Lélio

Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie (English: Lélio, or the Return to Life), Op. 14b, is a work incorporating music and spoken text by the French composer Hector Berlioz, intended as a sequel to his Symphonie fantastique. It is written for a narrator, solo tenor and baritone, mixed chorus, and an orchestra including piano.

Composed in Italy in 1831 and initially performed at the Conservatoire de Paris on December 9, 1832, as Le retour à la vie, mélologue en six parties, Lélio incorporated pre-existing compositions. Upon Franz Liszt's solicitation, it underwent revision for a 1855 performance in Weimar and was published the subsequent year. David Cairns highlights Lélio for its unparalleled "immediate impact" within Berlioz's catalogue. Its early appeal, rooted in the fusion of Romantic aesthetics and the interplay between declamation and music, has, however, led to its perception as dated, thus its infrequent revival and recording in contemporary times.