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February 2008

THE SOCIETY WEEKEND 2008

AN EARLY NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY

This is advance information that the Society Weekend for 2008 will be held at the Art Workers Guild again, in Queen Square, London WC1, on Saturday 
and Sunday 29th and 30th November. A full programme is being put together, on the subject of Berlioz's great work LA DAMNATION DE FAUST

We shall be considering the origins and early literary history of the Faust legend, and what other composers made of it, then going on to look in 
detail at Berlioz's early treatment of the subject in his Huits scenes de Faust and how this work then was expanded and developed later into the 
wonderful work we know today. We shall look at the issues raised by the attempts made over the years to stage what Berlioz himself conceived as "an 
opera of the mind" and how the work was originally received in various countries. Available recordings of the work will be sampled and compared, and 
there will be a viewing of a complete version of the work as captured currently on DVD.

This will be a Weekend full of some of Berlioz's greatest music, coupled with analysis of its basic origins and how such great works come to be 
composed.  We urge every Member to put the dates for this Weekend in their diaries, ready to join us in November. More details of programme and 
speakers together with booking information will be made available in late spring, both for the day events and for the dinner which will be held on 
Saturday  evening, 29th. November.


This page last updated 19th April 2008

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