What is an Idée Fixe? Idée fixe (French for “fixed idea”) is a term used by Berlioz in his Symphonic Fantastique and other pieces to describe a recurring theme in a piece of music that depicts a person or emotion – it is effectively the composition technique that is more commonly known as a leitmotif. The Idée Fixe in Symphonie Fantastique Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique (1830) is an orchestral work inspired by Berlioz’s unrequited love for an an Irish actress Harriet Smithson (whom he later married!). The idée fixe is a melody that portrays his love for the actress and it

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