Assignment 2 Symphonie Fantastique IV.

March to the Scaffold By: Hector Berlioz Located: Types of Listeners: Referential Listeners Both the text and my internet research made it clear to me that the piece is program music, that is, it follows a specific story line. It is a tragic story of a lovesick composer who intends to kill himself by taking opium. The fourth part of the piece is the one featured in our text. The composer is marching to his execution after killing his love, in his opium dream. The song is slow and somber, sounding like someone is actually trekking to their death. It makes me think of the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean where Captain Jack is being marched to the gallows. The musical concept of movement IV, March to the Scaffold, is made possible through the use of an ensemble. Without a variety of instruments, the piece would not have had such a profound affect on shaping an environment of walking to your death. It really made me feel like I was watching someone march to their execution.