Berlioz 'Symphonie Fantastique'

- SF is programe music (music telling a story)

- Links to the Romantic movement (e.g Wagner's Operas)

- Tells the story of a talented artist who took opuim of out of hopeless love

- The story was partly Berlioz's own, as he was in love with Harriet Smithson

- Conatins 5 movements, instead of the conventional 4 

- Written for large syhphony orchestra, which was groundbreaking 

- Strings play con sordino at the start

- Use of ***** d'arco, a delicate effect

- Divisi writing in strings (Bar 61)

- Timpani players with baguette de bois and baguette d'eponge to produce different effects 

- Pizzicato, arco and tremolo also present 

- Rhythms are highly varied

- Anacrusis for idee fixe

- Cross rhythms and syncopation used for dramatic effect

- Sextuplet semiquavers at Bar 22

- Rests and pauses in the Introduction fragment the melody and create a feeling of uncertainty

- Idee fixe used (first heard at bar 72)

- Uses a 'sigh' like musical motif 

- Melodies are often chromatic

- Ornamentation such as trills and acciacaturas

- Conatin repitition for emphasis

- Woodwinds in unison at the start

- Flute 'breaks out' and plays idee fixe at bar 72

- Moment of monophony in Bar 505

- Chordal texture also heard

- Starts with C minor, then establishes C major

- Tonality is often obscured by chromaticism

- Development=G major, and uses functional harmony

- Recapitulation=G major 

- Ends in C major 

- 'Relogiosamente' section uses plagal cadences

- Uses typical sonata form

- Preceded by a slow introduction