BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869) - photo 1
BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869) - photo 2
BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869) - photo 3
BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869) - photo 4
BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869) - photo 5

BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869)

Starting price
£ 1 800
Auction dateClassic
14.12.2022 10:30UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 870877
Lot 73 | BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869)
BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869)

Autograph manuscript, fragment from his Mémoires, comprising the second half of chapter 11, n.p., n.d. [probably London, 1848].

In French. Two leaves, 263 x 208mm, opening with the words 'mon séjour à Paris' and running to the end of the chapter, autograph pagination '48' and '49', some pencil annotations. Provenance: with La Scala Autographs, 1998.



Memories of his early musical life in Paris, including the difficulties in producing his early compositions 'Les francs-juges' and 'La révolution grecque'. The passage relates Berlioz's life in early 1826, immediately after he had left his home town of La Côte-Saint-André in south-eastern France to return to a musical career in Paris against his parents' wishes. 'I was at the time busily and actively pursuing my musical studies. Cherubini, whose sense of order manifested itself in everything, knowing that I had not followed the ordinary route to the conservatory to enter in Lesueur's composition class, had me admitted into Reicha's counterpoint and fugue class which preceded the composition class in the hierarchy of the course. I thus followed the classes of both these masters simultaneously. Furthermore, I had just formed a friendship with a warm-hearted and intelligent young man, whom I am happy to number among my dearest friends, Humbert Ferrand; he had written for me a poem for a grand opera, Les Francs-juges, and I composed the music for it with an unparalleled enthusiasm. This poem, for which I use this term deliberately for I have seen few librettos as poetic as that was, was later refused by the committee of the Académie Royale de musique and my score was by the same stroke condemned to obscurity, from which it has never emerged. Only the overture has been played. I have used here and there the best ideas from this opera, by developing them in my later compositions, the rest will undergo the same fate, if the opportunity presents itself, or will be burned'. Ferrand also wrote a heroic scena for chorus, La révolution grecque, which Berlioz set, much influenced by the style of Spontini. He however recounts with feeling the disdainful reception given to him by Rodolphe Kreutzer, musical director of the Opéra, where he hoped to have the piece performed, and to whom he presented himself with several recommendations: 'Kreutzer ... received me in the most disdainful and impolite way. He hardly returned my greeting, and, without looking at me, directed these words to me over his shoulder: "My dear friend", (he did not know me!), "we cannot perform new compositions at the concerts spirituels. We have no time to learn them. The Opéra has more important concerns ...". I withdrew with a swelling heart'. When accosted shortly after by Berlioz's teacher, Lesueur, Kreutzer however admits that his refusal was motivated by ill-will towards a young composer: '"Damn it all! Where would we be if we were always helping the young?" At least he was frank'.



Berlioz's Mémoires were published posthumously in 1870, though he had circulated them privately amongst friends in 1865.









Special notice


This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
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10.12.2022 – 13.12.2022
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