Berlioz in Paris
Cirque Olympique
The Cirque des Champs-Élysées, also known as the Cirque Olympique, was an enclosed hippodrome off the Champs-Élysées.
Berlioz composed the Hymne
à la France for the Festival of Industry concert at the Cirque
Olympique on 1 August 1844, which he conducted. He also gave four large-scale concerts here
in 1845 (19 January, 16 February, 16 March and 6 April), as related in the Memoirs,
ch. 53 (end).
The concert on 6 April included a performance of the Marche Marocaine by Léopold
de Meyer which Berlioz had orchestrated. See also A
concert in January 1845 for a contemporary review of the 19th January
concert.
Cirque des Champs-Élysées, also known as the Cirque Olympique
This old card is in our collection. The building is not extant.
Berlioz conducts his 19 January 1845 concert at the Cirque Olympique
This engraving appeared on page 325 of the 25 January 1845 issue
of L’Illustration, a copy of which is in our own collection. At the
concert Berlioz, conducted his newly composed La Tour de Nice, which was
later revised and developed to become the overture Le Corsaire.
© 2000-2007 (unless otherwise stated) Michel Austin and Monir Tayeb for all the photos, engravings and information on this and other Berlioz in Paris pages
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