purely thematic development, being introduced and modified
primarily for dramatic purposes. In the second movement,[233]
Un Bal, two phrases drawn from it are sungppby the clarinet
as an indication that, amid the gaieties of the dance, the vision
of the beloved one is ever present. In theScène aux Champsit
is modified and eloquently declaimed by the flute and oboe,e.g.
[Music]
[Footnote 232: Dannreuther, in his essay in the Sixth Volume
of theOxford History of Music, speaks of the peculiar process
of “rabbeting” which serves Berlioz in the place of counterpoint,
and the criticism, though caustic, holds much truth.]
[Footnote 233: This movement is also of interest as an early
example of the Waltz among the conventional symphonic moods.
The example has been followed by Tchaikowsky in the third
movement of his Fifth Symphony.]
At the close of the movement occurs one of Berlioz’s most novel
and realistic effects—the imitation of the rumbles of distant
thunder produced by four kettle-drums tuned in a very pecu-
liar way (see page 75 of the orchestral score, Breitkopf and Här-
tel edition). In the fourth movement,Marche au Supplice, four
measures of l’idée fixe are introduced just at the moment when
the head of the hero is to be chopped off. This is done for
purely theatric purposes and certainly makes our flesh creep—
as Berlioz no doubt intended. The most spectacular effect, how-
ever, is in the last movement,Songe d’une Nuit du Sabbat, where
the theme is parodied to typify the degraded appearance which
the beloved one takes in the distorted dreams of her lover,e.g.
[Music]
The impression made by the Symphony depends largely upon
the attitude of the hearer. In this work we are not to look for
the sublimity and emotional depth of a Bach or Beethoven any
more than we expect a whimsical comedy of Aristophanes to
resemble an epic poem of Milton. But for daring imagination,
for rhythmic vitality and certainty of orchestral effect, it was
and remains a work[234] of genius.
[Footnote 234: For further comments on this Symphony see
Mr. Mason’s essay in theRomantic Composers, an essay which,
while thoughtful, strikes the writer as somewhat biased.]