Symphonie Fantastique

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Image courtesy of L'Auditori

The evocation of Spanish imaginary from afar, by Robert Gerhard, and the transformation of French symphonic language in the nineteenth century are the main features of this program. Gerhard’s Dances from Don Quixote is a suite in three parts, drawn from the ballet Don Quixote which the composer wrote in 1940 after going into exile in England because of the Spanish Civil War. On this occasion, as a way of introducing himself to the English musical establishment, Gerhard turned to Cervantes’ immortal classic, synthesizing figures from the Spanish tradition with a very personal use of the twelve-tone technique. The characters are not portrayed via leitmotifs or recurring themes but through distinctive serialist sequences.

The second suite of music that will be performed on the night is titled Cello and orchestra concerto No. 1 in A minor composed by Camille Saint-Saëns. This piece is highly original with three clearly differentiated sections in a single movement.

The last piece of music that will be performed is the title of the concert itself, Symphonie Fantastique composed by Hector Berlioz. This piece breaks through the molds inherited from the eighteenth century and develops from a recurring or cyclical musical idea (idée fixe), which represents the trials and tribulations of the author’s love life. The Symphonie Fantastique is a precursor of Romantic program music, which found full expression in the work of Liszt and Wagner.

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