Symphonie Fantastique

The symphony is composed of five movements, each with a programmatic title reflecting its narrative:

Rêveries – Passions (Reveries – Passions): The first movement, in a loose sonata form, begins with a slow, dreamy introduction in C major, featuring a languid melody in the strings and flutes that represents the artist’s restless longing. The main theme, the "idée fixe" (a recurring motif symbolizing the beloved), emerges in a passionate Allegro agitato in C minor, characterized by its sweeping, obsessive contour. A second theme in G major offers a fleeting contrast, but the development swirls with emotional turbulence, blending the idée fixe through shifting keys and textures, leading to a fervent recapitulation and a quiet, unresolved coda.
Un bal (A Ball): The second movement, a waltz in A major, evokes a glittering ballroom scene. The main theme is a graceful, lilting melody in triple time, introduced by strings and punctuated by harp arpeggios. The idée fixe interrupts briefly, transformed into a waltz, weaving through the dance. The movement builds in momentum with swirling orchestration, contrasting elegance with the artist’s obsessive fixation, before fading into a delicate close.
Scène aux champs (Scene in the Fields): The third movement, an Adagio in F major, paints a pastoral idyll. It opens with a dialogue between an English horn and oboe, mimicking shepherds’ calls across a serene landscape. The main theme is a slow, expansive melody in the strings, imbued with tranquility and yearning. The idée fixe appears subtly, haunting the calm, while distant thunder (timpani rolls) foreshadows unease. The movement ends with the shepherd calls unanswered, deepening the sense of isolation.
Marche au supplice (March to the Scaffold): The fourth movement, an Allegretto non troppo in G minor, is a grim, militaristic march. The main theme is a relentless, brassy procession, driven by bassoons and horns, depicting the artist’s imagined execution. The pace accelerates with vivid orchestration—timpani, brass, and strings—building tension. The idée fixe makes a brief, poignant return just before the guillotine falls, symbolized by a sudden orchestral chop, followed by a triumphant, macabre close.
Songe d’une nuit du sabbat (Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath): The fifth movement, a wild Allegro in C minor, conjures a grotesque witches’ dance. It opens with eerie effects—muted horns, col legno strings, and shrill woodwinds—setting a nightmarish tone. The idée fixe returns, distorted and mocking, now part of the sabbath revelry. The "Dies Irae" chant is introduced by bells and brass, interwoven with a frenzied fugue. The movement surges into a chaotic climax, blending the sacred and profane in a whirlwind of orchestral color, ending with a diabolical flourish.
Berlioz’s use of the recurring idée fixe, vivid programmatic storytelling, and groundbreaking orchestration—featuring expanded forces like harps, bells, and unconventional effects—make Symphonie Fantastique a pioneering Romantic work, vividly portraying the artist’s descent from love to madness.