Symphonie Fantastique is a symphony composed in 1830 by Hector Berlioz. The composition speaks of the struggles that an artist endures when the love he extends towards a fair lady is not reciprocated. After the young lad realizes that he will never be able to obtain the object of his affection, he chooses to commit suicide by taking opium. However, the amount ingested was only enough to put him into a hallucination. While in the drug-induced state, his imagination runs wild and paints a picture of his failure to acquire the object of his affection. The fifth movement in the composition is the culmination of the despair. Berlioz portrays the anguish felt by the young lad through a setting that depicts evil. The depiction borrows from the Western conception of evil and is used to emphasize the troubled state that one can find their selves in if they fail at love.
The Western conception of evil has varied with time based on both ideological and cultural influences. To begin with, it is important to note that evil itself does not exist in the objective reality. It is a cultural construct that receives input from dominant ideologies such as religion. It is also informed by individual perspectives as people try to explain the origin of misfortune in their lives or in the lives of others. As a result, the concept has managed to stay significant in current and past civilizations. Secondly, evil as a concept has remained fluid throughout the times. As people evolve and change their practices, new influences are introduced into the concept. Consequently, there exist various interpretations of evil in Western philosophy based on the influences that underlie the perception of the concept. Nevertheless, there still exists several attributes that are accepted by a majority as the representation of evil. Examples of such attributes include deviance, disorder, and pervasiveness. In the fifth movement of Symphonie Fantastique, the said elements together with others have been used to symbolize evil and show the depths of despair for which the disillusioned lover has fallen.
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Evil is first symbolized in the composition through the setting. The activities brought to life by the music take place at a hideous gathering of witches. In fact, in his notes to the composition, Berlioz points out that the setting is a witches’ Sabbath which is a gathering of people who practice witchcraft. Witchcraft has been associated with evil in the Western conception of the term. Activities that underlie witchcraft have an evil connotation in the sense that they deviate from normal practices. Additionally, they are largely performed to bring suffering rather than spiritual joy and prosperity. As a result, the Western world has always considered witchcraft and its associated practices to be demonic. Using the gathering of witches as the occasion that underlies events of the fifth movement is testament to the fact that Berlioz uses symbols of evil to emphasize the despair felt by the young lad who has failed at love.
The agenda for the composition also bears witness to the symbolism of evil. The fifth movement depicts the funeral of the young lad after he had died from taking opium. While he is not actually dead, he hallucinates that he is witnessing his own burial. While funerals themselves do not symbolize evil in Western culture, an orgy performed during a funeral is evidence of demonic practices. In the composition, the funeral depicted does not take place in the normal way. To begin with, subjects in attendance are those associated with evil. They include sorcerers, witches, and monsters of various kinds. Secondly, the subjects in attendance engage in a diabolical orgy that includes a dance led by the witches. The orgy is evidence of the fact that the funeral has more evil elements than normal elements. Thirdly, a parody of Dies Irae is performed during the funeral. Dies Irae is a Latin funeral chant that can be performed in normal funerals. However, in the composition by Berlioz, a parody of the song is used. The parody lacks elements of rhythm and refinement present in the original version. Its use is evidence of the fact that the funeral has evil connotations and significantly deviates from a normal funeral. Therefore, the funeral bears symbolism to evil and continues to emphasize the troubled state of the disillusioned lover.
Another aspect of the setting that bears symbolism to evil is the sounds that define the scenario. As earlier pointed out, a gathering of witches is taking place to perform burial rites for the deceased. However, the sounds associated with the ceremony bear semblance to evil. As the ceremony is underway, the sounds heard are described as strange. There are groans, distant shouts, and outbursts of laughter occurring in a very incoherent manner. In Western culture, incoherent sounds that include shouts, groans, and outbursts of laughter are associated with ghosts planning to carry out malicious activities. Most depictions of evil ghosts in film feature such incoherent sounds. Therefore, there use in the setting of the composition is an allusion to the said evil. Additionally, as the composition starts, a beloved melody is heard. However, the joy and serenity is short-lived as vulgar dance tunes take over immediately after. Berlioz describes the tunes as trivial and grotesque. The description bears semblance of evil in the sense that vulgarity and grotesqueness are sometimes elements of dark forces.
