1830Reputable sourceWell documented
Berlioz and Program Music: Symphonie fantastique
On the timeline · around 1830 · The Romantic Era
What happened
The French composer Hector Berlioz premiered his Symphonie fantastique in 1830 — a wildly imaginative symphony that tells a story, following a lovesick artist through visions, a ball, a march to the scaffold, and a witches' sabbath, with a recurring melody representing his beloved. He deployed a huge, colorful orchestra to unprecedented dramatic effect.
Why it matters
The Symphonie fantastique was a landmark of 'program music' — instrumental music that narrates a story — and its daring orchestration expanded the very palette of the orchestra, influencing Romantic composers for the rest of the century.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Hector Berlioz · Reputable source