Berlioz and Symphonie Fantastique Quiz

French composer who greatly influenced Romantic music, known for large-scale works and innovative orchestration.

A type of music that tells a story or conveys a specific idea.

A musical genre that emphasizes emotion, passion, and individualism, often featuring dramatic contrasts and colorful orchestration. It flourished in Europe from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries.

A type of musical composition with four movements, often in a sonata form. It is a cornerstone of Western classical music.

The use of different instruments and their combinations to create a specific sound or effect.

The first movement of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, which depicts the artist's passionate love and obsession.

The use of opium, a powerful drug, to escape reality and deal with overwhelming emotions.

The artist's self-inflicted poisoning with opium, driven by despair and hopelessness.

A musical theme that recurs throughout a composition, used to enhance unity and create a sense of connection between different sections.

Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is known for its five movements, breaking the traditional four-movement structure of symphonies in its time. Each movement has a descriptive title, adding to the overall narrative.

A transposing instrument sounds at a different pitch than the one written on the music sheet. For example, a clarinet in B♭ sounds a major second lower than the notes written.

Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique was groundbreaking for its time due to the use of an extensive orchestra with unique instrumentation. This added complexity and enriched the musical experience.

A musical movement that expresses a specific feeling or emotion, typically with a distinct musical theme and structure.

The first movement of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is titled "Rêveries – Passions."

The last movement of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is titled, "Songe d’une nuit du sabbat."

A musical instruction indicating that the strings should play with a mute, creating a softer, muffled sound.

A musical instruction indicating that the strings should play without a mute, creating a brighter, more resonant sound.

A bowing technique where the violinist plays at the very tip of the bow, creating a delicate, almost whispering sound.

A string technique where the players pluck the strings with their fingers, creating a percussive, plucked sound.

A string technique where all the strings are played at once, creating a thicker, richer sound.

A string technique where the bow is moved rapidly back and forth on one string, creating a tremulous, vibrating sound.

A string technique where the musicians divide into smaller groups, playing different parts.

A musical instruction indicating that the player should play with a light, bouncy articulation, resulting in a detached and slightly accented sound.

The first section of a sonata form composition, presenting the main themes.

The development section of a sonata form, where themes are transformed and explored.

The final section of a sonata form, where the themes are revisited in their original form.

A musical pattern often used in Symphonie Fantastique, usually involving a series of chromatic notes.

A musical section linking different parts of a composition, often brief.

A short musical passage that decorates the main melody.

A musical structure with three main sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation.

A recurring theme that serves as a structural device throughout all five movements of Symphonie Fantastique.

The 'idée fixe' is first introduced in the first movement of Symphonie Fantastique, at bar 72 and starts on the dominant. It features expanding leaps of a perfect fourth, followed by a major sixth. It descends in a conjunct manner with descending notes forming a 'sigh'-like musical motif.

The 'idée fixe' is presented in two different forms, once in bar 72 and then again, altered down a fourth, in bar 80.

The second subject of the first movement of Symphonie Fantastique is presented in bar 150.

Although the second subject is separate from the 'idée fixe', it shares similarities, beginning with a long note followed by a leap of a perfect fourth and sixth, before descending using two-note 'sigh' effects often using semitones.

Elements of the 'idée fixe' are used throughout the piece - for example, the repeated ascending interval of the fourth at bar 234.

Counter melodies are based on ascending and descending arpeggios, for example at bars 30-34.

An ascending sequence of the 'idée fixe' is presented at bar 94, showcasing how this theme is developed throughout the piece.

The opening movement of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique begins in C minor, but shifts to C major shortly after. This shift back and forth between the minor and major keys contributes to the emotional rollercoaster of the piece.

While the melody in Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is highly chromatic, meaning it uses many half steps, the tonality is established by perfect cadences. These moments of resolution provide a sense of grounding in a specific key.

In Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, the bridge passage, a transitional section, is in A♭ major. However, it leads to the second subject in G major, introducing the dominant key. This creates a sense of anticipation and momentum towards the main theme.

The development section in Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is a particularly chromatic one, meaning it uses many half steps. This effectively obscures the tonality and creates feelings of unrest and ambiguity.

In Symphonie Fantastique Movement I, the recapitulation, a repetition of the main themes, starts in G major. The use of V7-I progressions (dominant to tonic) at bar 291 re-establishes the G major tonality, solidifying its importance.

The harmony in Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is often diatonic and functional, meaning based on traditional chord progressions. However, it features significant chromatic harmony, adding color and complexity to the sound.

Berlioz uses a combination of diatonic and chromatic harmony in Symphonie Fantastique Movement I, creating a unique blend of familiar and unexpected sounds. This reflects the protagonist's emotional state, fluctuating between stability and chaos.

The final section of Symphonie Fantastique Movement I ends on a paused C major chord, creating a sense of resolution after a journey through complex harmonies and emotional turmoil. This final chord emphasizes the piece's return to the original tonic major key.