Talk:Hector Berlioz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

	France Portal Hector Berlioz is within the scope of WikiProject France, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to France and Monaco on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please join the project and help with our open tasks.
???	This article has not yet received a rating on the quality scale. Please rate the article and then leave a short summary here to explain the ratings and/or to identify the strengths and weaknesses.

	This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.	Biography Portal
B	This article has been rated as B-Class on the Project's quality scale. [FAQ] See comments
	This article is supported by WikiProject Musicians, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed biographical guide to musicians and musical groups on Wikipedia.

An appropriate infobox may need to be added to this article, or the current infobox may need to be updated. Please refer to the list of biography infoboxes for further information.

This article is a part of the Opera WikiProject, a collaboration to develop Wikipedia articles on operas and opera terminology, opera composers, librettists and singers, directors and managers, companies and houses, and recordings. The project talk page is a place to discuss issues, identify areas of neglect and exchange ideas. New members are very welcome!

Several times his affections were unrequited: Irish Shaespearean actress Harriet Smithson and pianist Madame Pleyel, whom set out to murder while residing in Rome under a Prix de Rome scolarship.

Is this stating that he set out to murder them or that they set out to murder him? As it is stated now it appears to be an incomplete sentance. IE:

Irish Shaespearean actress Harriet Smithson and pianist Madame Pleyel, whom set out to murder while residing in Rome under a Prix de Rome scolarship, ...

That appears to be the subject of the sentance, with an introduction of two new people. But there does not appear to be a predicate. I'm almost positive though that the sentance was supposed to state that someone set out to murder the other(s). Does anyone know the answer?

Robert Lee

He set off at some point with the intention of murdering Marie Moke, who he had been in love with but who was engaged to the piano maker Pleyel (hence "Madame Pleyel"). He was then going to commit suicide. Of course, Berlioz being Berlioz, he probably got drunk, or had too much coffee, or overslept or something, and it never came to pass. I'll try to sensify the article. --Camembert

---

Dear Camembert,

Somehow I can't quite stomach the idea of R&J as a "secular cantata". It is too sexy for that label. Can we delete that bit and leave it described just as "dramatic symphony"? Also Damnation is staged occasionally (I saw it once at the opera), so it is not really "unstaged", only seldomn so. -- Viajero 15:46 6 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Yeah, "secualar cantata" does sound rather dry, I agree. I just wanted to give some impression of how the peice worked, if you know what I mean. I'll remove it and have another go. --Camembert

[edit] Pronunciation please?

Preferably IPA? —Keenan Pepper 22:13, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

[berljoz]

[edit] Dances des sylphes

I'm doubtful of the claim that L'Éléphant from The Carnival of the Animals is derived from Dances des sylphes, for two reasons:

1. It is called "Ballet des sylphes", not "Dances des sylphes."
2. Ballet des sylphes doesn't sound much like L'Éléphant to me. --220.237.67.125 08:50, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm investigating this; the Dover reprint of the full score of Carnivale des animaux points out the resemblance to Ballet des sylphes, which it describes is also mixed with "a dash of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Dream Scherzo". I have scores of all three pieces so I'll make an effort to thoroughly compare them ;-) Philip Legge _{phi1ip@netscape·net} 07:49, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

CONFIRMED. The principal theme of L’Éléphant is Saint-Saëns', but the subsidiary theme 16 or so bars into the piece is indeed Berlioz's, and it is the main idea of Ballet des sylphes. Philip Legge _{phi1ip@netscape·net} 00:05, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Divorce form Smithson

I've read that they divorced nine years after the marriage in 1833; no dates were included. On Smithson's article here, the date is given as 1940, and there is a note that parts are taken from Britannica. Anybody have a better idea about the actual date? I'd hate to leave this inconsistency there. the symphony page and Berlioz page have nine years listed, and the Smithson page has 1840.

Berlioz separated from Harriet Smithson in 1844. (That's in the current New Grove article.) There's nothing about a divorce date, but it would be reasonable to infer it would be 1844 or later. Hope that helps! Antandrus (talk) 17:41, 29 October 2006 (UTC)