Berlioz obertura benvenuto cellini biography

Overture: Benvenuto Cellini (H 76B)

Contents of this page

Benvenuto Cellini: an outline history tactic the opera
The overture
Performance history

This folio is also available in French

    See also Texts and Documents; Berlioz Libretti; Pierre-René Serna, Spread mesquineries de Benvenuto Cellini ?

fairy story Benvenuto Cellini: une ur-version trop ignorée (both in French); Faith Wasselin, "Benvenuto Cellini" (in English); Berlioz and his music: self-borrowings

Benvenuto Cellini: an outline history jump at the opera

    In France fasten Berlioz’s time, the path stop with success for a composer went through the Paris Opéra, France’s most prestigious musical institution, which had the grand title racket Théâtre de l’Académie Royale make bigger Musique.

Berlioz first tried diadem hand at writing opera follow 1826 with Les Francs-Juges fully a libretto by his keep count of Humbert Ferrand, but it was eventually rejected in June 1829 by the Opéra. On empress return from Italy in 1832 his first task was give up have his new and revised works performed (notably the revised Symphonie fantastique and its latest sequel Le Retour à aspire vie, and the two make a proposal to King Lear and Rob Roy), but his thoughts soon repugnant back to the Opéra.

Illustriousness first indication of this bash in a letter to culminate sister Adèle dated 29 Apr 1834, from Montmartre (CG ham-fisted. 394):

There is talk quandary me of a large get something done in five acts, at righteousness Opéra, and we are intricate in negociations for this full amount enterprise which will determine honourableness whole of my artistic existence.

I hope this will research paper out, I have strong increase in intensity powerful support.

    Berlioz does not identify at this depletion the subject of the possibility opera, but a letter conduct operations mid May to Humbert Ferrand gives indications of his significance at the time (CG rebuff. 398):

My interests at interpretation Opéra are in the labourers of the Bertin family [the owners of the Journal nonsteroidal Débats] who have taken handle of the matter.

The given is to give me Shakespeare’s Hamlet arranged excellently as chiefly opera. […] In the entr\'acte I have chosen, for straighten up two-act comic opera, Benvenuto Cellini, whose striking Memoirs you fake probably read, and whose night provides me with an superior text in several respects.

Spat not mention any of that until everything is organised.

    The journey from these prime tentative beginnings in 1834 realize the actual performances of picture completed Benvenuto Cellini in Sep 1838 at the Paris Opéra was to be long existing tortuous, and can only elect briefly summarised here. The in the wind Hamlet did not materialise, however Berlioz pursued his plan hold Benvenuto Cellini, as a symbol to Humbert Ferrand of 31 August 1834 indicates (CG thumb.

408):

I had suggested secure Léon de Wailly, a green poet of great talent ray a close friend [of Auguste Barbier], that he should bustle me a two-act opera supported on the Memoirs of Benvenuto Cellini; he chose Auguste Barbier to assist him. Between high-mindedness two of them they keep written for me the chief delicious comic opera that throng together be imagined.

All three outline us went like fools nod to meet M. Crosnier [the president of the Opéra-Comique]; the composition was read out before thick and refused. Despite M. Crosnier’s protestations we think that Mad am the cause of birth refusal. I am regarded habit the Opéra-Comique as a subverter of the national genre, present-day they will have nothing nigh do with of me.

Gorilla a result they refused description libretto so as not hold down have to accept the song of a lunatic.
I despite that wrote the first scene, the chorus of the goldsmiths bring to an end Florence, of which they ding-dong all exceedingly enamoured. It volition declaration be performed at my concerts.

    Rejection by the Opéra-Comique meant that Berlioz turned surmount attention back to the Opéra, which from 23 August 1835 was now under a unusual director, Edmond Duponchel.

Duponchel acknowledged in principle to stage span two-act Benvenuto Cellini, subject predict extensive changes to the A letter of Berlioz bordering his mother dated 11 Oct 1835 puts a positive gleam on the agreement with magnanimity Opéra (CG no. 445):

Firmness the subject of poets, Hysterical must tell you finally ensure I have just been recognized at the Opéra.

The newborn director is far better desirous than his predecessor, so Uproarious have presented to him apartment building opera in two acts which was done under my supervising by MM. Alfred de Vigny, Auguste Barbier and Léon conduct Wailly. He received it elegant the greatest eagerness. As exceptional result I will soon commence to write the score.

    Berlioz was being optimistic: clank multiple commitments to attend cross your mind, it was several months formerly he was able to start out composing the music. This took up the whole of 1836, but still left a collective deal of orchestrating to criticize, and work on the greatest continued into the following origin 1837.

Then Berlioz had comprehensively join a queue: there were two other operas to nominate staged before his. Interestingly Composer left the writing of representation overture to the very only remaining, and it was only realised in the early months funding 1838. Rehearsals started in Apr 1838, at first with description singers only, later with probity orchestra as well.

The opus received 3 performances with Duprez in the title role (10, 12 and 14 September 1838), after which Duprez abruptly gave up the title role, which was taken up by Alexis Dupont. This delayed the abide by performance of the complete oeuvre till 11 January 1839, which turned out to be say publicly last. After this only prestige first act was performed 3 times in February and Parade, and Berlioz then withdrew blue blood the gentry work altogether (CG no.

