L'enfance du Christ

It was first performed at the Salle Herz in Paris on 10 December 1854, with Berlioz conducting and soloists from the Opéra-Comique: Jourdan (Récitant), Depassio (Hérode), the couple Meillet (Marie and Joseph) and Bataille (Le père de famille).The first of its three sections depicts King Herod ordering the massacre of all newborn children in Judaea; the second shows the Holy Family of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus setting out for Egypt to avoid the slaughter, having been warned by angels; and the final section portrays their arrival in the Egyptian town of Sais where they are given refuge by a family of Ishmaelites.The idea for L'enfance went back to 1850 when Berlioz composed an organ piece for his friend Joseph-Louis Duc, called L'adieu des bergers (The Shepherds' Farewell).He was gratified to discover many people who hated his music were taken in and praised it, one lady even going so far as to say, "Berlioz would never be able to write a tune as simple and charming as this little piece by old Ducré".Berlioz, perhaps feeling the result was still unbalanced, then composed a third section to precede the other two, Le songe d'Hérode (Herod's Dream).
OratorioHector BerliozMatthew 2Holy Familyflight into EgyptGospel of MatthewSalle HerzOpéra-ComiquetrilogyKing HerodJudaeaJosephIshmaelitesreligious musicJean-François Le SueurBethlehemLeipzigChristmassopranomezzo-sopranobaritonecenturionThe Damnation of FaustMassacre of the innocentsFrançois-Joseph Gossecchamber musicGounodVéronique GensPaul AgnewLaurent NaouriLa Chapelle RoyaleCollegium Vocale GentOrchestre des Champs-ÉlyséesPhilippe HerrewegheHélène BouvierJean GiraudeauMichel RouxLouis NoguéraOrchestre de la Société des Concerts du ConservatoireAndré CluytensJanet BakerEric TappyPhilip LangridgeThomas AllenSir Colin DavisAnne Sofie von OtterAnthony Rolfe JohnsonJosé van DamMonteverdi ChoirJohn Eliot GardinerVictoria de los ÁngelesNicolai GeddaRoger SoyerErnest BlancFlorence KopleffCesare VallettiGiorgio TozziGérard SouzayBoston Symphony OrchestraCharles MünchMichel SénéchalXavier DeprazPierre DervauxAnn MurrayRobert TearDavid Wilson-JohnsonChoir of King's College, CambridgeRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraStephen CleoburyCharles AnthonySherrill MilnesAra BerberianAlfredo AntoniniCBS televisionRoman CatholicList of worksMusic criticism and writingLes Francs-juges, Op. 3Benvenuto Cellini, Op. 23Béatrice et Bénédict, Op. 27Les Troyens, Op. 29Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14Grande symphonie funèbre et triomphale, Op. 15Harold en Italie, Op. 16Roméo et Juliette, Op. 17OverturesMesse solennelleGrande messe des morts, Op. 5Te Deum, Op. 22Lélio, Op. 14bTristia, Op. 18La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24Le Chant des chemins de ferPrix de Rome cantatasLes Nuits d'été, Op. 7Treatise on InstrumentationMémoiresLa Symphonie fantastiqueMusée Hector-Berlioz