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| Eugène Delacroix: Liberty Leading the People – painted to commemorate the 1830, July Revolution |
Berlioz’ Grande symphonie funèbre et triomphale was written in 1840 to be performed by a huge military band as part of commemorations for marking the tenth anniversary of the July Revolution of 1830 which had brought Louis-Philippe I to power. The celebrations involved erecting the July Column in the Place de la Bastille and the symphony’s first movement was performed during the march to the Bastille, the central movement during the ceremony and the third on the return march. The work was such a success at the dress rehearsal that it was performed twice more in August and became one of the composer’s most popular works during his lifetime.
It was originally written for a military band of around 200 players, but in 1842 Berlioz revised it, adding option string parts and a chorus at the end. Richard Wagner attended a performance of this new version at the Salle Vivienne on 1 February 1842. On 5 February, he told Robert Schumann that he found passages in the last movement of Berlioz’s symphony so “magnificent and sublime that they can never be surpassed.”
The work only gets very occasional outings. It has been twice at the BBC Proms, in 2009, Thierry Fisher conducted the military band version with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and back in 1983, Sir John Pritchard conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the revised version with strings and choir to open the BBC Proms that year.
Now, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) is launching a season of French music with a performance of Berlioz’ Grande symphonie funèbre et triomphale on 25 October 2024. Michael Seal conducts the RBC Symphony Orchestra at the Bradshaw Hall, performing a new orchestration of Berlioz’ work.
RBC’s focus on French music include a week of salon-style concerts devoted to Fauré and his contemporaries, the first known performance of a work by the black composer, violinist and conductor Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Poulenc’s opera La voix humaine, a 150th anniversary all-Ravel recital on RBC’s 1890 Érard piano, and a centenary tribute to Boulez with his dazzling Sur incises.
Full details from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s website.