Apart from the setting, the semblance of evil is also present in how the composition itself is executed. The composition has a number aspects that show deviance. In Western culture, deviance has come to inform various perspectives of evil. The main perspective arises from the fact that deviance involves practices that do not conform to conventions. The case is especially strong for practices where the norm reflects goodness while the opposite of the norm reflects darker attributes For instance, practices that do not conform to conventional knowledge of morality may be seen as evil. An example from the early 18th century is the fact that same-sex relations were viewed as evil. Another perspective of deviance that has strong evil connotations is going against dominant religious practices. Religion in Western culture is one among the strongest philosophical school of thought. Religion recognizes evil and is built around practices meant to keep the said evil at bay. Therefore, practices that deviate from the dominant teachings of religion can be viewed as evil. In this regard, it has been established that deviance has significant connotations to evil in the Western culture.
The composition Symphonie Fantastique:Fifth Movement has a number of elements that deviate from the norm. The deviation has been used by the composer to depict evil and emphasize the troubled nature of the young lover who was unable to win the object of his affection. The first instance of deviation is seen in ambiguity of the meter used in the music. In classical music, it is the norm for compositions to have regular and constant pulse which serve as the foundation for the whole performance. An unambiguous meter brings about regularity and predictability to the composition. It also adds to the rhythm and makes the music distinct and identifiable to the audience. However, such is not the case with Symphonie Fantastique:Fifth Movement. The composition consists of various musical fragments that differ greatly from each other. Each fragment has sustained chords which also vary in length, unlike the case in a conventional classical composition. As a result, the composition is filled with uncertainty and lack of regularity. The audience is exposed to assorted musical fragments that cut across what would appear to be the pulse and rhythm for the music. The deviation reaches new levels when one recognizes that it is not even possible to identify strong beats that would serve as the foundational identity for the composition. The deviation from normal symphonic and classical music practices are so pronounced. The composer uses the deviance to allude to aspects of evil which then paint a picture of the desolate nature of the situation.
Another aspect of deviation in the composition is the use of syncopation to distort rhythmic paths. In classical music, syncopation is used to interrupt a regular rhythm and introduce another rhythm or melody that serves to increase the complexity of the composition. It also adds more layers, thereby, making the music diverse and interesting to the audience. However, in Symphonie Fantastique:Fifth Movement, syncopation has been used in a very unusual manner. Rather than amplifying the musical experience through complex rhythms and melodies, it has been used to undermine the semblance of a rhythm in the music and expose the audience to repeated fragments rather than a whole new element. Evidence of how the rhythmic path has been undermined is present at bar 78. Before the bar is reached, the audience is exposed to 32 bars of regular and steady dance rhythms. As a result, it is the expectation that such rhythm would be increased in complexity once syncopation is used. Berlioz fails to do so and instead uses the syncopation to disrupt the whole rhythm entirely with no introduction of new or complex musical elements. As an audience, one is left to wonder about the rhythmic future of the composition.
The use of syncopation to utterly destroy the rhythm is a form of deviance that cannot be ignored in the composition. Its pronounced nature leads to the disruption of structural and harmonic elements of the symphony. Conventions that relate to how a composition of classical nature should be structured lay emphasis on having melodic progression. The melodic progression is achieved when structural and harmonic distortion is avoided. Destruction is only welcomed if it gives the composition added complexity by introducing new layers or elements. However, the new additions have to build on the existing elements rather than give the music a new feel. In Symphonie Fantastique:Fifth Movement, Berlioz disregards such a strong convention and chooses to use syncopation as a way of disrupting melodic progression. The lack of an identifiable structure and harmony can be viewed as an “evil” practice since it greatly deviates from normal convention. In using the deviation, Berlioz succeeds in showing the pain of unrequited love and the descent that can follow, which is confusing and frightening.
