Harold en Italie

Harold en Italie
Symphony with viola solo by Hector Berlioz
Portrait of Berlioz, 1832
EnglishHarold in Italy
CatalogueH. 16
Opus16
Based onLord Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage"
Performed23 November 1834 (1834-11-23)
Movementsfour
Scoring
  • viola
  • orchestra

Harold en Italie, symphonie avec un alto principal (Harold in Italy, symphony with viola obbligato), as the manuscript describes it, is a four-movement orchestral work by Hector Berlioz, his Opus 16, H. 68, written in 1834. Throughout, the unusual viola part represents the titular protagonist, without casting the form as a concerto. The movements have these titles, alluding to a programme:

  1. Harold in the mountains
  2. March of the pilgrims
  3. Serenade of an Abruzzo mountaineer
  4. Orgy of bandits