From 1827 to 1830, Hector Berlioz sought the prestigious Prix de Rome and composed a cantata for each year's competition. As might be expected, his originality stood in the way of immediate success, and the first three efforts were deemed inadequate or unperformable. In his fourth attempt, Berlioz finally acquiesced to most of the constraints imposed by the judges and won, though even here his vivid music exceeded their conservative expectations. Herminie (1828) is a scène lyrique for soprano and orchestra, and this ...
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From 1827 to 1830, Hector Berlioz sought the prestigious Prix de Rome and composed a cantata for each year's competition. As might be expected, his originality stood in the way of immediate success, and the first three efforts were deemed inadequate or unperformable. In his fourth attempt, Berlioz finally acquiesced to most of the constraints imposed by the judges and won, though even here his vivid music exceeded their conservative expectations. Herminie (1828) is a scène lyrique for soprano and orchestra, and this passionate piece opens with the melody that later became the famous idée fixe of the Symphonie fantastique. La Mort de Cléopâtre (1829) is a turbulent death scene that lasts for an astonishing 20 minutes. La Mort de Sardanapale (1830) won the prize for Berlioz; though only a fragment of this bold cantata survives, the scene is given here with a recitation of the missing section's text. La Mort d'Orphée (1827) is the least accomplished of the four, but it reveals a feverish...
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