Doktor Johannes Faust
Doktor Johannes Faust, Op. 47, is an opera in three acts by Hermann Reutter. The libretto was written by Ludwig Andersen, based on an old puppet play Doktor Faust on the Faust topic. The opera was premiered by the Oper Frankfurt at its house on 26 May 1936, staged by Walter Felsenstein. It was published by Schott. A revised version was first performed at the Staatstheater Stuttgart on 8 June 1955, conducted by Ferdinand Leitner.
History
Reutter composed Doktor Johannes Faust as an opera in three acts and five scenes to a libretto which Ludwig Andersen based on an old puppet play Doktor Faust on the Faust topic, in a version by Karl Simrock. Andersen was the pen name of Ludwig Strecker, director and editor of the music publisher Schott-Verlag. Strecker published the opera for Schott, the libretto in 1935 and the score in 1936.The opera was premiered by the Oper Frankfurt at its house on 26 May 1936, staged by Walter Felsenstein and conducted by. It was a success. The premiere in Austria was on 18 December 1940 at the Graz Opera, conducted by Karl Fischer, with Alfred Schütz as Mephisto. A revised version was presented at the Staatstheater Stuttgart on 8 June 1955, staged by Kurt Puhlmann and conducted by Ferdinand Leitner. This performance was recorded, with Bernd Heyer as Faust and Gustav Neidlinger as Mephisto.
Reutter tried to create a people's opera, similar to Werner Egk's Die Zaubergeige, which was also composed to a libretto by Andersen and published by Schott. The music is moderately progressive, using many dances. The opera, which takes about two hours to perform, is set in Mainz and Parma in the 16th century. It is one of many adaptations of the Faust topic.
Roles
The roles and their voice types are, according to the publisher:| Role | Voice type |
| Doktor Johannes Faust | baritone |
| Wagner, his famulus | tenor |
| Mephistopheles | bass |
| Herzog von Parma | tenor |
| Bianca, Herzogin von Parma | soprano |
| Hans Wurst | buffo tenor |
| Gretel | soprano |
| Der gute Geist | soprano |
| Seneschall | tenor |
| Balzer, der erste Zecher | tenor |
| Riches, der zweite Zecher | tenor |
| Done, der dritte Zecher | bass |
| Schambes, der vierte Zecher | bass |
| Vier Marktweiber | 2 sopranos, 2 contraltos |
| Drei Studenten aus Krakau | tenor, baritone, bass |
| Auerhahn | tenor |
| Krumpschnabel | baritone |
| Hofleute, Studenten, Kinder, Volk, Gute Geister, Höllische Geister | chorus, ballet dancers and extras |