The theme of making a deal with the devil is one of the most enduring in all art forms. Most treatments are derived from the classic German legend of Faust that dates from the 1500’s, the tale of a frustrated scholar who trades his soul for a life of unlimited knowledge and hedonistic pleasure. Goethe’s Faust, a tragic play in two parts, is considered as the consummate treatment of the subject, as Goethe’s magnum opus and as the greatest work of German literature. Part I, which is written largely in rhyming verse and was first published in 1808, hews closely to the original legend and depicts the drama of the everyday “small world”. Faust and the devil make a deal: the devil will do anything for Faust here on earth and seeks to grant him a moment so sublime he will wish it to last forever, but, if Faust is ever fully satisfied, he will die and serve the devil in Hell for eternity. In short order Faust is living large and wooing the gorgeous Gretchen. Unsurprisingly, arrogance, deception, and delusion lead him down the path to infernal and near eternal damnation. Part II, which was finished in 1831 and published after Goethe’s death, is very different from Part I and by no means a sequel. Complex and full of references to mythology, it goes far beyond the simple struggle for Faust’s soul and depicts the wider world in five separate acts with attention to larger political, historical, philosophical and mystical issues. After conflicts, struggles, and travels through space and time Faust finds a measure of redemption and grace for his striving.
Read by: Multiple readers
Length: 11 hours and 37 minutes
Type: Dramatic readings
Media: MP3 CD
Package: DVD box
Item No.: DB-1194
EAN: 0701236969122
List Price: $11.99
Book Coordinator: Gesine (Part I), TriciaG (Part II)
Meta Coordinators: Gesine (Part I), TriciaG (Part II)
Proof Listener:Linette Geisel (Part I)
Artwork
Cover: Faust and Mephistopheles, c. 1900, by Anton Kaulbach (1864-1834).
Inset: Goethe's Faust, 1918, by Richard Roland Holst (1868-1938).
Inset: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, age 79, by Joseph Karl Stieler (1781-1858).
Insert: Faust's pact with Mephisto, engraving by Julius Nisle after Goethe's “Faust”, c.1840.
This MP3 digital audiobook is duplicated on compact disc in the MP3 audio format and is designed to play on any computer. It will play on CD and DVD players that are designed with MP3 capability. The files contained in an MP3 CD can be imported and played on mobile devices such as the iPod, iPhone, iPad, Android tablets and smart phones and on PSP (Play Station Portable) and PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) devices. Your CD/DVD player or mobile device owner’s manual should specify whether the device has MP3 compatibility. If the device is not directly compatible with the MP3 Audio format, the files on the MP3 CD can be copied onto a computer drive and then played on the computer media player or transferred to a mobile device.
These recordings were made using the author’s original published work, which is in the public domain. The readings were recorded by members of Librivox.org, which has generously made the recordings available to the public domain. While Librivox condones the sale and distribution of these recordings, it is not associated with the management or operations of MP3 Audiobook Classics. The audio files have been lightly edited and have been engineered using professional audio tools for maximum sonic quality. We spend considerable time and effort to ensure the recordings are free of noise, equalized for maximum listener pleasure, and that tracks are leveled and normalized to provide a consistent listening experience.
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