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IV.

March to the Scaffold from Symphony Fantastique


Symphony Fantastique
Hector Berlioz
(1803-1869)
Arr. Vernon Leidig
CMP Teaching Plan
Background:
Hector Berlioz is one of the leading musicians of his age in France. Even
thought he had deep Classical roots, the Romantic Movement found its peak
through him. His life was full of struggles of acceptance and was misunderstood
during his lifetime. At that time, few composers brought their own personality into
their music. Expression was the key and Berlioz decided to chart his own
experiences through his music. He adored Harriet Smithson, Shakespeare, Gluck,
Goethe, and Virgil. He began to isolate himself and conceal his feelings in order to
avoid critics. He was mad at the world for failing and not living up to his ideals
therefore he was considered a passionate idealist, who decided it would be
achieved through his music. He wanted his audience to have the same vivid
imagination. Music was not for everyone, according to Berlioz, it was a very high
sophisticated form that required the highest degree of intellectual genius and
imagination.
He was a very skilled orchestrator and instrumental color is very prominent in
his music. He was not a pianist and did not consider the sound coming out of one
instrument and being placed in another. He did not play any orchestral instrument
and learned his trade through books and friends. He loved the idea of new
instrumental possibilities and the saxophone, bass clarinet, harp, valve trumpet,
and English horn were prominent in most of his scores. He was after color in
extreme dynamics and fought to get the correct balance in the louder moments.
Traces of Liszt, Wagner, Strauss, and Mahler can be found in his music.
Symphonie Fantastique is better thought up as the spoken text of an opera,
which introduces the musical movements and then introduces their characters. It is
influenced Thomas De Quinceys Confessions of an English Opium Eater and
Faust by Goethe.
I burnt this romance, as well as the sextet and the quintets, before my departure
for Paris, but the melody came discreetly back to my mind when in 1829 I undertook
to write my Fantastic Symphony. It seemed to me to express exactly the
overwhelming grief of a young heart in the first pangs of a hopeless love, and I
adopted it. It is the melody sung by the first violins at the beginning of the largo in
Part I of this work, which has the title: Dreams and Passions. I have not changed it in
any way. [...] http://www.hberlioz.com/Scores/fantas.htm
Plot Summary:
Symphony Fantastique demonstrates the vague des passions of Berlioz. The story
follows a young musician who poisons himself with opium after becoming frustrated
by his hopeless love. The narcotic, too weak to kill him, sends him into a deep sleep
which is accompanied by strange visions. He experiences, feelings, and memories

of the dream is translated into musical thoughts and images. The ide fixe is a
representation of his beloved, the Irish actress Harriet Smithson.
Mvt 1: Rveries Passions:
(Daydreams, Passions): Berlioz sees his woman for the first time and desperately
falls in love with her. The beloved is never presented without the melodic idea and
keeps haunting him. The dreamy moments are interrupted by aimless joy, outburst
of jealousy and fury, then returns to tenderness, tears, and religious consolations.
Mvt 2: Un Bal
(A Ball)
A ball is taking place and he meets his love again, throwing his spirit into confusion
Mvt 3: Scne aux champs
(Scene in the Fields)
Berlioz hears two shepherds playing their horns to one another in the distance. The
gentle rustling of the trees, provides hope that he will not be lonely for long.
However, doubts enter his mind that she will betray him. The shepherds are heard
again, but this time, the one does not answer. Thunder is heard in the background.
Mvt 4: Marche au supplice
(March to the Scaffold)
Convinced that his love will be unappreciated, he takes a dose of opium which
sends him into a deep sleep. He dreams that he killed his beloved, condemned to
die, and is led to the scaffold however, he is forced to watch his own execution.
The ide fixe reappears before the final blow and his head bounced down the steps.
Mvt 5: Songe dune nuit du sabbat
(Dream of the Night of the Sabbath)
Here Berlioz sees himself at the witches Sabbath. Shades, sorcerers and monster
come together for his funeral. The melody appears again over all of the strange
sounds of the creatures; however, it has lost his character. It is now a vulgar dance
tune. The dance that the witches are dancing to combines with the Dies Irae tune.
Hector and Harriet started to act out in reality what the Symphonie fantastique
only imagined. He began to woo her and then he did something desperate. From his
pocket, Berlioz produced a vial containing a lethal dose of opium. Before Smithson's
eyes, he swallowed it. She became hysterical and agreed to marry him. Then,
conveniently, he produced the antidote from another pocket and swallowed that.
After recuperating, Hector Berlioz and Harriet Smithson were married 1833.
Ultimately, Smithson and Berlioz separated, but he always took care of her. They
are buried together in Montmartre Cemetery.
http://www.pbs.org/keepingscore/berlioz-symphonie-fantastique.html
Dedication: Harriet Smithson
Sources:
http://www.pbs.org/keepingscore/berlioz-symphonie-fantastique.html
http://0www.oxfordmusiconline.com.lib.hope.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/51424pg16
#S51424.16

