Berlioz composed his tremendous "Legende dramatique" in 1845-46, largely creating his own libretto after Gerard de Nerval's French translation of the famous Faust story by Goethe. The composer produced the dramatic oratorio at his own expense for the premiere on December 6, 1846 at Paris' Opera-Comique. Despite critical acclaim, the performance was not well-attended - a major financial setback for the composer.