It is hard to imagine two composers more different in talent and
temperament than the French, mostly self-taught Hector Berlioz and
German, highly cultivated Felix Mendelssohn. The two were an "odd
couple" Berlioz grew up in provincial France, the son of a country
doctor; he moved to Paris to study medicine but gravitated toward
music in his early twenties. His views and music represent the more
progressive Romantic ideals of the nineteenth-century. Mendelssohn,
on the other hand, was probably the most talented musician after
Mozart. He enjoyed a comfortable life and a fine education in
Berlin, where he absorbed the classical tradition in music,
religion, and philosophy. As a pathway into their life and music, a
new original play, Hector & Felix, tells of the two encounters
between the composers, who first met in Rome in 1831 and twelve
years later in Leipzig in 1843. Using letters and historical
documents of their life, opinions, and music, the play imagines
their discussion during two different periods of their career. Act
1 is set in Rome, where Berlioz (aged 27) was in residence at the
French Academy after winning the Prix de Rome and where Mendelssohn
(aged 22) happened to be visiting at the end of a Grand Tour
through Europe. Act 2 is set in Leipzig, where Mendelssohn had
established himself as conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra and at
a time when Berlioz is traveling through Germany organizing
concerts to pay his expenses. Each act is divided into scenes in
places or venues (e.g., Villa Medici, Cafe Greco, Mendelssohn's
living room) where the two men converse about music, art,
literature, and other topics.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
