This composer took his love life very seriously-so much so that he reflected it in some of his music. The fictional "artist" protagonist-based, of course, on the composer himself-reflects upon the loving, losing, and murdering of a "beloved" who is depicted by a recurring musical theme. After a tempestuous first movement depicting the artist's passionate dreams, the theme keeps resurfacing in scenes ranging from the delicate to the grotesque and blending reality and reverie.