Doktor Faust K 303

Instrumentation: solos: S.9T.5Bar.7B – choir: SSAATTBB – 3(2pic).2(cor ang).2.Bb-clar.2.dble bsn – 5.3.3.1 – timp.perc.(4) - 2hp – cel.org – str – stage music: 0.2.0.0 – 6.3.3.0 – timp.perc.(2) – 2hp – cel – vl.va.vc

Ferruccio Busoni died in 1924, leaving his last opera Doktor Faust incomplete in two places: in the Helena scene in the second scene and in the final scene with the protagonist’s death. The premiere took place posthumously with the addenda by Busoni’s student Philipp Jarnach. In 1984, the conductor and Busoni biographer Antony Beaumont presented his addendum based on autograph sketches of which Jarnach had also been quite aware (!). The edition of the piano vocal score released in advance of the Busoni anniversary (100th anniversary of his death) combines for the first time the solutions previously published separately and offers, in addition, a music text with many improved passages that is well aligned with the full score.