Fantastische Sinfonie
Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" depicts a man's descent into madness due to unrequited love. The symphony features grotesque dreams, death knells, a guillotine, and a witches' sabbath. Berlioz called this masterpiece "Episode in the Life of an Artist," a truly bizarre trip with visions of waltzes, murder, execution, and ultimately, a wild, orgiastic climax. This dark, chilling Romantic symphony, full of extreme sound effects, truly deserves its name.