1830 Hector Berlioz - Op. 14 - Symphonie Fantastique: Épisode de la vie d'un Artiste... en cinq parties
Op. 14 ; Year: 1830; Genre: Romantic Period/classical 1830, which is also my song pick number, is the year that Hector Berlioz's acclaimed piece Symphonie Fantastique first debuted. While Berlioz didn't really have as many compositions as many other composers, this is considered to be one of the more important pieces of classical music from the Romantic Period. This symphony was written around a narrative that was influenced by Berlioz's infatuation with an Irish actress by the name of Harriet Smithson. During the first three parts of the symphony the main character, who today might be referred to as a stalker, pursues his love, but is unable to gain her affection; throughout the piece she is represented by a melody that is often heard and in different ways. Disenchanted, eventually the main character decides to take his own life my means of overdosing on opium, however instead of killing him he dreams that he murdered the woman of his infatuation and of his subs...