The discreet charm of the Berliozoisie: as she tracks down fellow Berlioz fanatics, Jennifer Melick discovers much about the unique appeal of the composer's music.

Hector Berlioz is an odd case: he's widely considered an important composer, but if you are new to classical music, you may never have had the chance to hear a single one of his operas. (Though his two-hundredth birthday arrives this month, this magazine's own calendar of events lists just one Berlioz work, Benvenuto Cellini at the Met, compared with seven Wagner operas around the world.) The reasons for the neglect? There are many, but it seems those qualities most loved by his admirers--the drama of his music, the odd, unique melodies, the strange harmonies--strike many listeners as more irksome than admirable. The melodies are "unique" or "forgettable," the harmonies ...