Goethe's Faust
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began drafting the earliest versions of his play between 1772 and 1775. These initial drafts, known as the Urfaust, contained twenty-two scenes with one written in prose and another largely in prose. The remaining lines numbered 1,441 rhymed verses. Scholars have lost the original manuscript, but a copy surfaced in 1886 to confirm its existence. The first printed appearance arrived later when Faust, a Fragment appeared in 1790. Goethe completed a preliminary version of what became Part One by 1806. Publishers released this version in 1808 under the simple title Faust: A Tragedy. He revised the text again for an edition published between 1828 and 1829, which remained the last version he edited personally. Goethe finished writing Part Two in 1831, just before his death. The sequel appeared posthumously in 1832 with a new title page reading Faust: The Tragedy's Second Part. This second volume shifted focus from the soul of Faust to broader social phenomena like psychology, history, and politics. It also explored mystical and philosophical topics alongside these earthly concerns. The second part occupied Goethe during his final years of life.
Mephistopheles enters Heaven to make a wager with God regarding one of His servants named Faust. Satan claims he can lure Faust away from righteous pursuits despite the scholar striving to learn everything possible. The scene shifts to Faust's study where the aging scholar struggles with the vanity of scientific and humanistic learning. He turns to magic hoping for infinite knowledge but finds his attempts failing. Frustrated, he considers suicide until hearing Easter celebrations nearby. He walks outside with his assistant Wagner and follows home a stray poodle that transforms into Mephistopheles. The Devil appears dressed as a traveling student who refuses to give his name. A misshapen pentagram carved into the doorway allows him entry but prevents escape. Faust reasons he could make a pact since Mephistopheles is bound by mystical laws. The Devil tricks Faust into allowing a demonstration of power before escaping through rats chewing the pentagram. The next morning Mephistopheles returns offering service in exchange for Faust serving him after death. Faust accepts but makes a wager: if Mephistopheles grants an experience so blissful he wishes to remain forever, then Faust dies instantly. When signing the contract with blood, Faust complains about trust issues but eventually yields. Mephistopheles helps Faust seduce Margaret, also known as Gretchen. Her mother dies from a sleeping potion given to obtain privacy for their meeting. Gretchen discovers she is pregnant while her brother Valentin challenges Faust and falls dead at their hands. She drowns her illegitimate child and faces conviction for murder. Faust tries to free her from prison but she refuses to escape. Voices from Heaven announce that Gretchen shall be saved despite the harsher ending found in the Urfaust draft.
A partial English verse translation appeared anonymously in 1821 published by Thomas Boosey and Sons with illustrations by Moritz Retzsch. Frederick Burwick and James C. McKusick attributed this work to Samuel Taylor Coleridge in a 2007 Oxford University Press edition. Goethe wrote to his son August on the 4th of September 1820 claiming Coleridge was translating the play. Roger Paulin, William St. Clair, and Elinor Shaffer later rebutted this attribution citing Coleridge's repeated denials. Percy Bysshe Shelley published fragments of Part One Scene II in The Liberal magazine in 1822. Mary Shelley included Scene I in Posthumous Poems in 1824. Gérard de Nerval released a French translation in 1828 when he was twenty years old. Anna Swanwick published an English version of Part One in 1850 followed by Part Two in 1878. Her translation remains considered among the best available. Bayard Taylor published an English translation between 1870 and 1871 using original metres that stayed in print for a century. Mori Ogai translated both parts into Japanese in 1913 while Guo Moruo produced Chinese versions in 1928 and 1947. Boris Pasternak faced attacks in the Soviet journal Novy Mir in August 1950 over his Russian translation of the first part. Critics claimed he distorted Goethe's ideas to defend reactionary theories of pure art. Peter Salm released Part One with Bantam Books in 1962. Randall Jarrell published Part One through Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1976. Walter Arndt issued Faust: A Tragedy via W. W. Norton & Company also in 1976. Stuart Atkins edited Volume 2 of Goethe's Collected Works including Part I and II for Princeton University Press in 1984. David Luke provided translations for Oxford University Press in 1987 and 1994. Martin Greenberg released versions for Yale University Press in 1992 and 1998. John R. Williams published editions for Wordsworth Editions in 1999 and 2007. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth and Frederick Turner brought out a new version in 2020 featuring illustrations by Fowzia Karimi.
