Biografia
Hector Berlioz was born on December 11, 1803, to Dr. Louis Berlioz and Marie-Antoinette-Josephine. He was the eldest of six children, three of whom passed away. He received music lessons at home from a visiting teacher and played the flute and guitar. By age 16, he had composed a song for voice and guitar, which he later incorporated into his "Symphonie Fantastique."
In 1821, Berlioz moved to Paris to study medicine. However, after attending a performance of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s "Iphigenie en Tauride" at the Paris Opera, he developed a lifelong passion for music. He spent more time at the Paris Conservatory than in medical school. In 1823, he began writing music articles for "Le Corsaire" and soon abandoned medicine to focus on music, successfully premiering his "Messe Solennelle" in 1825. After his mother condemned his career change, his father reduced his allowance, forcing Berlioz to take jobs such as choir singing to support himself. In 1828, inspired by Beethoven’s 3rd and 5th Symphonies and Goethe’s "Faust," he began composing "La Damnation de Faust."
Berlioz fell in love with Irish actress Harriet Smithson, which inspired him to complete the "Symphonie Fantastique." He premiered the work, where he met Franz Liszt, who became a close friend and transcribed the symphony for piano. In 1830, after Harriet Smithson rejected him, Berlioz became engaged to pianist Camille Moke. He traveled to Rome as the Prix de Rome laureate, where he befriended Felix Mendelssohn and Russian composer Mikhail Glinka. During this time, Berlioz received a letter from his fiancée announcing her decision to marry the wealthy piano maker Camille Pleyel. Devastated, he contemplated killing both of them and himself but calmed during the journey back, stopping in Nice to compose "Le Roi Lear," inspired by Shakespeare’s play.
Upon returning to Paris, Berlioz formed friendships with Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Niccolò Paganini, Frédéric Chopin, and George Sand. He also became lifelong friends with writer Ernest Legouvé. In 1833, he married Harriet Smithson, with Liszt serving as a witness. Their son was born in 1834. Later, Berlioz had a relationship with singer Marie Recio, whom he married after Harriet’s death in 1852.
Berlioz was a notable music critic, writing about Giacomo Meyerbeer, Mikhail Glinka, Paganini, Liszt, and others. Between 1834 and 1838, he completed the opera "Benvenuto Cellini." In 1838, his "Harold en Italie" was performed at the Paris Conservatoire, impressing Paganini, who rewarded him with 20,000 francs.
During the 1840s, Berlioz toured Europe, strengthening friendships with Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner, Meyerbeer, and Robert Schumann. After concerts in Belgium and Germany, he returned to Paris. His friend Mikhail Glinka, who had lived in Paris for over a year, suggested concerts in Russia. Berlioz jokingly said, "If the Emperor of Russia wants me, then I am up for sale," which was taken seriously. Thanks to Glinka’s support, Berlioz toured Russia twice, each trip yielding financial success far beyond his expectations. His first Russian tour in 1847 helped him clear deep debts in Paris. Back in Paris, he struggled to fund performances of his large-scale works and relied on income from his witty critical writings. His second Russian tour in 1867 was so lucrative that he declined a $100,000 offer from Steinway to perform in New York. In St. Petersburg, he enjoyed performing with the prestigious St. Petersburg Conservatory orchestra.
Berlioz’s second Russian tour marked the successful culmination of his career. He never performed again and passed away on March 8, 1869. He was buried at the Cimetiere de Montmartre alongside his two wives.
