By 1830, the possibilities of the symphony appeared to have been exhausted. After the monumental Ninth symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert, what else could be done with the genre? Enter the dynamic young French composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), who took a completely different approach to the challenges of symphonic writing. In the first 5 months of 1830, he composed one of the most important symphonies of all time - the Symphonie Fantastique. Subtitled 'Episodes in the Life of an Artist', it was inspired by Berlioz's passion for the young Irish actress Harriet Smithson. It is a strongly programmatic work in five movements: 'Dreams and Passions', 'A Ball', 'Scene in the Fields', 'March to the Scaffold', and 'Witches' Sabbath'. Berlioz's melodic invention and imaginative orchestration shine throughout the entire work, and it remains one of the most enduringly popular works in the symphonic repertoire. Listen to Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique: First movement - 'Dreams and Passions' (RealAudio file) Second movement - 'A Ball' (RealAudio file) LIVE PERFORMANCES: The Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Curro Above: Hector Berlioz Above: Robert Schumann. Robert Schumann (1810-1856) adhered to the principles of Classical form and structure, but introduced many innovations which had a huge influence on the symphony's development. He wrote four symphonies of great lyrical charm and beauty, all of which contain totally original concepts. His Fourth symphony is perhaps his most innovative. It consists of four movements linked together into one, and the entire symphony is based on a single musical theme uniting the piece into a cohesive whole. This technique of cyclical form inspired composers such as Brahms, Franck, and Mahler. Listen to Schumann's Symphony No. 3 in E flat - the 'Rhenish': First movement - Lebhaft (RealAudio file) Second movement - Scherzo, Sehr maessig (RealAudio file) LIVE PERFORMANCES: The Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Curro The other major symphonist of the early Romantic period was Felix Mendelssohn. His two most important symphonies, the Third and Fourth, are Classical in structure, but Romantic in temperament, strongly characterized by Mendelssohn's youthful energy and vigour. Although less groundbreaking than the symphonies of Schumann and Berlioz, they are important works which offer much to the listener. Continue the Quick Tour Previous Page Back to the Quick Tour first page Above: Felix Mendelssohn.