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Hector Berlioz's Les Grotesques de la musique is the only one of his books that has never been translated into English in its entirety. It is by far the funniest of all his works, and consists of a number of short anecdotes, witticisms, open letters, and comments on the absurdities of concert life. Alastair Bruce's fluid translation brings to life this important composer and bon vivant/. He does a wonderful job of conveying all the puns, jokes, and invective of Berlioz's prose as well as the nuances of his stories. He even imitates a Tahitian accent in the translation, as Berlioz does in the original. The notes will give the reader insight into the innuendos and in-jokes that fill the pages. This translation will take its place among other translations of Berlioz's prose writings, bringing to the reader more lively examples of a still misunderstood composer caught up in the musical life of mid-nineteenth century Paris. With an introduction by Hugh Macdonald. Alastair Bruce is a London-based management consultant and former treasurer of the Berlioz Society. Hugh Macdonald is General Editor of New Berlioz Edition.
| Illustrations | ||
| Introduction | ||
| Translator's Note | ||
| Prologue: Letter from the Chorus of the Opera to the Author | 1 | |
| Prologue: The Author's Reply to the Chorus of the Opera | 3 | |
| The musical madhouse | ||
| The right to play a symphony in the wrong key | 11 | |
| A crowned virtuoso | 11 | |
| A new musical instrument | 13 | |
| The regiment of colonels | 13 | |
| A cantata | 14 | |
| A programme of grotesque music | 16 | |
| Is it a joke? | 18 | |
| The evangelist of the drum | 19 | |
| The apostle of the flageolet | 20 | |
| The prophet of the trombone | 21 | |
| Conductors | 21 | |
| Appreciators of Beethoven | 22 | |
| The Sontag version | 22 | |
| You can't dance in E | 23 | |
| Kissed by Rossini | 23 | |
| A clarinet concerto | 24 | |
| Musical instruments at the Universal Exhibition | 25 | |
| A rival to Erard | 34 | |
| Diplomatic Correspondence: Letter addressed to H.M. Aimata Pomare, Queen of Tahiti | 37 | |
| Prudence and sagacity of a provincial - Alexandre's melodium | 40 | |
| The tromba marina - The saxophone - Experts in instrumentation | 41 | |
| Jaguarita - Female savages | 42 | |
| The Astucio family | 44 | |
| Marriages of convenience | 45 | |
| Great news | 46 | |
| More news | 46 | |
| Barley sugar - Heavy music | 47 | |
| The Evil Eye | 50 | |
| Ordinary music lovers and serious music | 50 | |
| Lamentations of Jeremiah | 54 | |
| A model critic | 66 | |
| Dramatic emphasis | 66 | |
| Success of a Miserere | 68 | |
| The season - The bugbears' club | 69 | |
| Minor irritations of major concerts | 75 | |
| 20 francs per ticket | 79 | |
| War on flats | 79 | |
| Scientific Correspondence: Plombieres and Baden, 1st letter | 81 | |
| Scientific Correspondence: Plombieres and Baden, 2nd letter | 93 | |
| Aural aberrations and delusions | 104 | |
| Philosophical Correspondence: A letter to Monsieur Ella | 106 | |
| The debutante - The Director of the Opera's despotism | 109 | |
| The song of cockerels - The cockerels of song | 112 | |
| Sparrows | 114 | |
| Music for laughs | 116 | |
| National fatuities (Castigat ridendo mores) | 117 | |
| Ingratitude shows an independent spirit | 118 | |
| The futility of glory | 120 | |
| Madame Lebrun | 125 | |
| Time spares nothing | 127 | |
| The rhythm of pride | 129 | |
| A remark of Monsieur Auber | 129 | |
| Music and dance | 130 | |
| Dancer poets | 132 | |
| Another remark of Monsieur Auber | 132 | |
| Concerts | 132 | |
| Nelson's bravery | 134 | |
| Grotesque prejudices | 135 | |
| Non-believers in musical expressiveness | 140 | |
| Mme. Stoltz and Mme. Sontag - Making millions | 143 | |
| The rough and the smooth | 150 | |
| Dilettanti of the fashion world - The poet and the cook | 151 | |
| Orange groves - The acorn and the pumpkin | 152 | |
| "Duckings" | 153 | |
| Sensitivity and concision - A funeral oration in three syllables | 154 | |
| Travels in France - Academic Correspondence: First letter - Marseilles | 157 | |
| Travels in France - Academic Correspondence: Second letter - Lyons | 164 | |
| Travels in France - Academic Correspondence: A day later | 175 | |
| Travels in France - Academic Correspondence: Third letter - Lille; Arras | 177 | |
| All's well that ends merrily | 189 | |
| Notes | 190 | |
| Sources | 211 | |
| Selected Bibliography | 215 | |
| Index | 219 |
Overview
Hector Berlioz's Les Grotesques de la musique is the only one of his books that has never been translated into English in its entirety. It is by far the funniest of all his works, and consists of a number of short anecdotes, witticisms, open letters, and comments on the absurdities of concert life. Alastair Bruce's fluid translation brings to life this important composer and bon vivant/. He does a wonderful job of conveying all the puns, jokes, and invective of Berlioz's prose as well as the nuances of his ...