Apart from deviance, disorder is another aspect of the composition that bears semblance to evil. Western culture has perspectives that associate disorder with evil. The religious perspective is the most dominant one. For instance, in Christianity, God is said to have created the world out of order. Human beings are asked to recognize and obey the said order so that they can have a prosperous and fulfilling existence. In the same religion, evil is associated with disorder. The devil is depicted as an individual seeking to instill chaos and confusion into people’s lives. Additionally, an individual who has been possessed by evil powers lacks order. His actions and conduct are disorderly to the point that he requires the intervention of spiritual forces to overcome the chaos. As a result, disorder has remained as one of the aspects that define evil in a variety of perspectives.
The composition Symphonie Fantastique:Fifth Movement contains aspects that clearly show disorder. To begin with, there is evidence of disorder in the setting. While the program notes indicate that it is a funeral ceremony officiated by a gathering of witches, the musical aspects of the ceremony show chaos and disorder. A ceremony is usually conducted with adherence to a plan that dictates how events should follow each other. The progression from one event to another creates order. However, in the composition by Berlioz, there is no such progression from one event to another. As the said funeral is being conducted, distant shouts, groans, and other strange sounds are heard. To add to the chaos, the distant shouts and strange shouts are answered by more shouts and strange noises. The fact that the sounds are answered is evidence of the fact that there are other persons in the vicinity of the ceremony who are not in attendance. The other persons introduce chaos since they do not abide by any rules of the ceremony. The disorder serves to depict evil and paints a clear picture of the disturbed nature of the disillusioned lover.
Musical elements from the composition also show evidence of disorder. The first prominent example is at the beginning of the performance where the audience is introduced to a somber melody. The melody introduces some form of serenity and calmness which one would expect to continue for the rest of the performance. However, it is not long before a terrifying and almost deafening crescendo is introduced seconds into the calm melody. A demonic shriek is heard followed by what appears to be an attempt and amplifying the chaos. The striking sound effects distort any feelings of order that were present at the start of the composition. The distortion creates a very chaotic environment that bears semblances of evil. The second prominent evidence of disorder can be found in the intensity of the music. The intensity of the composition is defined by chaotic passages that bear little relation to each other. For instance, in the sections where Dies Irae is performed, there are irregular phrase lengths which affect the intensity of the piece. The audience is first introduced to a highly intense piece of the chant. The intensity then drastically reduces as the composer uses various musical instruments to play the same piece. The resultant effect is that the chant feels jumbled up and there is no actual progression in terms of intensity. Consequently, an audience is left to decipher the chaos and hope that order will be restored at some point in the performance. Therefore, disorder is used by the composer to symbolize evil and add more emphasis to the troubled nature of the lover who has failed to acquire the object of his affection.
In conclusion, Symphonie Fantastique:Fifth Movement is a composition that contains references to evil. The composer makes such allusions to lay more emphasis on the dire nature of the situation where a disillusioned lover experiences unrequited love. In Western culture, the concept of evil is not homogenous in the sense that it undergoes change based on influences from varies cultural items and perspectives. However, there still remain elements that can be identified as evil by a majority in the Western culture. The said elements include deviation and disorder. In the composition, various elements that refer to evil have been used. The elements serve to emphasize the desolate nature of the situation and show the depths for which one can sink if they experience unrequited love.
Bibliography
- Barzun, Jaques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century. London: Victor Gollancz, 1951.
- Berlioz, Hector. Fantastic Symphony, ed. Edward T. Cone. New York: Norton, 1971.
- Burton Russell, Jeffrey. The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History. New York: Cornell University Press, 1988.
- Carus, Paul. The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day. La Salle, Ill.: Open Court, c1974.
- Edgecombe, R S., 'The Musical Representation of the Grotesque in Nineteenth-Century Opera,' The Opera Quarterly 16 (Winter 2000), pp. 34-51.
- Ricoeur, Paul. The Symbolism of Evil, trans. Emerson Buchanan. New York: Harper and Row, 1967.
- Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
- Rushton, Julian. The Musical Language of Berlioz. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
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