I’ve said it before, kids. Don’t Do Drugs. But if you do … write music while you’re tripping.

Legend says that Hector Berlioz was under the influence of opium during the composition of Symphonie Fantastique. His own program notes for the symphony indicate that the last two movements are nothing less than a wild hallucination. The fifth movement is by far the best; in Berlioz’s own words:

[The Love-Lorn Hero] sees himself at a witches’ sabbath, in the midst of a hideous gathering of shades, sorcerers and monsters of every kind who have come together for his funeral. Strange sounds, groans, outbursts of laughter; distant shouts which seem to be answered by more shouts. The beloved melody [1:28, the idée fixe – a tune which represent the hero, which is heard in every movement of the symphony] appears once more, but has now lost its noble and shy character; it is now no more than a vulgar dance tune, trivial and grotesque: it is [his love] who is coming to the sabbath … Roar of delight at her arrival … She joins the diabolical orgy … The funeral knell tolls [3:00], burlesque parody of the Dies irae [at 3:27, a Gregorian chant sung at funeral masses], the dance of the witches.

Happy Sunday!

Yesterday, a Gallup poll announced that 13% of Americans smoke Marijuana.

Think of music and drugs, and you probably think of Bob Marley, the Beatles, Snoop Dogg, Janis Joplin … the list goes on and on – drug use is so commonplace among the famous that it’s simply accepted as a natural part of being an star entertainer. Of course, there are also the many tragic deaths due to overdose …

But before the turbulent 1960’s, were drugs and music a regular mixer? Is there any drug-inspired Art Music from yesteryear?

The first thing that comes to mind are Scriabin‘s Poem of Ecstasy, Glière‘s Red Poppy, Debussy‘s Evaporated Soul, and for those of you consider caffeine to be a drug, Bach‘s Coffee Cantata. I’m joking about these, of course. But I’m not joking about Berlioz’s March to the Scaffold, which the composer admitted was an opium trip. And then there’s this largely unknown piece by Sergei Lyapunov, a tone poem called Hashish.