The Libretto as Literature: 'Doktor Faust' by Ferruccio Busoni by Nancy O. Chamness (review)

Abstract

1078 Reviews The Libretto as Literature: 'Doktor Faust'by Ferruccio Busoni. By Nancy O. Chamness . (Studies on Themes and Motifs in Literature, 44) New York, Washington/ Baltimore, and Bern: Lang. 2001. viii + 228pp. ?35. ISBN 0-8204-4077-9 (hbk). ' Faust is a common property of mankind, not a monopoly of Goethe', Nikolaus Lenau wrote to Georg Reinbeck in November 1833. These words inspired both Busoni's opera and Nancy Chamness's noteworthy study. In total agreement with her subject, she analyses detailed textual comparisons and contrasts from various examples ofthe Faust material. These are then related to more general theoretical problems explored by Busoni in practice and to recent critical views on the nature of opera. She summarizes the textual history of Busoni's libretto from as early as 1910 and shows why he made changes forstrictlyliterary reasons before applying musical setting. A definitive text emerges that takes into account Antony Beaumont's completion of the musical score (Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Hartel, 1984). She further studies parallel texts from the several versions of the Faust material that Busoni used. After a close comparison of the texts, the conclusion comes 'that it is not useful or even logical to use Goethe's Faust as a standard for the libretto' (p. 194). Chamness focuses instead on the effectiveness of Busoni's libretto as a drama and on his conventional and innovatory uses of music. Her book summarizes recent theoretical works on the libretto in general as a specific genre and applies with persuasive ef? fect Volker Klotz's categories from Geschlossene und offeneForm im Drama (Munich: Hanser, 1969). Mellen University, Iowa Brian Keith-Smith ...