Harold en Italie

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Harold en Italie (Harold in Italy). Sym. (No.2) for orch., with solo va., by Berlioz, Op.16, inspired by Byron's Childe Harold. After a Paris concert of Berlioz's mus. in Dec. 1833, Paganini asked Berlioz for a va. work in which he could display his Stradivarius instr. Berlioz sent him the 1st movt. which Paganini rejected because it gave him too little to play. The work was completed in 4 movts. and f.p. Paris 1834, solo va. C. Urhan.