Classical Hour
Eivind Aadland
Joyce DiDonato Hector Berlioz

Berlioz: Les nuits d'été

Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) often wrote about his own music in diaries and letters. About the song cycle Les nuits d'été, however, there is little to be found. It was composed around 1840, and the original version for high voice and piano was performed in the summer of 1841. This was a turbulent period in Berlioz's life: his first marriage was nearing its end, and at the same time he met the woman who would later become his second wife.

He was also criticised for writing only grand works for symphony orchestra. The six songs in Les nuits d'été reveal another side of him. They are more intimate and contemplate love from various perspectives. The loss of love is a recurring theme throughout the cycle. Perhaps Berlioz felt that the work's message was clear enough in itself, without need for further explanation.