An entrancing, firsthand portrait of one of the nineteenth century's most prolific composers and men of letters. One of the foremost composers of his generation, Hector Berlioz was even more influential as an arbiter of musical taste and a writer of critical essays, published in the Parisian Journal des debats. But professional journalism was a sometimes unwelcome task for this supreme intellectual, who felt hindered by considerations of diplomacy and censorship. Letter writing, on the other hand, provided him a freer outlet for creative expression, and his surviving correspondences number over several thousand. From that extraordinary output Hugh Macdonald has gathered some 500 letters that span Berlioz's life and chart the course of his artistic career. Dipped into or read straight through, Selected Letters of Berlioz is highly entertaining and informative reading for any music lover. In the words of poet W. H. Auden, "In order to understand the nineteenth century, it is essential to understand Berlioz."
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French
Original Language: French
About the Author
Hugh Macdonald is professor of music at Washington University in St. Louis. He edits the Complete Edition of Berlioz's music and is joint editor of the composer's Correspondence Gnrale. Roger Nichols, a writer and broadcaster, specializes in French music of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He is the author of Debussy Remembered and Ravel Remembered.
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2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
May prove interesting to Berlioz scholars only.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Selected Letters of Berlioz (Hardcover)
Mr. MacDonald is well know for his involvment in Berlioz academia, however, I find him very opinonated in how the works are presented, i.e. the Te Deum and his addition to Les Troyens, an extention which I found added little to the opera.It is highly unlikely that he can take liberties with the letters, but what he chooses to include and exclude is relavent. Based on my observation of Mr. MacDonald, these choices may be questionable. Also, my observation of Berlioz acadmeia, Mr. MacDonald is the man in charge, but not the most talented of the group. The book, if it has new material, would be of intrest to Berlioz scholars. As a general selection, I would advise looking at content.
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First Sentence:
Hector Berlioz was born on 11 December 1803 in the little town of La Cote-St-Andre between Lyon and Grenoble. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
grand duchess, grand duke, Théâtre des Nouveautés, carnaval romain, nonne sanglante, gazette musicale, zoo francs, yours most sincerely Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Hector Berlioz, Les Troyens, Adèle Suat Paris, Nanci Pal Paris, Benvenuto Cellini, L'Enfance du Christ, Louis Berlioz Paris, Mme Viardot, Prix de Rome, Adèle Berlioz Paris, Nanci Berlioz Paris, Minister of the Interior, Der Freischütz, Mme Charton-Demeur, Harriet Smithson, Exeter Hall, Marie Recio, New York, Camille Pal Paris, Imperial Chapel, Mme Branchu, Félix Marmion Paris, Reine Mab, Thomas Moore, Berlioz Berlioz Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Hector Berlioz was born on 11 December 1803 in the little town of La Cote-St-Andre between Lyon and Grenoble. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
grand duchess, grand duke, Théâtre des Nouveautés, carnaval romain, nonne sanglante, gazette musicale, zoo francs, yours most sincerely Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Hector Berlioz, Les Troyens, Adèle Suat Paris, Nanci Pal Paris, Benvenuto Cellini, L'Enfance du Christ, Louis Berlioz Paris, Mme Viardot, Prix de Rome, Adèle Berlioz Paris, Nanci Berlioz Paris, Minister of the Interior, Der Freischütz, Mme Charton-Demeur, Harriet Smithson, Exeter Hall, Marie Recio, New York, Camille Pal Paris, Imperial Chapel, Mme Branchu, Félix Marmion Paris, Reine Mab, Thomas Moore, Berlioz Berlioz Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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