharmonic perform his “Le Carnaval Romain,” and the ending just blew my socks off! I purchased a CD which happened to include “Symphonie Fantastique,” and it’s been a frequent and long-time staple of my CD changer.

Many thanks for the insightful and indepth description as well as the clip – my daughter (a budding violast) listened with wide ears (and eyes) to the col legno passage, and can’t wait to describe it to her fellow first-year music students.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 19:42:50 +0000

Fantastic description, bio, and analysis! I only read it due to Berlioz, who came to my attention in the soundtrack to “Sleeping with the Enemy” Julia Roberts movie from the early 90’s. A track from Berlioz “Symphonie Fantastique” was used to add depth to the dramatic moment early in the movie where she escapes her abusive husband, I believe it is track 5 of the CD, about 2 minutes in, called “Witch to the Gallows” I may be off a bit there, but it ROCKS!

Terrific feature, just dipping my toes in, and oh, what a feeling! Thanks!

Jesse

By: Matthew

Matthew — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:30:05 +0000

Thanks so much for the posts on “classical” music. Molly is totally right about your enthusiasm.

No one mastered a huge orchestra like Richard Strauss, in my humble opinion, and I hope we hear some of his imaginative work later on. The Dance of the Seven Veils from his opera “Salome” makes the Symphonie Fantastique sound like Mozart! (Interestingly, Strauss and Berlioz ended up “collaborating” in a weird sort of way: in 1904, Strauss took on the task of editing Berlioz’s groundbreaking book on orchestration, adding modern instruments and techniques.)

By: David

David — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:19:36 +0000

Thanks guys, for all the feedback. I thought you’d dig the new feature. Drew: I’d recommend Bernstein’s recording of the Berlioz piece. It’s a 1977 EMI release with the National Orchestra of France.

But again, you can’t go wrong with Von Karajan, or Dutoit!

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:35:26 +0000

Another fantastic post! I don’t see how anyone could NOT be excited about the music when it’s talked about in such an interesting and energized way.