Malta

·amura·

119

.eet tIe mVTic • .|TicB

#oJto GVF VO DoNQoTJtoS FYDFMFOtF BERVJSJw GBNB

QoS FM IFDIo EF TFS FM HSBO MJCSFtJTtB EF (JVTFQQF

7FSEJ -B DoMBCoSBDJwO EF FTtF QBS EF tJtBOFT OoT EJw

Otello

Falstaff

oCSBT NBHOBT BVORVF Oo FT KVTto

oMWJEBS RVF

Mefistofele

FT VO GFTtrO EF CFMMBT NFMo-

ErBT Z BVtnOtJDB JOTQJSBDJwO ESBNgtJDB QFTF B RVF FM

TBCSoTo QFSToOBKF Oo TF TBMHB DoO MB TVZB &O tJFNQoT

NoEFSOoT FFSSVDDJo #VToOJ CVTDB JOTQJSBDJwO FO FM FBVTto

EF $ISJTtoQIFS MBSMoXF -B wQFSB

Doktor Faust

nace en

%SFTEFO FO

HSBDJBT B MoT tSBCBKoT EF 1IJMJQ +BSOBDI

ZB RVF #VToOJ Oo WJWJw QBSB EBSMF ¬O

-B oCSB tJFOF EoT QSwMoHoT FO FM QSJNFSo FBVTto SF-

DJCF VO MJCSo NgHJDo NJFOtSBT RVF FO FM TFHVOEo JOWoDB

B MF¬TtwGFMFT QBSB RVF Mo DoOEV[DB QoS FM DBNJOo EF MBT

HSBOEFT FYQFSJFODJBT UO *OtFSMVEJo EFTDSJCF FM BTFTJOB-

to QoS NFEJoT EJBCwMJDoT EF VO KoWFO ToMEBEo 4F OBSSB

EFTQVnT FM BNoS FOtSF FBVTto Z MB EVRVFTB EF 1BSNB

HSBDJBT B MB JOtFSDFTJwO EFM DBCBMMFSo OFGBTto FBVTto SF-

MBtB B MoT FTtVEJBOtFT TVT BNoSFT DoO MB %VRVFTB DVBO-

Eo FT JOtFSSVNQJEo QoS MF¬TtwGFMFT RVF MF DoNVOJDB

RVF MB NVKFS IB NVFSto AM BQFSDJCJSTF FBVTto EF RVF FM

EJBCMo MF EBSg JOWBSJBCMFNFOtF NBMBT OotJDJBT BQBSFDFO

tSFT TFSFT JOGFSOBMFT RVF MF QJEFO MB EFWoMVDJwO EFM MJCSo

NgHJDo B Mo DVBM TF OJFHB FM ¬MwToGo &O MB FTDFOB ¬OBM

FBVTto TF FODVFOtSB DoO VOB NFOEJHB Z TV IJKo QBSB TV

IoSSoS EFTDVCSF RVF MB NVKFS FT MB %VRVFTB Z FM OJvo VO

DBEgWFS $oO HSBO tFSOVSB DoMoDB B MB DSJBtVSB FO FM TVF-

Mo Z SF[B DoO EFWoDJwO: oGSFDF TV WJEB B DBNCJo EF MB EFM

OJvo MVFSF FBVTto NJFOtSBT VO KoWFO EFTOVEo TF EFT-

QSFOEF EFM DVFSQo JOFSNF EF MB DSJBtVSB #VToOJ VtJMJ[B FO

TV oCSB FMFNFOtoT EF MBT WJFKBT FTDVFMBT NVTJDBMFT NgT

MF TVNB JO¬OJEBE EF toRVFT OoWFEoToT

Doktor Faust

oCSB NBFTtSB IB tBSEBEo NVDIoT BvoT FO SFDJCJS FM TJtJo

RVF NFSFDF FOtSF MoT NFMwNBOoT EFM NVOEo -B QSoGVO-

EJEBE EF MB N|TJDB FM JOEJTDVtJCMF BDJFSto ESBNgtJDo EF MB

oCSB EF MBSMoXF ¡VOo EF MoT QJMBSFT oQFSrTtJDoT EFM 4JHMo

99¡ DoCSBO WJEB FO DBEB OotB

Boito was an excellent composer, he became

famous due to his work with Verdi, preparing the

libretti for Falstaff and Othello, both masterpiec-

es, but one must not minimize Mephistopheles a

feast of fine melodies and truly inspired drama,

despite the failure of the devil to get his way. In

modern times Ferruccio Busoni turns Christopher

Marlowe as inspiration for his Doktor Faust. The

opera was born in Dresden in 1925, thanks to the

assistance of Philip Jarnach, due to the compos-

er’s death.

The work has two prologues. In the first,

Faust receives a magic book and in the second

he invokes Mephistopheles to take him down

the road of great experiences. An Interlude de-

scribes a murder, through diabolical means, of a

young soldier. Later we have an episode on the

love between Faust and the Duchess of Parma,

all manipulated by the devil. Faust tells his stu-

dents about his affair with the Duchess, when

Mephistopheles interrupts him telling him the

Duchess has died. When Faust realizes that in-

variably the devil will bring him bad news, three

infernal beings appear asking for the return of

the magic book, which Faust refuses to return. In

the final scene Faust confronts a beggar woman

and her child. He is horrified that the beggar is

the Duchess and the child a corpse. Tenderly he

lays the child on the floor and prays with devo-

tion, offering his life for the return of the child’s.

Faust dies, while a naked young man rises from

the child’s corpse. Boito uses all his musical

knowledge here plus many novel touches which

are his own. It has taken a long time to find fa-

vor with audiences. The music is profound and

works well in Marlowe’s conception. It is one of

the pillars of Twentieth century opera.