Busoni: Doktor Faust

Featuring

Sir Adrian Boult
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Richard Lewis
Ian Wallace
Heather Harper
John Cameron

London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Choir
Ambrosian Singers
Ferruccio Busoni

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Critical Reception

Doktor Faust is considered one of the experimental operatic masterpieces of the twentieth century, alongside works like Schoenberg's Erwartung and Berg's Wozzeck.

Composer Biography

Ferruccio Busoni, an Italian composer and virtuoso pianist, was a contemporary of Puccini, a friend of Sibelius, and an acquaintance of Schoenberg.

Composition History

Busoni began his opera Doktor Faust in 1916 but died before finishing it; his pupil, Philipp Jarnach, completed it in haste for its 1925 premiere.

Performer Biography

Sir Adrian Boult, the conductor, was known for believing in letting the music speak for itself, a style that suited Busoni's Doktor Faust.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Busoni wrote his own libretto for Doktor Faust, basing it on French medieval puppet plays and legends, rather than Goethe's work or Berlioz's 'Damnation of Faust'.

Performer Biography

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who sings Faust, possessed a rare musicianship, a gift for languages, and a discerning intelligence, making him a complete artist at the time of this performance.