Album insights
Heinrich Heine once critiqued Berlioz's music as being primitive and prehistoric, but later commended his work L'Enfance du Christ as a masterpiece of simplicity. Despite Heine's previous exaggerations, he acknowledged the distinct quality in Berlioz's overall body of work displayed through this oratorio. The piece demonstrated a rare theme in Berlioz's compositions, one filled with tenderness and simplicity. While Berlioz held traditional religion in contempt, there was something in the biblical tale of Herod's slaughter of innocent children and the holy family's flight to Egypt that intrigued him. This sparked the creation of one of his most beautiful works, comparing it to medieval illuminated manuscripts meant for religious contemplation and meditation.
The composition of L'Enfance du Christ had a peculiar and unconventional genesis. Initially, it wasn't designed as a complete work but rather came together unexpectedly. The first piece composed, "L'Adieu des Bergers à la Sainte Famille," gained popularity through Christmas concerts. Berlioz's friends urged him to expand it, leading to the addition of "Le Repos de la Sainte Famille" and an overture, culminating in the creation of La Fuite en Egypte in 1852. Following this, Berlioz, engrossed in conducting, traveling, and writing, took a hiatus from composing for three years. It wasn't until 1853, with the premiere of the complete version of La Fuite en Egypte in Leipzig, that the enthusiasm of his friends spurred him on to further expand the work. Thus, L'Arrivée à Saïs, dedicated to his close companions, became the third part of the trilogy.
Though each section of the trilogy possessed a distinctive atmosphere and character due to variations in orchestration, Berlioz successfully unified the different elements to create a cohesive and dramatic whole. By utilizing a narrator tenor and thematic interplay, he avoided the risk of disjointed individual movements. Berlioz's use of fugue techniques and modalities contributed to a unified compositional style, weaving a thread of cohesion throughout the work. The narrative developed seamlessly, with motifs evolving within and between the trilogy's parts, serving a clear structural and dramatic purpose.
Berlioz's "L'Enfance du Christ" emerged as one of his most beloved works, characterized by a unique simplicity and tenderness within his body of work. The composition's gentle and straightforward nature found favor among audiences due to its subject matter. As reflected in his own words, Berlioz perceived the piece as aligned with his established compositional style, featuring passionate expressiveness in a delicate and tender manner unique to this work.