Who doesn’t like Hector Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique? If you’re one who does, you can find a pretty good free lecture on the score here, at the Teaching Company, where I regularly buy courses. Here’s how they describe the lecture, which is delivered by Professor Robert Greenberg of San Francisco Performances.
A stunningly original work, Berlioz’s symphony depicts the tale of an artist obsessed with hopeless love. Most notable is the work’s final movement, which conjures a nightmarish vision of ghosts and witches - real Halloween music. This masterful symphony, stirring even today, is the perfect way to understand classical music of the Romantic Era.
