 |
| A caricature of Hector Berlioz, whose music was considered radically modern, eccentric and unsettling by his contemporaries. |
1803
Hector Berlioz is born on December 11 in La Côte-Saint-André, France.
1815
Falls passionately in love with his neighbor’s daughter, the 18-year-old Estelle Dubœuf, a lifelong emotional reference point.
1820
Moves to Paris to study medicine, against his will.
1826
Admitted to the Paris Conservatory; fully abandons medical studies.
1830
Symphonie fantastique is premiered; wins the Prix de Rome and departs for Italy.
1833
Marries the Irish actress Harriet Smithson, the original inspiration for Symphonie fantastique.
1834
Birth of his only son, Louis.
1846
First visit to London; increasing international recognition as a conductor.
1854
Death of Harriet Smithson; Berlioz marries his longtime companion Marie Recio.
1863
First performance of the opera Les Troyens, his most ambitious dramatic work.
1864
Death of Marie Recio; Berlioz renews contact with Estelle Dubœuf, now aged 67.
1869
Dies on March 8 in Paris, isolated and disillusioned.
____________________
- When Berlioz learned that his beloved Camille was about to marry another man, he resolved to return to Paris and murder both Camille and her mother, who had informed him of the engagement. He obtained a maid’s uniform as a disguise and armed himself with pistols. The plan was ultimately abandoned—but the episode reveals the intensity and volatility of his temperament.
- In 1834, the great violinist Niccolò Paganini commissioned Berlioz to write a solo work for viola. Losing interest before its completion, Paganini initially refused payment. Later that year, after hearing the finished work (Harold en Italie), Paganini was overwhelmed with remorse and admiration. He sent Berlioz 20,000 francs—a sum exceeding two years’ wages—ensuring the composer’s financial survival.