Harriet Smithson
Encyclopedia
Henrietta Constance Smithson (1800 - 3 March 1854) was an Anglo-Irish actress, the first wife of Hector Berlioz
, and the inspiration for his Symphonie Fantastique
.
She was the daughter of a theatrical manager. She made her first stage appearance in 1815 at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, as Albina Mandeville in Frederick Reynolds
's The Will. Three years later she made her first London appearance at Drury Lane
as Letitia Hardy in The Belle's Stratagem
.
She had no particular success in England, but went to Paris in 1828 and 1832, first with William Charles Macready
. There she aroused immense enthusiasm as Desdemona, Virginia, Juliet and Jane Shore, in the tragedy by Nicholas Rowe. She had a host of admirers, among them Hector Berlioz, whom she married in 1833. They separated in 1840.
Berlioz discovered her at the Odéon Theatre
performing the roles of Juliet
and Ophelia and immediately fell in love with her, sending her letters despite never having met her. This continued for many years until the 1832 performance of Lélio
, a sequel to his Symphonie Fantastique
, when he discovered a mutual acquaintance and offered her a box of tickets. She came to the performance, realizing that the symphony was about her (as was strongly suggested by the program notes) and eventually they married.
At the time of her marriage her popularity was past and she was deeply in debt. A benefit was given her, but she was coldly received. She retired from the stage.
Louis Berlioz, the only child of Hector and Harriet, was born on 14 August 1834. As a young man Louis joined the merchant navy and rose to the rank of commander. He died on 5 June 1867 of yellow fever
while on duty at Havana
. His death dealt a devastating blow to his father.
This portrait has been copied on a large oval image painted on a vase, Paris Porcelain, manufactured by Darte, ca.1830, Musée de la Vie romantique, Paris (gift of the Friends of the Museum, 2009).
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
, and the inspiration for his Symphonie Fantastique
Symphonie Fantastique
Symphonie Fantastique: Épisode de la vie d'un Artiste...en cinq parties , Op. 14, is a program symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is one of the most important and representative pieces of the early Romantic period, and is still very popular with concert audiences...
.
She was the daughter of a theatrical manager. She made her first stage appearance in 1815 at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, as Albina Mandeville in Frederick Reynolds
Frederick Reynolds
Frederic Reynolds was a British dramatist. During his literary career composed nearly one hundred tragedies and comedies, many of which were printed, and about twenty of them obtained temporary popularity...
's The Will. Three years later she made her first London appearance at Drury Lane
Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
as Letitia Hardy in The Belle's Stratagem
The Belle's Stratagem
The Belle's Stratagem is a romantic comedy of manners that premiered on February 22, 1780; it was the most successful work by Hannah Cowley. It drew its title from George Farquhar's play The Beaux' Stratagem. The show was presented by David Garrick, filling the 2,000-seat Drury Lane theatre. to...
.
She had no particular success in England, but went to Paris in 1828 and 1832, first with William Charles Macready
William Charles Macready
-Life:He was born in London, and educated at Rugby.It was his intention to go up to Oxford, but in 1809 the embarrassed affairs of his father, the lessee of several provincial theatres, called him to share the responsibilities of theatrical management. On 7 June 1810 he made a successful first...
. There she aroused immense enthusiasm as Desdemona, Virginia, Juliet and Jane Shore, in the tragedy by Nicholas Rowe. She had a host of admirers, among them Hector Berlioz, whom she married in 1833. They separated in 1840.
Odeon Theatre
The Odeon Theatre is a theatre in Bucharest, Romania, located on Calea Victoriei, and is one of the best-known performing arts venues in Bucharest. As an institution, it descends from the Teatrul Muncitoresc CFR Giuleşti, founded 1946; it moved to its current location, the Sala Majestic, in 1974...
performing the roles of Juliet
Juliet
Juliet is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the other being Romeo. She is the daughter of old Capulet, head of the house of Capulet. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself....
and Ophelia and immediately fell in love with her, sending her letters despite never having met her. This continued for many years until the 1832 performance of Lélio
Lelio
Lélio, ou le Retour à la Vie Op. 14b is a work incorporating music and spoken text by the French composer Hector Berlioz, intended as a sequel to his Symphonie fantastique...
, a sequel to his Symphonie Fantastique
Symphonie Fantastique
Symphonie Fantastique: Épisode de la vie d'un Artiste...en cinq parties , Op. 14, is a program symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is one of the most important and representative pieces of the early Romantic period, and is still very popular with concert audiences...
, when he discovered a mutual acquaintance and offered her a box of tickets. She came to the performance, realizing that the symphony was about her (as was strongly suggested by the program notes) and eventually they married.
At the time of her marriage her popularity was past and she was deeply in debt. A benefit was given her, but she was coldly received. She retired from the stage.
Louis Berlioz, the only child of Hector and Harriet, was born on 14 August 1834. As a young man Louis joined the merchant navy and rose to the rank of commander. He died on 5 June 1867 of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
while on duty at Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
. His death dealt a devastating blow to his father.
Portraits of Harriet Smithson
- Claude Marie Paul Dubufe (1790-1864), oil on canvas, ca. 1830, Musée Magnin, Dijon.
This portrait has been copied on a large oval image painted on a vase, Paris Porcelain, manufactured by Darte, ca.1830, Musée de la Vie romantique, Paris (gift of the Friends of the Museum, 2009).