Sinfonia fantastica op. 14 cover

Sinfonia fantastica op. 14

Hector Berlioz · 1981

6 tracks · classical music

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental
95 /100
Summit
Higher than 100% of albums we've rated

Its recurring theme changes character across a tightly staged five-movement arc, culminating in a finale that turns earlier material grotesque; the particular recording's executio…

What we noticed

  • The opening moves from a slow introduction into agitated sonata-form writing, with the recurring idée fixe returning as the beloved's theme.
  • The waltz recasts that theme over a lilting dance, while the third movement's pastoral dialogue between English horn and oboe leads into an extended pause before the march.
  • The finale brings in tolling bells and the Dies irae melody, then drives them into a fast, layered witches' sabbath.
Composition 25% of the score
10/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
6/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
9/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
10/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
9/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 9/10

Reshaped what followed. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Sinfonia fantastica op. 14: Rêveries, passions (Largo ‐ Allegro agitato ed appassionato assai)
  • 2 Sinfonia fantastica op. 14: Un bal (Valse: Allegro non troppo)
  • 3 Sinfonia fantastica op. 14: Scène aux champs (Adagio)
  • 4 Sinfonia fantastica op. 14: Scène aux champs (Adagio) conclusione
  • 5 Sinfonia fantastica op. 14: Marche au supplice (Allegretto non troppo)
  • 6 Sinfonia fantastica op. 14: Songe d’une nuit du sabbat (Larghetto ‐ Allegro – Allegro assai – Allegro lontano – Ronde du sabbat)

What to play next

Symphonie fantastique
Listen next

Symphonie fantastique

1982
Berlioz: Le Carnaval romain / Ouverture de « Béatrice et Bénédict » / Marche hongroise / Dukas: L’Apprenti sorcier / Saint‐Saëns: Danse macabre / Bacchanale de « Samson et Dalila » / Le Déluge
Go back to

Berlioz: Le Carnaval romain / Ouverture de « Béatrice et Bénédict » / Marche hongroise / Dukas: L’Apprenti sorcier / Saint‐Saëns: Danse macabre / Bacchanale de « Samson et Dalila » / Le Déluge

1981
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Reference: MusicBrainz