Hector Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique (Bernard Haitink)

Information

Composer: Hector Berlioz

• Symphonie fantastique, H. 48

Wiener Philharmoniker

Bernard Haitink, conductor

Date: 1979 / 2026

Label: Decca

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Composed in 1830 by Hector Berlioz (1803–1869), Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14, is a landmark programmatic symphony that premiered at the Paris Conservatoire under conductor François-Antoine Habeneck. Drawing on the composer's unrequited passion for Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson, the semi-autobiographical five-movement work follows an opium-induced narrative, tracing an artist's visions from a ball and pastoral field to a hallucinatory march and a demonic Witches' Sabbath. Central to the composition is the idée fixe, a recurring musical motif symbolizing the protagonist's obsessive love. Expanding on traditional classical structure, Berlioz created an enduring orchestral masterpiece, later transcribed for piano by Franz Liszt and succeeded by the sequel Lélio.

The illustrious 65-year career of Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink (1929–2021) was defined by major leadership roles with world-class ensembles, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Renowned for his long-standing collaboration with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Haitink produced numerous award-winning, milestone recordings of masterpieces by Wagner, Mahler, Bruckner, and Beethoven. His immense contributions to classical music earned him global acclaim, a Gramophone Lifetime Achievement Award, and prestigious state honors, including a British knighthood and the Dutch Erasmus Prize, before his retirement from the concert stage in 2019.

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