Selected scenes premiered on the 24th of May 1819 at Castle Monbijou in Berlin. The complete Part One received its premiere on the 29th of January 1829 in Braunschweig. W. G. Wills adapted the first part loosely for a production at London's Lyceum Theatre in 1885 starring Henry Irving as Mephistopheles and Ellen Terry as Margaret. Stephen Phillips and J. Comyns Carr presented their adaptation at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1908 with Henry Ainley playing Faust and Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Mephistopheles. Peter Gorski directed a 1960 performance at Hamburg's Deutsches Schauspielhaus produced by Gustaf Gründgens who also played Mephistopheles. Will Quadflieg portrayed Faust while Ella Büchi took the role of Gretchen. A film recording of this performance achieved great success. Giorgio Strehler directed fragments from Part One at Milan's Piccolo Teatro in 1989 with scenographer Josef Svoboda. Eimuntas Nekrošius led a complete production at Modena's Teatro Comunale lasting four and a half hours on the 26th of October 2006. Fragments from Part Two appeared at the same Milan venue in 1990 under Strehler's direction. Ingmar Thilo staged a version in 2003 featuring Antonios Safralis as Faust and Raphaela Zick as Mephisto. Michael Thalheimer directed a 2005 production at Berlin's Deutsches Theater with Ingo Hülsmann, Sven Lehmann, Nina Hoss, and Inge Keller. The world premiere of both parts combined occurred in 1938 at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. Peter Stein directed a complete twenty-one-hour performance during Expo 2000 Hanover on the 22nd of July 23, 2000. Christian Nickel and Bruno Ganz played young and old versions of Faust respectively.
Ludwig van Beethoven composed his song Es war einmal ein König: Aus Goethes Faust, Op. 75, No. 3 in 1809. Franz Schubert set text from Part One Scene 18 as Gretchen am Spinnrade in 1814 marking his first setting of Goethe's work. Later Lieder by Schubert based on the play include numbers 367, 440, and 564 listed in Otto Erich Deutsch's thematic catalogue. Antoni Henryk Radziwiłł created an opera titled Faust between 1808 and 1832 receiving its first complete performance in Berlin in 1835. Robert Schumann wrote his secular oratorio Scenes from Goethe's Faust between 1844 and 1853. Hector Berlioz produced his légende dramatique La damnation de Faust in 1846. Franz Liszt composed his Faust Symphony in 1857. Charles Gounod released his opera Faust in 1859. Arrigo Boito presented Mefistofele in 1868 with revisions completed in 1875. Gustav Mahler set the final scene of Part Two within the second movement of his Symphony No. 8 in 1906. Havergal Brian wrote an opera named Faust during 1955, 56. Randy Newman created a musical version called Faust in 1993. American metal band Kamelot released albums Epica in 2003 and The Black Halo in 2005 based on the text. Agalloch issued their Faustian Echoes EP directly quoting Goethe's work. Swedish singer Bladee recorded a song simply titled Faust inspired by the play.
F. W. Murnau directed the silent film Faust released in 1926 drawing upon older versions of the legend alongside Goethe's own text. Peter Gorski directed a film adaptation starring Gustaf Gründgens in 1960. Brian De Palma blended the story with Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera for his 1974 musical horror comedy Phantom of the Paradise. Jan Švankmajer produced a film version of Faust in 1994. Alexander Sokurov released his film Faust in 2011. Philipp Humm created The Last Faust, a modern art film in 2019 that became the first movie made on both Part One and Part Two combined. A rock opera featuring original lyrics by Goethe appeared in 1997. These productions span genres from silent classics to contemporary reinterpretations across various mediums including television shows like Katja Ebatein's 1976 personality program Katja and Co which briefly mentioned the production.
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Common questions
When did Johann Wolfgang von Goethe begin drafting the earliest versions of his play Faust?
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began drafting the earliest versions of his play between 1772 and 1775. These initial drafts, known as the Urfaust, contained twenty-two scenes with one written in prose and another largely in prose.
What is the significance of the Urfaust manuscript for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's work?
Scholars have lost the original manuscript of the Urfaust but a copy surfaced in 1886 to confirm its existence. The first printed appearance arrived later when Faust, a Fragment appeared in 1790.
Who translated Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust into English in 1821?
A partial English verse translation appeared anonymously in 1821 published by Thomas Boosey and Sons with illustrations by Moritz Retzsch. Frederick Burwick and James C. McKusick attributed this work to Samuel Taylor Coleridge in a 2007 Oxford University Press edition.
Where was the world premiere of both parts combined of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust performed?
The world premiere of both parts combined occurred in 1938 at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. Peter Stein directed a complete twenty-one-hour performance during Expo 2000 Hanover on the 22nd of the 23rd of July 2000.
Which composer wrote his song Es war einmal ein König: Aus Goethes Faust Op. 75 No. 3 in 1809?
Ludwig van Beethoven composed his song Es war einmal ein König: Aus Goethes Faust, Op. 75, No. 3 in 1809. Franz Schubert set text from Part One Scene 18 as Gretchen am Spinnrade in 1814 marking his first setting of Goethe's work.