The Symphonie fantastique was composed in 1830 and first performed in Paris later that year. Its five movements tell the feverish story of a young artist haunted by an idealised vision of his beloved, represented throughout the work by a recurring melody known as the idée fixe. The story progresses through a glittering ball and a peaceful country scene before descending into the famous March to the Scaffold and the fantastical Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath.

Essential Classics Unlocked

This arrangement aims to preserve the character and essential spirit of Berlioz’s revolutionary symphony while presenting it in a form that is comparatively brief and approachable at the piano.

All five movements are represented, although each has necessarily been abridged and carefully adapted to provide an enjoyable and rewarding introduction to this colourful and brilliantly imaginative masterpiece.