What is Symphonie fantastique?
{{unreferenced|date=April 2015}} The '''''Symphonie fantastique''''' is a [[symphony]] written by the [[France|French]] [[composer]] [[Hector Berlioz]]. It is one of the most famous [[Romantic music|Romantic]] works for [[orchestra]]. The official title of the piece is '''''Episode de la Vie d’un Artiste''''' ('''''An Episode in the Life of an Artist'''''), but it is always called by its subtitle ''Symphonie Fantastique'' which means ''Fantasy Symphony''. The “Fantasy” refers to the story that is described by the music. (''Fantasy Symphony'' is a better translation than ''Fantastic Symphony'' because ''fantastique'' is not like the modern meaning of the [[English language|English]] word ''fantastic''). The symphony lasts about 45 minutes and is divided into 5 movements. Berlioz himself wrote down the story that the music describes, just as [[Beethoven]] had done with his ''Sixth Symphony''. Berlioz’s work is about a young [[artist]]. In the music the young artist is represented by a tune. This tune is often heard during the symphony. That is why it is called an “''idée fixe''”, which means a “fixed idea”, i.e. an idea that keeps coming again and again. An ''idée fixe'' is what [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]] would have called a [[leitmotif]] (a tune which is always used to describe a particular person or thing in a piece of music). The first performance took place at the [[Paris Conservatoire]] in December 1830. Berlioz made several changes to the music between 1831 and 1845. == The instruments used == The symphony is played by an orchestra consisting of 2 [[flute]]s (2nd [[instrumental doubling|doubling]] [[piccolo]]), 2 [[oboe]]s (2nd doubling [[cor anglais]]), 2 [[clarinet]]s (1st doubling E-flat clarinet), 4 [[bassoon]]s, 4 [[French horn]]s, 2 [[trumpet]]s, 2 [[cornet]]s, 3 [[trombone]]s, 2 [[ophicleide]]s (originally one ophicleide and one [[serpent (musical instrument)|serpent]]), 2 pairs of [[timpani]], [[snare drum]], [[cymbal]]s, [[bass drum]], [[bell (instrument)|bells]] in C and G, 2 [[harp]]s, and [[Strin