July Books 16) Faust, by Goethe

[nwhyte]

It really took me ages to grind through this, and I'm not sure that it was worth it. Rather ambitiously I got hold of the Wordsworth edition which includes not only Part I and Part II of Faust, but also an earlier draft of Part I (the Urfaust) just in case you are sufficiently interested to know what the original version might have looked like

Comments

[drasecretcampus]

Simon Callow performed both parts 15 years ago or more in 1988; I don't know if it was recorded. He gave up cheese for the performance, because it was such a big part and his voice couldn't take dairy.

Toward the latter part of this run, Mr. Callow was sensing his feat almost as a hallucination: ''I begin to think, 'Have I ever been off this stage? Not been talking with these players?' It's climbing a mountain every day.'' He found that in the four scenes requiring Faust to slump on stage and play at sleeping, he actually could nod off. ''Just for a minute, very refreshing, down to alpha level or something.''
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/03/theater/simon-callow-as-faust-giving-the-devil-his-due.html

[sashajwolf]

Did you see it, and if so, did they manage to make it look like the two parts are genuinely two halves of the same play? They always seemed so different to me that it boggled me a bit to have them described as Part I and Part II. I guess it might be less obvious in translation, but I'd have thought Goethe's midstream conversion to neo-classicism would be pretty jarring even so.

[drasecretcampus]

Sadly not, as London was a long way away in those days. I would have had to do matinees. I would have had reviews until the move before last.

[pocketnaomi]

I was part of a staged version of Part I, and it worked brilliantly, but it was ruthlessly cut by a good director and we used a whole lot of swift scene changes. I did sound board for the production, so I got to watch it all from the tech booth. A terrific charismatic actor playing Mephistopheles really helped, as did a good actress playing Gretchen, who did a lovely job going mad in style.

[inulro]

I did thoroughly enjoy the Marlowe version, but that was a very long time ago!

Goethe's Faust is a brain teaser

[anonymous]

Hi,

I agree, Goethe's Faust is an unusual mix to say the least,and yes, Part 2 is difficult to follow on its own, but if you know how Goethe was influenced by the events of his time and how he actually constructed Faust, it makes more sense than if your read the play without referencing Goethe's biography. In fact, the story behind his Faust is a lot more intriguing. You think Dan Brown's plots were interesting, Goethe reveals the masterplan of Masonic conspiracy theories in the play, and this from a man who lived and witnessed the proliferation of the Masonic ideals as a member of the Rite of the Strict Observance. Let's say Goethe was completely disillusioned with the brotherly fraternity and their programs.

www.waurl.com/greatbooks

Re: Goethe's Faust is a brain teaser

[nwhyte]

You think Dan Brown's plots were interesting

Actually, no I don't. So this may explain why Faust is not for me.

[unwholesome_fen]

The ADC panto was Faust a few years ago, with a dame called Mrs Stopheles [geddit?]

The Marlowe is very good.