Hector Berlioz - Tristia, H 119 (rev. 1851) {Claudio Abbado}
Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic composer. His output includes orchestral works such as the Symphonie fantastique and Harold in Italy, choral pieces including the Requiem and L'Enfance du Christ, his three operas Benvenuto Cellini, Les Troyens and Béatrice et Bénédict, and works of hybrid genres such as the "dramatic symphony" Roméo et Juliette and the "dramatic legend" La Damnation de Faust.
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Tristia, H 119 Original version for Chorus and Piano (1849)
Librettist:
1. Anne-Louise Swanton-Belloc (1796–1881)
2. Ernest Legouvé (1807–1903)
Dedication: à Prince Eugen von Sayn-Wittgenstein (1825–1886)
Revised version for Chorus and Orchestra (1851)
1. Méditation religieuse, H 56B (0:00)
2. La mort d’Ophélie, H 92B (4:46)
3. Marche funèbre pour la dernière scène d’Hamlet, H 103 (11:51)
Eric Ericson Chamber Choir
Christina Hörnell, choirmaster
Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Claudio Abbado, conductor
recorded: PAL 16:9 | live, Teatro Comunale, Ferrara | 15 February 2003
original broadcast audio
See live performance here:
https://youtu.be/xHNqIhWrJyc?si=EUY4k53K42VNj8ln
Tristia, Op. 18, is a musical work consisting of three short pieces for chorus and orchestra. Apart from its title, it has nothing to do with the collection of Latin poems by Ovid (the word tristia in Latin means 'sad things'). The individual works were composed at different times and published together in 1852. Berlioz associated them in his mind with Shakespeare's Hamlet, one of his favorite plays. They were never performed during the composer's lifetime.
The three movements are:
Méditation religieuse (Religious Meditation) A setting of a poem by Thomas Moore (translated into French by Louise Belloc) for six-part chorus and small orchestra. It was composed during Berlioz's stay in Rome in 1831.
La mort d’Ophélie (The death of Ophelia) A setting of a ballade by Ernest Legouvé, based on Gertrude's description of Ophelia's drowning in Act IV of Hamlet. It was originally composed for solo voice and piano in 1842 but in 1848 Berlioz revised it for female choir and orchestra.
Marche funèbre pour la dernière scène d'Hamlet (Funeral March for the final scene of Hamlet). The score bears the date September 22, 1848, on it, but it was probably composed in late 1844 and revised on this date. It was composed for a stage performance of Hamlet at the Odéon Theatre that never took place. Berlioz never heard the work. It is the most famous of the three pieces.
Additional information on IMSLP:
Composition and publication history ⟨Tristia, H 119 (Berlioz, Hector) ⟩ [#23440]
The movements were composed at different times of the composer's life but published later as a group. They may not necessarily have been intended to be performed together, though this seems to have been Berlioz's intention based on letters seeking performances written after the 1852 publication.
Composition.
1831 - Méditation religieuse (H 56A) composed for chorus and 7 winds, orchestrated and revised ca.1848.
1842 - La mort d’Ophélie (H 92A) composed for voice and piano, arranged for chorus and orchestra in 1848.
1844 - Marche funèbre pour la dernière scène d’Hamlet (H 103) for wordless chorus and orchestra likely started 1844* but finished in 1848.
*A Paris production of Shakespeare's Hamlet was proposed for 1844, but plans fell through.
Publication.
1848 - La mort d’Ophélie (H 92A) - Paris: Brandus, no plate (voice and piano)
1849 - Version 1 (Nos.1-2 only), H 119A - Paris: Richault, Plate 10,158 R. (No.1 a No.2 a reprint of Brandus above)
1852 - Version 2 (3 pieces), H 119B - Paris: Richault, Plates 11,220-222 R. (full scores), 10,158-159 R. (vocal scores), R.11222, 264 (parts)
1863 - Nos.1-2 in Collection de mélodies, H 139 (Nos.21-22)
1902-04 - Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, as part of Hector Berlioz Werke, ed. Malherbe and Weingartner
1902 - Marche funèbre pour la dernière scène d’Hamlet (H 103) in Serie III, Band VI (full score)
1903 - Méditation religieuse (H 56B) and La mort d’Ophélie (H 92B) in Serie VI, Band XIV (full score)
1904 - vocal score for complete H 119B
1904 - La mort d’Ophélie (H 92A) in Serie VII, Band XVI (vocal score)
Libretto.
Hector Berlioz Website: Méditation religieuse and La mort d’Ophélie