Funeral Symphony

The Symphonie funèbre et triomphale (Funeral Symphony) was composed by Hector Berlioz in 1840 for the tenth anniversary of the July Revolution. This work was originally intended for military band, chorus, and strings, and was commissioned for the inauguration of the July Column in the Place de la Bastille.1

While Berlioz is widely known for his Symphonie fantastique, which tells the story of a young artist's opium-fueled dreams after a failed love affair, the Funeral Symphony served a different purpose. It was a large-scale piece designed for a public ceremony. Unfortunately, the premiere performance was marred by the sound of drum corps, which drowned out the music. Berlioz later repaired this by giving the work a concert performance the following month. This symphony was admired by Richard Wagner.12