http://www.hberlioz.com/Scores/fantas.htm
Recordings:
http://0-hopecollege.naxosmusiclibrary.com.lib.hope.edu/catalogue/item.asp?
cid=886444407014
San Francisco Symphony Tilson Thomas, conductor (Original)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkM2cIst3eo Arr. Leidig
Musical Analysis:
Form:
Intro G minor 2/2 (m. 1 16)
Theme A G minor 4/4 (m. 17 48)
Theme B G minor/E-flat Major 4/4 (m. 49- 61)
March Theme B flat major 4/4 (m. 62 77)
Transition (Intro) - G minor 4/4 (m. 78 88)
Development B-flat Major/G minor 4/4 (m. 89 164)
Theme B
Theme A
Theme B
Theme A Theme A Inverted
Coda G major 4/4 (m. 165 178)
Rhythm:
Berlioz uses very clear, articulated rhythms. Dotted rhythms produce a very grand
march. There is a lot of syncopation that is used. There are moments of
polyrhythmic accompaniment triplets and sextuplets.
Melody
The melody is built off of small chromatic inflections. Most of his melody is in
stepwise motion.
The short melody is often repeated through a few phrases, adding layers, before
continuing onto the next melody. The melody in theme A starts out as monophonic
in parallel octaves but then goes back into polyphonic. The melody rises and falls
throughout much of the piece.
Harmony
Since Berlioz looked at harmony as an expressive tool rather than a functional
element, his more restrained than most composers such as Chopin and Liszt. He
abandoned the voice leading and harmony tools of the 19th century, so his chord
progressions are altered when necessary. He used enharmonic change and
diminished 7ths.
Timbre
The timbre is very solemn and dark. The opening of the piece begins with timpani
and low brass, building up the anticipation. Theme A and B sound sad, but more
majestic. The march is very grand and stately, a fanfare announcing the
condemneds arrival. The anticipation again builds up to the execution, and the
melody returns before the final blow. The pizzicato throughout the whole piece
make it a little edgy, but makes an appearance as the head falling down the steps.
At the end, there is a G major chord (tremolo) representing the crowd cheering that
the murder is finally dead.

Texture
The parts are in a free contrapuntal relationship which the contrapuntal lines are
closely related with the coloristic textures. The reunion de deux themes is very
prominent throughout this work (two themes heard separately and then in
combination).
Expression
The ide fixe is a very long length throughout the work, except during this moment
when only a fragment is revisited. The phrases are somewhat irregular. The
dynamics range from pp ff, still including lots of color in each dynamic level.
Crescendos and diminuendos are marked throughout the score. Many accents are
used. The only words written in the score are pizz/arco indicating coloristic
choices.
The Heart
The heart of this piece is how Berlioz depicts the picture of the march to the scaffold
from all perspectives. He vividly explains every detail of the scene throughout his
music.
Introducing the Piece
The students will be asked to envision their own funeral as if they were watching it
from a dream. They will journal about it and then be able to discuss it with the class.
Skill Outcome
The students will be able to play very rhythmically, yet expressively.
1. Half of the group of students will play the dotted march rhythm and the other half
will play the subdivision (same with triplets).
2. The students will practice breathing and releasing together by making eye
contact with the conductor and each other.
3. The students will sing the phrases in order to feel how they are supposed to be
played. These will be recorded so that the students can observe them.
Assessment: The students will listen to themselves play the phrasing, sing the
phrasing, and then play it again and will explain what they hear that is different.
Assessment: The students will be asked to draw how the phrase should be played
after discussing different options.
Knowledge Outcome
The students will be able to analyze and discover different themes.
1. The students will be asked to find Theme A and Theme B in their music as
sections, what is the significance of both themes?
2. The students will play only Theme A (or Theme B) to see how it gets passed
around the orchestra.
3. The students will draw out a visual map of the Themes and the form (homework).
Assessment: Assessment of Visual map.
Assessment: Participation in group discussion.
Affective Outcome
Students will explore the powerful connection between programmatic music and the
composers experiences and the musical transfer to the audience.

1. Students will compose a melody that they come up with after re-reading their
funeral scene.
2. The students will discuss Berliozs reasoning for composition and what made the
composition be able to transfer the story to the audience.
3. Students should ask three other people to define the emotions present in March
to the Scaffold and to create a brief description of what they think is happening.
They will discuss their results in sections.
Assessment: Compositions will be collected.
Assessment: Participation in sectional discussion.
Musical Selection: Symphonie Fantastique is a very good representation of
musical Romanticism. It is influenced by literature and is a good representation for
programmatic music. It has very coloristic orchestration which was also new for that
time period and contributed to the development of the modern
orchestra/composition. Berlioz was one of the bridges between Classical and
Romantic composition. It is an enjoyable and educational piece for students to play.

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