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Berlioz Bicentennial Conference: Hector Berlioz in the Age of French Romanticism November 11-12, University of North Texas, Denton Texas Celebrating the 200th birthday of the composer These events are free and open to the public
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Contact: Professor Frank Heidlberger, Associate Professor and Conference Chair University of North Texas College of Music PO Box 311367 Denton, TX 76203, U.S.A. Phone: 940.369.7542. Fax: 940.369.2002. |
Hector Berlioz was born in La Côte St André in 1803 (southeastern France), and died in Paris in 1869. He is commonly seen as the most important French composer of the mid-nineteenth century. He was not only a composer but also an "artist" in the sense of French romanticism. His works reveal an individual relationship between poetic ideas, dramatic effect and orchestral color. Named the "Victor Hugo in music" (Joseph D'Ortique), Berlioz transformed the principal aesthetic ideas of the "Jeune France" into musical expression. His sensitivity for the creation of the unique musical language according to the characters of the subjects that he used for his dramatic symphonies was of high influence for later composers. In his critical and poetic writings he describes musical subjects in a typical romantic style, continuously mentioning his primary paragons Gluck, Beethoven, Virgil, and Shakespeare. |
The conference will focus on interdisciplinary aspects of music history/theory and literature-criticism/aesthetics related to Hector Berlioz and his context: *Berlioz's approach to (and reflection of) poetic ideas and concepts and their impact on his musical style *Berlioz's relationship to former and contemporary composers: acceptance and transformation of compositional techniques and aesthetics in comparison *Berlioz's writings with a focus on French Romanticism and contemporary critical writing *Literature of the French Romantic era: topics, characters, and transformations There will be approximately 12 papers in 3-4 sessions, a choir concert, and vocal recital, a reception and a keynote lecture. International and national contributors will come from different areas of research (French literature, musicology, and music theory). |
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