ALS in French, signed “H. Berlioz,” one page, 5.25 x 8, July 12, no year. Letter to “My dear Stephen,” in full (translated): “I’m not sure a flawless sonnet is worth a long poem, but I’m pretty sure that your six lines of yesterday have made me happier than many grand articles, pretentious or knowledgeable. I shake your hand.” He continues with a Latin quote from Book V of Virgil’s Aeneid, “Quid quid erit, superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est” [“Whate'er betide, he only cures the stroke of Fortune who endures”], and adds, “We will see if Virgil was right.” In very good condition, with central vertical and horizontal folds, scattered foxing, and a stain affecting first line of the letter.
Deeply inspired by the written word, Berlioz drew from classic literature and poetry to write many of his finest compositions, from La damnation de Faust (based on Goethe’s Faust), to Harold en Italie (inspired by Byron’s Childe Harold), to Romeo et Juliette (from Shakespeare, Berlioz’s greatest influence). His magnum opus, the phenomenally ambitious opera Les Troyens, was based on Virgil’s Aeneid, making this letter’s closing quote and commentary especially desirable. A remarkable letter, highlighting the inseparable union of music and poetry that guided Berlioz’s legendary career. RR Auction COA.
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