Le carnaval romain

Berlioz composed Le Carnaval romain (The Roman Carnival) in 1843. The music is based on his earlier opera Benvenuto Cellini, but Berlioz did not intend the new work as a replacement of the opera’s existing overture. Le Carnaval romain is essentially an independent symphonic poem using some of the same musical material. Benvenuto Cellini is a spectacular portrayal of the life and times of the flamboyant Italian Renaissance sculptor. After the opera’s failure at its Paris premiere in 1838, Berlioz was keen to redeploy some of the music in a concert-hall work. The overture begins with a snapshot preview of the Mardi Gras carnival scene. Then comes an English horn solo, a transcription of Cellini’s aria sung to the heroine Teresa and an orchestral version of their subsequent duet. The rest of the work is then given over to the headlong pace and roistering musical invention of the Roman carnival itself, showcasing Berlioz’s trademark orchestral virtuosity at full tilt.