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Experiencing Berlioz: A Listener's Companion is an in-depth entre into the sound world of Hector Berlioz, recognized today as one of the most profoundly original and engaging composers in 19th-century Europe.Melinda O'Neal offers the non-specialist a pathway into the underlying allure of Berlioz's music. His views on rehearsing and conducting, bumpy career ride and failures, the journey of a work through revisions and editions, and historical performance practices provide a backdrop to discussions of his most significant works. As O'Neal addresses the motivation and conception, sonic atmosphere, and compositional strategies of key works, she provides a new multifaceted experience not only to music historians and performers but also to any amateur music lover who has ever been entranced by Berlioz's undeniable musical veracity.