A “Faust” Playlist

“The more the Faust myth changes, the more it endures,” writes Peter Werres in his introduction to Lives of Faust. “It is our myth, and we must go on confronting it.” Since first appearing in a chapbook in the late 1500s, the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for that which he most desires has gone through a near-continuous cycle of reiterations, standing in for our greatest aspirations and our deepest anxieties, and being used as a yardstick to measure the morally ambiguous legacies of others.  

The story was especially popular in the 19th century, following the publication of Goethe’s Faust, Part I (1808) and Part II (1831). Adaptations of these works proliferated—especially in the musical sphere, which saw everything from standalone lieder settings to full-scale grand operas. It makes for fascinating listening. And, as it turns out, the connections, criticisms, and cross-pollinations between the composers who wrote them make for an equally rich history.