大象传媒

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Hector Berlioz

Berlioz is perhaps unique among composers in having had a literary gift almost the equal of his musical one. He earned his bread-and-butter living as a writer, turning out witty and often acerbic music criticism for the influential Journal des d茅bats and Gazette musicale among others. Donald starts this week with a look at Berlioz through his engaging, passionate and entertaining Memoirs. Next, he delves into the world of Berlioz鈥檚 literary muses 鈥� first and foremost, Virgil, Goethe and Shakespeare. We hear about Benvenuto Cellini, the opera whose 鈥渧erve, impetus and brilliance鈥� Berlioz feared he would never again equal, and his attempt to secure the coveted Prix de Rome amidst the thundering July Revolution. We also encounter some of the celebrated musicians he rubbed shoulders with 鈥� among them Liszt, Cherubini, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Wagner and Paganini.

Music featured:
Les Nuits d鈥櫭﹖茅, Op 7 (Villanelle)
Overture Les Francs-Juges, Op 3
Grande Messe des Morts, Op 5 (Dies irae)
La Damnation de Faust, Op 24 (extract)
B茅atrice et B茅n茅dict (Act 1)
Za茂de, Op 19 No 1
La Damnation de Faust, Op 24 (Part 2)
Waverley, grande ouverture, Op 1
Les Troyens, Op 29 (Act 1, finale)
Marche fun猫bre pour la derni猫re sc猫ne d'Hamlet (Tristia, Op 18)
La Captive, Op 12
Harold en Italie, Op 16 (IV. Orgie des brigands)
Le carnaval romain, Op 9
Benvenuto Cellini, Op 23 (extracts)
Messe solennelle (Quoniam tu solus Sanctus)
脡pisode de la vie d鈥檜n artiste 鈥� Grande Symphonie fantastique, arr. Franz Liszt
Le roi Lear, grande ouverture, Op 4
Les nuits d鈥櫭﹖茅, Op 7 (Absence)
Romeo et Juliette, Op 17 (Part 3)

Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Chris Barstow for 大象传媒 Wales

For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Hector Berlioz
/programmes/m000345c

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we鈥檝e featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z