Doktor Faust, which Busoni considered a personal creative drama and which occupied him for over twelve years, was left incomplete on his death at the age of 58. He had searched for a dramatic subject that he hoped would represent the apex and summary of his entire career. The opera was completed by Philipp Jarnach in 1925. As the librettist, Busoni managed to avoid comparison to Goethe, and in favouring an open, discontinuous form ‘in panels’, he developed a unique structure cast in two preludes, an orchestral intermezzo and three scenes to investigate poetic questions of operatic artifice.

This was previously released by Dynamic on Blu-ray (57998) and DVD (37998) in March 2024. Of the production Gramophone wrote that ‘[conductor] Cornelius Meister [acquits himself well], conducting by turns with sensitivity and vigour, and capturing effectively the haunting, mysterious sound world of the piece.’ ‘The credit goes to the director Cornelius Meister: his is an accurate reading, which untangles Busoni’s score with clarity and continuous tension’ (Corriere Fiorentino).

The New York Times wrote that ‘Meister was most impressive with the orchestra offering a compelling performance of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony.’ The Washington Post called him ‘a real conductor working hard to convey a stream of musical ideas’, whilst the Financial Times said that ‘Meister proved himself a master of conducting’.

Gramophone has written of Dietrich Henschel (baritone) that he is ‘at the peak of his career, this vastly experienced (in both opera and Lieder) German baritone encompasses the reflective songs with as much aplomb as he brings to the dramatic pieces.’

Cast:
- Doktor Faust: Dietrich Henschel (baritone)
- Mephistopheles (Night Watchman): Daniel Brenna (tenor)
- Wagner, Master of Ceremonies: Wilhelm Schwinghammer (bass)
- Duke of Parma, Soldier: Joseph Dahdah (tenor)
- Duchess of Parma: Olga Bezsmertna (soprano)