Voyage musical en Allemagne et en Italie, II

Berlioz, Hector, 1803-1869Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.0
Word count
379K words
Chapters
38

Tags

Foreign Language Books MusicTravel Social ObservationMusical TravelogueArtistic LifeComposer Criticism19th CenturyExotic CultureEuropean Charm

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Voyage musical en Allemagne et en Italie, II by Hector BerliozAuthor: Berlioz, Hector, 1803-1869,Language: French, Class: ML: Music: Literature of music, Release Date: Sep 29, 2011

Editor's review

This is the second volume of French composer Hector Berlioz's Voyage musical en Allemagne et en Italie, written in French and belonging to the literature of music. Berlioz was not only a major composer of the Romantic era but also a music critic of considerable literary flair; his travel writing combines firsthand observation, music criticism, and personal temperament, making it a rare eyewitness text for understanding nineteenth-century European musical life. The second volume continues the travel narrative of the first, recording his musical experiences and reflections across Germany and Italy. For music historians, the book offers primary material from the composer's own perspective; for classical music lovers, it allows readers to hear the operas and concerts of the era through the ears of a great composer. It is best read alongside Berlioz's biography and the musical map of Europe at the time, bearing in mind that his criticism reflects strong personal likes and dislikes and should not be treated as neutral historical evidence. The French original makes certain demands on language ability.

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Reading tips

  1. It is advisable to read the first volume first, or to learn the overall background of Berlioz's journey, before entering the second volume.
  2. While reading, compare with Berlioz's works of the same period and the operatic repertoire of the time to deepen understanding.
  3. Treat the criticism in the book as personal opinion; where praise or blame is strong, consult other historical sources.
  4. The French original can be read slowly with a dictionary; key passages are worth excerpting and taking notes on.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
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  15. 15
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  19. 19
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  21. 21
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  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38

FAQ

Is this book Berlioz's treatise on composition theory? No. This book is Berlioz's travel writing and criticism recording his musical journey through Germany and Italy; it belongs to travel writing and music criticism within the literature of music, not to composition theory textbooks. It presents the musical life the composer experienced and his personal impressions, and is suitable as reading material for the history of music and of criticism.
Can I read this book without any French? This is the original French edition, published by Project Gutenberg. Reading it without French will be difficult; a certain reading ability in French is recommended, or reading it alongside a reliable Chinese translation. If you only want to learn about Berlioz's travel experiences, you may also first read relevant Chinese research materials as preparation.
Do I need to read the first volume before the second? The second volume continues the travel narrative of the first. It can stand alone, but reading the first volume first, or learning the overall background of the journey, will make it easier to grasp the people, places, and context of the criticism. Reading in order is recommended, or at least consulting relevant background materials before entering this volume.
Is the music criticism in the book still worth consulting today? Yes, but its nature should be kept in mind. Berlioz's criticism reflects strong personal likes and dislikes and the limitations of his time; it is not neutral historical evidence. Its value lies in offering firsthand observation from the composer's own perspective and helping readers understand nineteenth-century European musical life and critical discourse; it should be used in conjunction with other historical sources.

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About the author

Berlioz, Hector, 1803-1869 Author

Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) was an important French composer and music critic of the Romantic era. Twelve of his works are held in this collection, spanning memoirs, correspondence, music criticism, and writings on conducting. Among them, the Mémoires record his artistic career and the musical life of his time in autobiographical form; essay collections such as A travers chants, Les musiciens et la musique, and Les soirées de l'orchestre display his keen musical judgment and distinctive critical style, written with vividness and strong personal character. Le chef d'orchestre: théorie de son art sets out his theory of conducting, while Voyage musical en Allemagne et en Italie records his travels, and the unedited correspondence reveals his private writing. Public information is limited, but these works show a writer who combines a composer's professional perspective with a literary expressiveness, and they have had a lasting influence on music criticism and music theory.