Berlioz is best known for his Symphonie Fantastique, a dramatic and fantastical musical symphony that tells a tale of a young man wrought with love sickness so severe that he ends up committing suicide by overdosing on opium. The symphony is highly regarded and Berlioz had written it while coping with his own unrequited love. It is often considered a tribute of love but the story behind why the symphony was written and how it affected Berlioz’s life has a darker side that is rarely discussed. In his memoirs he wrote that an English critic claimed upon seeing his wife for the first time, Berlioz declared that he would make her his wife and write his greatest symphony; to which Berlioz writes “I did both, but I never said anything of the kind. I was in far too much perturbation to entertain such ambitious dreams. Only through much tribulation were both ends gained.”
Upon seeing a performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Berlioz instantly fell in love with the woman playing Ophelia, Harriet Smithson. Stricken with love, Berlioz sent numerous love letters to Smithson despite never having officially met her, all of which went unanswered. Berlioz’s infatuation with Smithson became disturbing as he began to stalk her, following her on the street, and even taking residence for a short while in the apartment across from hers.
While grappling with his unrequited love, Berlioz wrote his Symphonie Fantastique. It was received well and Berlioz enjoyed his newfound success. Two years after its premiere, Smithson’s sister convinced her to attend a performance of the symphony and Smithson was so moved by the gesture that she agreed to meet Berlioz the next day. They soon fell in love and were to be married.
Their relationship did not proceed smoothly however. Soon before their wedding, Smithson got cold feet which resulted in Berlioz taking poison in front of her. In his memoirs he wrote “Her protestations of love and sorrow brought back my desire to live; I took an emetic, was ill three days and am still alive! In her self-abasement she offered to do anything I chose”. However, once Berlioz was well, Smithson began to hesitate once more. Berlioz then threatened to leave her; “I will wait no more and have written that, unless she goes with me to the Town Hall on Saturday to be married, I leave for Berlin at once. She shall see that I, who for so long have languished at her feet, can rise, can leave her, can live for those who love and understand me.” They ended up marrying in 1833 after Smithson apologized for her ‘lies’. After marrying, they quickly realized they had little in common and spent nearly 10 years unhappily together. Berlioz took another mistress who would become his second wife, and Smithson and him separated.
It is ironic that Berlioz, who had written what is widely considered the first great romantic symphony, had such a tumultuous romantic life. Perhaps it is not surprising that they had separated however, given that their love was based on obsession and discontent. However, it offers for an interesting recontextualization of the Symphonie Fantastique. It is almost eerie to listen and know the gorgeous textures and light phrases of the first movement were inspired by someone stalking an actress who didn’t know who he was. The way the symphony evolves from the initial light and innocent love of the beginning of the first movement, to the darker, more intense and macabre tone of the fifth movement almost feels like the journey of discovering the truth behind their relationship. On the surface, we know Berlioz was able to woo his wife by writing a symphony inspired by her, but learning that he stalked and emotionally manipulated her only to later cheat on her recontextualizes their relationship and the symphony itself. It might also offer insight into how Berlioz thought and acted.
The music itself is undeniably gorgeous and one not having read the program notes might not initially perceive the underlying tone of obsession and madness. The program notes portray the protagonist’s obsession as more romantic than concerning. Perhaps this is a reflection of how Berlioz viewed himself. The fact that he proudly wrote in his memoirs of poisoning himself and threatening suicide in front of Smithson to manipulate her into marriage shows that he did not see that as a particularly disturbing or unethical act. Berlioz was not aware that his behavior towards Smithson was more obsessive than romantic. Either way, it provides for an interesting re-listen of the symphony to interpret it as a delusional declaration of obsession rather than a romantic gesture.
