Catching some Zzz's

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.