History Music / SymphonieFantastique

* {{Leitmotif}}: The "idée fixe," a short theme representing either the artist's beloved or his obsession with her (or both). It occurs at key points in every movement and is transformed into a twisted, mocking version of itself during the DancePartyEnding.

The symphony is said to be an expression of LoveHurts on Berlioz' part, who fell madly in love with the actress Harriet Smithson, whom [[TheyDo he eventually married]] after [[EarnYourHappyEnding she listened to this musical love letter]], but it became an unhappy marriage for both sides and [[CerebusRollercoaster they divorced again]].

1. An artist is struggling with himself. He meets his LoveInterest and falls head over heels, the Leitmotif or idée fixe is established here. 2. The artist meets her at a ball and her ironic flirting is too much for him. 3. The artist flees into the countryside and has some beautiful calm hours. His Love Interest keeps haunting him, represented by the idée fixe bursting back into the score, so [[DrivenToSuicide he decides to commit suicide by an opium overdose]]. 4. In his [[DyingDream dying thoughts]], he imagines being decapitated in a public execution for killing her inside his fantasies. PlayedForLaughs musically with a huge march sequence. 5. [[GainaxEnding In a deeper layer of his dying thoughts]] (think of [[MindScrew twice-dead]]), he imagines his LoveInterest participating in a witches' feast, represented in a grotesque parody of the idée fixe juxtaposed with the [[DeathlyDiesIrae Dies Irae motif]].

1. An artist is struggling with himself. He meets his LoveInterest and falls head over heels, the Leitmotif is established here. 2. The artist meets her at a ball and her ironic flirting is too much for him. 3. The artist flees into the countryside and has some beautiful calm hours. His Love Interest keeps haunting him, represented by the idée fixe bursting back into the score, so [[DrivenToSuicide he decides to commit suicide by an opium overdose]]. 4. In his [[DyingDream dying thoughts]], he imagines being decapitated in a public execution for killing her inside his fantasies. PlayedForLaughs musically with a huge march sequence. 5. [[GainaxEnding In a deeper layer of his dying thoughts]] (think of [[MindScrew twice-dead]]), he imagines his LoveInterest participating in a witches' feast, represented in a grotesque parody of the idée fixe juxtaposed with the [[DeathlyDiesIrae Dies Irae motif]].

* {{Leitmotif}}: The idée fixe, representing either the artist's beloved or his obsession with her (or both) occurs at key points in every movement.

'''Symphonie Fantastique''' is the most famous work of French composer Music/HectorBerlioz (1803-1869), released in 1830. The piece was a major [[GenreTurningPoint game changer]] for Romanticism, as it developed the approach of Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's sixth symphony, the ''Pastorale'', to a programmatic symphony that even contained a ''plot'' told in musical pictures, anticipating the Tone Poem of Music/FranzLiszt as well the Leitmotif of Music/RichardWagner.

* CerebusRollercoaster
** From DownerBeginning of a suffering artist, to the hope of a new love, to love turning into cruel rejection, LighterAndSofter section with peace of mind in the countryside, then unbearable emotional pain when the idée fixe comes back, eventually DrivenToSuicide with opium, then an execution scene that becomes DenserAndWackier as it progresses concludes with a DownerEnding which is played for laughs, complete with DancePartyEnding.
* DancePartyEnding: In a prime example of Romantic Irony, the piece ends in a frentic dance during Witches' Sabbath.

* DisneyAcidSequence: In a musical example, he imagines his own execution and then a Witches' Sabbath; the music becomes frenzy and psychedelic.
* DownerEnding: ''PlayedForLaughs'' thanks to massive use of Romantic Irony. The protagonist is dying due to Opium overdose, but his mad hallucinations are quite entertaining, including the IronicEcho of the centuries-old ''Dies Irae'' motif, that turns it into a tasteful self-parody.
* DyingDream: Big time, the last two movements are all his dying thoughts.

* GainaxEnding: When dying, the artist hallucinates about being decapitated and then a full-fledged Witches' Sabbath.

* LoveMakesYouCrazy: He wents to the countryside as an attempt to escape her, but he keeps seeing her, it's left ambiguous whether she actually is there or if he's just hallucinating.
* MickeyMousing: "March to the Scaffold" ends with a depiction of the blade falling and the severed head bouncing.
* MindScrew: The last two movements are a dying fantasy of the artist, who madly hallucinates about being decapitated and whitnessing a witches feast in which his LoveInterest participates.
* MushroomSamba: The last two acts are dedicated to the effects of Opium.
* {{Romanticism}}: One of the most famous examples.

