Hector Berlioz composed his “Harold in Italy” in 1834. It was commissioned by violinist Nicollo Paganini, who had just purchased an excellent viola.
The work is structured in four long movements. The first, titled “Harold in the Mountains,” carries the subtitle “Scenes of Sadness, Happiness, and Joy.” It is an introspective introduction to the protagonist, a subtle theme, first played by the solo viola, that echoes throughout the work.
The second movement, “The March of the Pilgrims Singing Their Evening Prayer,” contrasts Harold’s lush romantic perspective with the pilgrims’ gentle religious fervor.
The “Serenade” of the third movement depicts a mountaineer of the rugged Abruzzi region singing to his beloved. The English Horn serves as the voice of the singer, yet Harold is there too, in the role of the solo viola, observing the scene.
For the final movement, Berlioz turns to a more-animated episode, “The Orgy of the Brigands,” but, even amid the action, he recalls the earlier scenes, with musical echoes of the previous movements.
Here is violist Tabea Zimmermann in a section from this amazing tone poem:
