Hector Berlioz Essentials

This French Romantic figure pushed orchestration to new places in the 19th century—not least with his immortal Symphonie fantastique. Also considered one of the great conductors of his day, his music can be found in the repertoires of Berlioz's hybrid-talent successors (such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Thomas Adès and Pierre Boulez). Though it took some time for Berlioz's major opera, Les Troyens, to find a consistent place on the global stage, it is now acknowledged as a masterwork. The 21st century need for more Berlioz productions has even led the Metropolitan Opera to create a multimedia spectacle out of the composer's “légende dramatique", La damnation du Faust.