* TropeMaker: Of the tone poem, when Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's 6th symphony had been the UrExample.
* UnrequitedLove

1. An artist is struggling with himself. He meets his LoveInterest and falls head over heels, the Leitmotif is established here. 2. The artist meets her at a ball and her ironic flirting is too much for him. 3. The artist flees into the countryside and has some beautiful calm hours. His Love Interest keeps haunting him, represented by the idée fixe bursting back into the score, so [[DrivenToSuicide he decides to commit suicide by an opium overdose]]. 4. In his [[DyingDream dying thoughts]], he imagines being decapitated in a public execution for killing her inside his fantasies. PlayedForLaughs musically with a huge march sequence. 5. [[GainaxEnding In a deeper layer of his dying thoughts]] (think of [[MindScrew twice-dead]]), he imagines his LoveInterest participating in a witches' feast, represented in a grotesque parody of the idée fixe juxtaposed with the Dies Irae motif.

The symphony is said to be an expression of LoveHurts on Berlioz' part, who fell madly in love with the acress Harriet Smithson, whom [[TheyDo he eventually married]] after [[EarnYourHappyEnding she listened to this musical love letter]], but it became an unhappy marriage for both sides and [[CerebusRollercoaster they divorced again]].

1. An artist is struggling with himself. He meets his LoveInterest and falls head over heels, the Leitmotif is established here. 2. The artist meets her at a ball and her ironic flirting is too much for him. 3. The artist flees into the countryside and has some beautiful calm hours. His Love Interest keeps haunting him, represented by the idée fixe bursting back into the score, so [[DrivenToSuicide he decides to commit suicide by an opium overdose]]. 4. In his [[DyingDream dying thoughts]], he imagines being decapitated in a public execution for killing her inside his fantasies. PlayedForLaughs musically with a huge march sequence. 5. [[GainaxEnding In a deeper layer of his dying thoughts]] (think of [[MindScrew twice-dead]]), he imagines his LoveInterest participating in a witches feast, represented in a grotesque parody of the idée fixe juxtaposed with the Dies Irae motif.

'''Symphonie Fantastique''' is the most famous work of French composer Music/HectorBerlioz (1803-1869), released in 1830. The piece was a major [[GenreTurningPoint game changer]] for Romanticism, as it developed the approach of Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's sixth symphony, the ''Pastorale'', to a programmatic symphony that even contained a ''plot'' told in musical pictures, anticipating the Tone Poem of FranzLiszt as well the Leitmotif of Music/RichardWagner.

* TropeCodifier: Of the tone poem, when Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's 6th symphony had been the TropeMaker.

1. An artist is struggling with himself. He meets his LoveInterest and falls head over heels, the Leitmotif is established here.
2. The artist meets her at a ball and her ironic flirting is too much for him.
3. The artist flees into the countryside and has some beautiful calm hours. His Love Interest keeps haunting him, represented by the idée fixe bursting back into the score, so [[DrivenToSuicide he decides to commit suicide by an opium overdose]].
4. In his [[DyingDream dying thoughts]], he imagines being decapitated in a public execution for killing her inside his fantasies. PlayedForLaughs musically with a huge march sequence.
5. [[GainaxEnding In a deeper layer of his dying thoughts]] (think of [[MindScrew twice-dead]]), he imagines his LoveInterest participating in a witches feast, represented in a grotesque parody of the idée fixe juxtaposed with the Dies Irae motif.

'''Symphonie Fantastique''' is the most famous work of French composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), released in 1830. The piece was a major [[GenreTurningPoint game changer]] for Romanticism, as it developed the approach of Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's sixth symphony, the ''Pastorale'', to a programmatic symphony that even contained a ''plot'' told in musical pictures, anticipating the Tone Poem of FranzLiszt as well the Leitmotif of Music/RichardWagner.

1. An artist struggling with his identity. He meets his LoveInterest and falls head over heels, the Leitmotif is established here.

4. In his dying thoughts, he imagines being decapitated in a public execution. PlayedForLaughs musically with a huge march sequence.

* DownerEnding: ''PlayedForLaughs'' thanks to the pieces signature Romantic Irony. The protagonist is dying due to Opium overdose, but his mad hallucinations are quite entertaining, including the IronicEcho of the centuries-old ''Dies Irae'' motif, that turns it into a tasteful self-parody.
* FollowTheLeader: Earned a massive cult following among composers. FranzLiszt and RichardWagner directly picked up on its innovations.
* GainaxEnding: Before dying, the artist hallucinates about being decapitated and then a full-fledged Witches' Sabbath.
* MindScrew: The last two movements are a dying fantasy of the artist, who madly hallucinates about being decapitated and whitnessing a witches feast in which his LoveInterest participates.

* GainaxEnding: Before dying, the artist hallucinates