Berlioz, (Louis) Hector 1803-69
French composer

Born in C�te-Saint-Andr�, he first studied medicine, but produced some large-scale works before entering the Paris Conservatoire in 1826. He fell in love with the Irish Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson (1800-54) and wrote the Symphonie fantastique (1830) for her; they married in 1833. After winning the Prix de Rome (1830), he spent two years in Italy. His other works include his symphony Harold en Italie (1834, 'Harold in Italy', written for Paganini), the Grande messe des morts (1837, 'High Mass for the Dead'), the dramatic symphony Rom�o et Juliette (1839, 'Romeo and Juliet'), the cantata La Damnation de Faust (1846, 'The Damnation of Faust'), and his operas Les Troyens (1856-58, 'The Trojans') and B�atrice et B�n�dict (1860-62). One of the founders of 19th-century programme music, Berlioz also wrote several books, including a treatise on orchestration and an autobiography. Despite a considerable reputation in Germany, Prussia and Great Britain, he failed to win respect in France, and that, together with the deaths of his second wife and his son, and his own ill health, overshadowed his later years.