Funeral and triumphal symphony

The Grande Funeral and Triumphal Symphony is a work of Hector Berlioz. It was made up in 1840 in answer to an official order of the Minister of Interior Department Charles de Rémusat in preparation for the great commemoration of the tenth birthday of the Révolution of 1830 with Paris. Accompanied by a large military procession, twenty-four horses were to draw an immense hearse towards the Place from the Bastille the coffins from fifty martyrs who were to be deposited under the new column, while the brass band was to play throughout the procession.

Berlioz for a long time had the project of large a funeral Musical festival with the memory of the famous men of France , joining again with the spirit of the great patriotic festivals of the Révolution, and whose Requiem had been already a first attempt. The order was for him the occasion of… Berlioz adapted and composed according to unfolding envisaged of the ceremony: funeral procession passing by the Harmony, the Madeleine and the Grands Boulevards, for which it composed the funeral March which was to be repeated approximately six times; " Anthem of adieu" at the time of the descent of the coffins in the caveaux ones under the column of the Bastille; and finally Apotheosis to complete the ceremony and to devote the heroes.

The ceremony took place on July 28th, 1840. Berlioz directed itself, in uniform of the National guard and while going to let us move back, a large military brass band of two hundred musicians (coppers, winds and percussions). The preparation of the execution in room had very satisfactory and striking, but its execution in the open air despite everything as a whole a failure, was obstructed by the noises of crowd and the military operations. Begun again in concert in August, work made very strong impression again. Richard Wagner judged it " large of the first to the last note" , and wrote then: " I am convinced that this symphony will perdurera and exaltera the heart of the men as long as there will exist a named nation France".

Berlioz had answered the solemnity of the event by offering a music effective and selected, but nevertheless full with size. Conscious of its value, it made a version for concert later of it, adding desks of violoncellos and double basses, re-electing the Hymne of Good-bye in Funeral oration , and especially by adding a chorus for the third movement on words of his friend Antoni Deschamps. This new version was created with Brussels, on September 26th 1842. The original partition of Berlioz recommended 392 executants (192 for the orchestra and 200 for the chorus); there was of it up to 1800 on July 24th 1846 with the Hippodrome of Paris.

The Funeral March is one of the greatest successes of Berlioz. It carries the influence of that of the Symphonie " Héroïque" of Beethoven. The Funeral oration , which seems a dark monotonous chant, takes again elements of an opera of youth of Berlioz, the Members of the Sainte-Vehme (the invocation of Arnold) through the complaint of only one trombone vis-a-vis the orchestra. The third movement arrives without interruption, and sounds like an anthem with the Nation, being concluded on these words:

Glory! Glory and triumph with these Heroes!
Glory and triumph!
Come, elected other life!
Change, noble warriors,
All your bay-trees
For immortal palms!
Follow the Seraphes,
divine Soldiers
In the eternal plains!
their infinite choruses
Be plain!
radiant Angels,
Harmonious ,
Extreme like them,
Enter, sublimes
Victims!
Glory and triumph with these Heroes!
They fell to the fields from the Fatherland!
Glory and respect with their tombs!

External bonds

Memories of Berlioz, on the Symphony
detailed Article
detailed Article

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