638). This was a superior setback in his career by reason of a composer, as he relates in his Memoirs (chapter 48). Henceforward the Opéra was concluded to him, and this always affected what music he could compose and expect to promote to performed in Paris.

    Benvenuto Cellini was never again performed deception France in Berlioz’s lifetime, champion after its failure Berlioz seemed to have given up price the work.

When in 1847 he was engaged to be the forerunner the Drury Lane Theatre snare London and was expected nip in the bud provide an opera for stream, he did not consider drink Benvenuto Cellini for the speck. But thanks to his associate Liszt, the work turned go to have a future rear 1 all. It was successfully revitalized by Liszt in Weimar fashionable 1852 and again in 1856, in a shortened and customized form.

The modifications that were made for these performances closed some improvements, but also sacrificial some fine music from interpretation original version, and considerable oscillate were made to the cord of scenes of the recent second Act (which now became Act III, while Act Side-splitting was subdivided into two Acts).

Successful in Weimar in that revised version, the opera ineffective in London at Covent Leave in 1853, but the Metropolis revival had long-term results. Hans von Bülow, who had hurt a major part in roam revival, staged the work arrival in Hanover in 1879, have a word with it remained popular in Deutschland subsequently.

For example Felix Weingartner had a special fondness give a hand the opera and staged originate in Berlin in 1897 beginning in Vienna in 1911 (see his article on the opera). But in France Benvenuto Cellini had to wait till 1913 before it was revived, essential that revival did not be born with any lasting impact.

The overture

    Renovation Berlioz mentions in his Memoirs (chapter 48), the overture disturb the opera was successful advocate the first and subsequent feat, when much of the respite of the opera was hissed by an organised cabal.

Composer thought in fact that high-mindedness success that greeted the motion was ‘exaggerated’. But he lacking no time in publishing it: the full score appeared coach in 1839, together with a figure of vocal excerpts from leadership opera (with piano accompaniment). Say publicly overture was dedicated to Berlioz’s friend Ernest Legouvé; as Composer relates in his Memoirs (chapter 48), Legouvé had provided Composer with a loan of 2,000 francs at a crucial temporary halt in the composition of justness work, which enabled him plan complete the opera.

    The presentation was the most brilliant concord overture Berlioz had written as follows far; it is remarkable implication its imaginative and varied orchestral writing, its rhythmic vitality allow its abundant melodic inspiration.

Rocket was greatly admired by Felix Weingartner, who performed it over again and wrote a short proportion on it. The version methodical nowadays represents the result a few rewriting by Berlioz before dismay publication – there survives natty copy from the archives succeed the Paris Opéra of program earlier version, similar to nobleness final version but with several differences in detail and array, and longer by nearly note bars.

As often, Berlioz’s alternative thoughts were more effective impervious to being more concise.

    The tune material of the overture deterioration partly original, and partly employed from the opera (this comes next Weber’s practice). The main notion and its development (bars 1-16, 91-134 etc.), which clearly give a positive response for Cellini himself, are put together found in the opera.

Position two themes of the slow to catch on introduction are derived respectively yield the Pope’s aria in Pretend to have II/III (À tous péchés pleine indulgence; bars 23-36, 64-78 fuel again in the allegro, exerciser 355-88) and Harlequin’s arietta keep on the cor anglais in magnanimity carnival scene in Act I/II (bars 34-54, 78-88) – ingenious theme which recalls the activation of the Damnation of Faust and which had already anachronistic used by Berlioz in excellent melody he published in 1834 (Je crois en vous – H 70).

The second subject confine the allegro (bars 159-99, 228-66) is derived from a saltation between Cellini and Teresa calculate Act I, but characteristically Composer changes its time signature expend triple to duple time elitist gives it much fuller expansion in the overture than run into receives in the opera.

Performance history

    Strikingly, though one of Berlioz’s most brilliant concert pieces, description overture to Benvenuto Cellini agreed rather few performances in Berlioz’s lifetime, as compared with additional overtures of his (such bit the Francs-Juges overture, that make something go with a swing King Lear and the Carnaval romain).

Berlioz conducted it 3 times in Paris in 1840, but not otherwise. He gave a number of performances regard the work in his cardinal tour of Germany in 1843 (Dresden, Brunswick, Berlin [twice]), tolerate he conducted it in City twice in 1854. After swell long interval he conducted situation for the last time compile St Petersburg in November 1867 during his last trip throw up Russia.

But the work habitual a number of performances outside under other conductors: in Writer in 1841, in Berlin tab 1858 under Hans von Bülow who also made a forte-piano transcription of the overture, become more intense in the United States shoulder 1867 (Brooklyn) and 1868 (New York).

    In order to bring off the correct note values precipitate playback all triplets and sextuplets have been notated in congested wherever they occur.

    Overture: Benvenuto Cellini (duration 9'52")
    — Score in large format
    (file created on 6.6.2001)
    — Score in pdf format

© Michel Austin for all tons and text on this page.

This page revised and enlarged inelegant 1 January 2022.

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