Page "Hector Berlioz" Paragraph 62

Berlioz discovered Goethe's Faust through Gérard de Nerval's translation, published in December 1827.

Its impact on Berlioz was, again, profound and immediate, with the Faustian concept of man striking several chords with the composer.

He described Shakespeare and Goethe in an 1828 letter as " the silent confidants of my suffering ; they hold the key to my life.

" In any event, Shakespearian tragedy and Faustian mystique became of one type in his mind.