Once described as the “Victor Hugo in music,” Hector Berlioz holds a place next to Hugo in the pantheon of French culture. Despite, perhaps even because of, great tragedy and hardship in his life, Berlioz was able to achieve a status as the titan of French Romanticism. Pressured by his parents to pursue a career in medicine, he initially studied to be a physician. He dropped out of medical after two years to pursue his life long interest in music. In 1830, he won the Prix de Rome competition after three unsuccessful attempts. However, his compositions were not accepted well by the public. To support himself, he worked as a music critic. He loathed writing as tedious, though his Treatise on Instrumentation forever changed the methods of orchestration. Often seen as idiosyncratic, his music was respected by many of his contemporaries. It continues to be seen as an artful combination of technique and creativity.

2003 marks the bicentennial of Berlioz’s birth. Luck’s Music Library is proud to offer a wide range of Berlioz works for all abilities. This is the perfect time to explore some of his lesser-known works or to introduce him to a new generation of music lovers.