Listening Chart 15 Berlioz, Fantastic Symphony, fifth movement
Berlioz, Fantastic Symphony, fifth movement
9 min., 59 sec.
| INTRODUCTION | |||
| 0:00 | Mysterious orchestral effects |
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| 0:27 | Fanfare | Like a distant summons: trombones, then flutes plus piccolo echoed by muted French horns | |
| 0:57 | Free repetitions: mysterious sounds, fanfare | ||
| IDÉE FIXE | |||
| 1:39 | Prefatory statement: two phrases (only) of the idée fixe; note the bass drum. Riotous orchestral response, ff. | ||
| 1:59 | Idée fixe | Entire tune presented in a grotesque transformation, in 6/8 meter, played by “squeaky” E- |
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| 2:29 | Crescendo | Big climax — the first of many | |
| 2:50 | Upward motive | A short, expectant motive (later this motive initiates the fugue subject of the “Round Dance”) | |
| 2:53 | Transition | Quiet descending passage | |
| 3:11 | Funeral bells | Three sets of three bells (the third set is muted); the upward motive also appears. | |
| DIES IRAE | |||
| 3:38 | Segment 1 | Segment 1 of plainchant Dies irae is played in three versions: |
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| (1) tubas and bassoons — slow | |||
| 3:58 | (2) horns and trombones — faster | ||
| 4:08 | (3) woodwinds and pizzicato strings — faster still (the rhythm here recalls that of the idée fixe) | ||
| 4:14 | Segment 2 | Segment 2 of the plainchant, same three versions | |
| 4:37 | Segment 3 | Segment 3 (begins like segment 1), same three versions | |
| 5:11 | Transition | The upward motive is developed; crescendo. | |
| WITCHES’ ROUND DANCE (free fugue) |
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| 5:28 | Exposition | Four entries of the fugue subject | |
| 5:55 | Episode 1 | ||
| 6:15 | Subject entries | Three more entries, in stretto | |
| 6:30 | Episode 2 | A passage starting with a loud rhythmic motive, derived from the subject, comes four times. |
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| 6:52 | The music dies down. | ||
| 7:10 | Fragments of the Dies irae | ||
| 7:26 | Long transition; crescendo over a drum roll | ||
| 8:06 | Subject entry | The original subject returns. | |
| 8:12 | Subject plus Dies irae | The two themes together in a polyphonic combination. This isa climax; trumpets play the Dies irae for the first time. | |
| 8:44 | Subject entry | Final appearance of subject: over strings col legno (played with the wood, that is, the back of the bow). Some notes are lengthened. | |
| 9:19 | Dies irae | Segment 1 of the Dies irae hastily recollected; big drum strokes | |
| 9:28 | Conclusion | Final passage of cadences: very loud | |