The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz: Introduced by David Cairns

The autobiography reveals Hector Berlioz's significant role in the Romantic movement while providing a deeply personal narrative. It details his passionate relationship with Harriet Smithson and his intellectual connections with literary giants like Shakespeare, Scott, and Byron. Berlioz also offers vivid portraits of contemporaries such as Liszt, Wagner, and Balzac. Through his candid self-reflection, he emerges as a sympathetic figure, ultimately driven by intense creative impulses that lead to a solitary yet distinguished existence.