Faust

prologue, 4 acts, 1955-56†, 2443 bars, 150:00

Music drama in a prologue and four acts, 1955-56
Vocal score composed between April 1955 and 19 August 1955
Full score completed 11 May 1956

The vocal score may be viewed online here: 'Faust' (vocal score)

Gretchen (soprano)
Marthe (mezzo)
Faust (tenor)
Michael (tenor)
Raphael (tenor)
Valentin (baritone)
Mephistopheles (baritone)
Schueler (baritone)
Der Herr (bass)
Gabriel (bass)
Erdgeist (bass)
Böser Geist (bass)
SATB chorus
3 flutes (2 doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, Eb clarinet, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons (1 also contrabassoon), 6 horns , 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, euphonium, timpani, suspended cymbal, cymbals, bass drum, 3 side drums, tambour militaire, tambourine, triangle, castanets, tam-tam, wind machine, ruthe, bell in G flat, celesta, glockenspiel, xylophone, 2 harps, organ, strings

Prologue in Heaven [331 bars], 18:00
Act I
  Scene 1: Faust’s room [145 bars], 11:00
  Scene 2: Faust’s room [556 bars], 29:00
Act II
  Prelude: Through the air [54 bars], 3:00
  Scene 1: The street [94 bars], 7:00
  Scene 2: Evening – Gretchen’s room [184 bars], 8:00
  Scene 3: Gretchen’s room [125 bars], 9:00
  Scene 4: Gretchen’s room [56 bars], 5:00
Act III
  Scene 1: Night – the street before Gretchen’s door [257 bars], 16:00
  Scene 2: Cathedral (Dom) [171 bars], 14:00
Act IV
  Scene 1: Gloomy day – country [130 bars], 10:00

. Scene 2: Night ride of Faust and Mephistopheles [78 bars], 4:00
. Scene 3: Dungeon [262 bars], 17:00

Text: (part 1), abridged by the composer; set in German; no English translation, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Unpublished, except Prologue in Heaven by United Music Publishing

Derived works

• Prologue in Heaven [from Faust Prologue im Himmel] [2 ten, bar, 2 bass, orch] – 18´
• Prelude [from Faust Act II Prelude Durch die Luft] [orch] – 3´
• Abend [from Faust Prelude to Act II, Scene 2] [orch]
• Night ride of Faust and Mephistopheles [from Faust Act IV, Scene II Nacht-Offen Feld] [orch] – 4´
• Gretchen songs [from Faust Act II] [sop, orch] – 6´
• Cathedral scene [from Faust Act III, Scene 2 Dom] [sop bass soli, SATB chor, org, orch] – 14´

Articles

• Dramatic structure and innovation in Brian’s Faust – Professor William E Grim
• Brian’s use of the German language in Faust – Jürgen Schaarwächter

Performances

Prologue in Heaven [from Faust Prologue im Himmel] [2 ten, bar, 2 bass, orch] – 18´
9 March 1979 [first performance] BBC Maida Vale Studios, London
31 March 1979 BBC Radio 3
Soloists, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Sir Charles Mackerras
Night ride of Faust and Mephistopheles [from Faust Act IV, Scene II Nacht-Offen Feld] [orch] – 4´
25/26 June 2009 [first performance] City Halls, Glasgow
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Garry Walker
Gretchen songs [from Faust Act II] [sop, orch] – 6´
5–6 January 2012 Potton Hall, Suffolk, U.K.
Michelle Walton, soprano; Sholto Kynoch, piano

Recordings

Night ride of Faust and Mephistopheles [from Faust Act IV, Scene II Nacht-Offen Feld] [orch] – 4´
Toccata Classics TOCC 0113 released December 2011
25/26 June 2009 [first performance] City Halls, Glasgow
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Garry Walker
Gretchen songs [from Faust Act II] [sop, orch] – 6´
Stone Records 5060192780277 released April 2014
5–6 January 2012 Potton Hall, Suffolk, U.K.
Michelle Walton, soprano; Sholto Kynoch, piano