Beethoven’s death, in 1827, was a turning point in the history of music. The following year, the works of this composer, previously completely unknown to the French audience, began to be performed in Paris, which led to a veritable musical revolution. For the first time, the symphony orchestra had a conductor who was not a member of the orchestra; the audience was faced with a serious challenge, listening to the most modern works, and music criticism was seriously blossoming. In addition, a young composer, Hector Berlioz, realized that instrumental music could be as important as stage music. And so, 1830 saw the creation of one of the most important pieces of program music, Symphonie fantastique, chiefly inspired by the creative work of Ludwig van Beethoven.