The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz: Member of the French Institute, Including His Travels in Italy, Germany, Russia and England, 1803-1865
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good to fair. Jacket: good, worn/faded (refer to image). Page Condition: Good - possible tanning. Markings: possible previous owner inscription. ex-library
In this definitive account of a life lived at the epicenter of the 19th-century Romantic movement, Hector Berlioz offers a sprawling, vivid, and deeply human self-portrait. Navigating the intersections of revolutionary musical theory and the turbulent politics of the Parisian stage, Berlioz recounts his evolution from a reluctant medical student to one of history’s most daring composers. Through a narrative defined by wit, indignation, and soaring creative ambition, the reader is drawn into the composer's intimate emotional landscape—his passionate liasons, his arduous travels across Europe, and the unyielding drive that allowed him to reshape the modern orchestra.The translation by David Cairns is widely regarded as the gold standard, capturing the dazzling, idiosyncratic prose of the original while grounding it in meticulous historical research. Beyond its status as a foundational text for musicologists, the Memoirs serves as a profound meditation on the isolation of the artist and the nature of creative legacy. As Berlioz documents his battles with the cultural establishment and his ultimate commitment to his own unorthodox sound, he reveals the profound resilience required to transform one's life into art, leaving behind a testament that remains as urgent and evocative today as it was in the late 19th century.
Author: Hector Berlioz (Translated and Edited by David Cairns)
Format: Hardback
Genre: Biography
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good to fair. Jacket: good, worn/faded (refer to image). Page Condition: Good - possible tanning. Markings: possible previous owner inscription. ex-library
In this definitive account of a life lived at the epicenter of the 19th-century Romantic movement, Hector Berlioz offers a sprawling, vivid, and deeply human self-portrait. Navigating the intersections of revolutionary musical theory and the turbulent politics of the Parisian stage, Berlioz recounts his evolution from a reluctant medical student to one of history’s most daring composers. Through a narrative defined by wit, indignation, and soaring creative ambition, the reader is drawn into the composer's intimate emotional landscape—his passionate liasons, his arduous travels across Europe, and the unyielding drive that allowed him to reshape the modern orchestra.The translation by David Cairns is widely regarded as the gold standard, capturing the dazzling, idiosyncratic prose of the original while grounding it in meticulous historical research. Beyond its status as a foundational text for musicologists, the Memoirs serves as a profound meditation on the isolation of the artist and the nature of creative legacy. As Berlioz documents his battles with the cultural establishment and his ultimate commitment to his own unorthodox sound, he reveals the profound resilience required to transform one's life into art, leaving behind a testament that remains as urgent and evocative today as it was in the late 19th century.