A string of groundbreaking efforts followed, many of them inspired by great literature: the symphony for solo viola and orchestra Harold en Itaue (1834), written for Paganini and loosely based on Byron’s epic Childe Harold; the colossal Requiem, which Berlioz titled Grande messe des marts (1837); the “dramatic symphony” Romeo et Juliette (1839) for orchestra, chorus, and soloists, a brilliant homage to Shakespeare; La damnation de Faust (1845-46), after Goethe’s Faust; and, most important of all to the composer, the grand opera Les Troyens (1856-58), whose story, based on Virgil’s Aeneid, deals with the denouement of the Trojan War, the flight of Aeneas and his followers to Carthage, and the establishment of ancient Rome. In each of these grandiose scores Berlioz painted an orchestral canvas worthy of Delacroix; but his touch was equally sure in the more intimate vein of pieces such as the song cycle Les nuits d’ete (Summer Nights; 1841), the quasi-oratorio L’enfance du Christ (The Childhood of Christ; 1850-54), and the opera Beatrice et Benedict (1860-62), based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Unfortunately, Berlioz was his own worst enemy, unable to keep hurtful opinions of others to himself, and the prescient nature of his work too often meant that its true value eluded both the public and the establishment. He died a weary, broken man.