Doktor Faustus – Redaktion der Moderne

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Subject according curriculum

General Studies

Teachers

Dr. Wolfram Ette , Dr. Benjamin Sprick

Scope

Fridays, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Starting October 9, 2026)

Room

Keine Angabe

Duration

3 Semesterwochenstunden

Description

Thomas Mann’s *Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkühn, as Told by a Friend* is many things at once: an anti-fascist novel by a German who loved his country but, after the fall of the Third Reich, could not bring himself to return to his cursed homeland; a novel about an artist in the vein of Nietzsche, which describes aesthetic production as progressive wasting away and self-destruction; a philosophical experiment revolving around the question of how art can be possible and what form it can take in the modern age—and much more besides. This novel is a unique force field of diverse disciplines, a topology of musical—and not merely musical—modernity, and the questions it poses within this force field still seem to us, even in 2026, to be worthy of discussion.
That does not mean, of course, that we should fall into a kind of hermeneutic paralysis when faced with this novel—which is certainly not an easy read. No work is a sacred text. Whether it is canonical is not measured by the print run or the design of deluxe editions, but by whether it can be worked with today. It is therefore the goal of this seminar—intertwined with the collective exploration of the text—to develop musical and performative projects based on the novel’s text, which are to be planned and carried out during the winter semester of 2026/27. For this reason, interdisciplinary collaboration between students of music and the performing arts is the cornerstone of this project.
The summer semester is primarily devoted to reading. We plan to begin with a joint evening reading of the first quarter of the novel; if this proves successful, the format will be continued. In the seminar, we will delve into the novel’s complex terrain by examining classical hermeneutic experimental frameworks, the act of listening to music, and the numerous theoretical discussions that Mann has woven into the fabric of this novel. In the final third of the semester, we will then discuss potential projects for the winter semester. One possible project, for example, would be:
● a deconstruction of Beethoven’s last piano sonata, Op. 111, which—notably through Thomas Mann’s description of it—has become the very epitome of the “late work” myth. Can this myth be sustained? What do the late works of other composers tell us? Is the concept still relevant today?
● the so-called “Conversation with the Devil”: that is, the composer’s conversation with an abysmal, diabolical musical philosopher who suggests to him that one must wrest works from the infinite difficulty of modern art: namely, if—as the novel’s title implies—one “sells one’s soul to the devil”. But what does that mean? What did it mean back then? What does it mean today?
● A staged montage of key motifs from the Faust complex—from Marlowe to Paul Valéry
● short compositions that exemplify the works of Leverkühn described in this novel (also in connection with the previous point)
● performances of works that fall within the theoretical scope of this literary philosophy of music
● Readings of texts by contemporary composers to whom the same applies, etc.
The performance(s) should not take place at the university but should be open to the public. We are currently exploring the available options for this.

Literature

Thomas Mann, *Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkühn, as Told by a Friend*, in the version of the Great Frankfurt Edition, Frankfurt am Main: Fischer, 2012.

Credits

3 Creditpoints

Comments

If you would like to participate in the seminar but, given that the text is not exactly easy even for native speakers, would prefer to use an English translation instead, please contact us. We’re sure to find a solution.
The seminar is aimed at students in artistic programs in music, school music, acting, dramaturgy, and directing. The more diverse the perspectives brought to this text, the better!
To earn credit points, you must demonstrate an interest in the connection between theory and artistic practice, give a presentation during the seminar, and submit a written reflection. We will explore various approaches to theoretical work, including dialogic reading, clustering, and AI-assisted reading. Optional participation without earning credit points is also possible and requires consultation with the instructors.

Modules

Modul Regie 1 Schauspiel, Modul Regie 2 Schauspiel, Modul Schauspiel 1, Modul Schauspiel 2, Modul Schauspiel 3, Wahlmodul Master Dramaturgie, Abschlussmodul Musik Regie, Musiktheater, Regie Schauspiel, Wahlmodul 2 Regie Musiktheater, Regie Schauspiel, Wahlmodul freie Wahl (alle Studiengänge), Studium generale Wahlmodul Master, Wahlmodul 1 Regie, Wahlmodul 2 Regie