Vaclav Havel's Temptation

As I was reviewing Temptation by Havel, I noticed that the first translation of Temptation appeared in the Index on Censorship in 1986. I also noticed that one of the stage directions is to have rock music played in scene intervals and during the intermission. The rock music reminded me of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll (great play, by the way!), which is about the emergence of the democratic movement that took place between the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. Rock 'n' Roll, like the title suggest, incorporates a lot of rock music.

I love coincidences. Both Tom Stoppard and Vaclav Havel are both from the former Czechoslovakia. More importantly, Vaclav Havel was the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic.

I am enjoying the social/political satire of Soviet Europe in Temptation because I am so intrigued by dissent movements. The Scientific Institute certainly clamps down on what Foustka and dissidents in society have to say. In addition, there's the whole creepy Fistula spy thing going on and the end scene of everyone except Foustka assimilating and dancing in tune to the music.

Havel's Temptation

I was actually the dramaturge for a production of Havel's Temptation at Eugene Lang College, the New School for Liberal Arts.

Here are some photos of the show.

And here's another link.

Liszt: Faust Symphony and Dante Symphony

The previous post by one Stussah (he he he) reminded me of something, and I was not entirely sure what it was, till Youtube, sadly, once again came to the rescue.
Allow me to share with you a symphony by one of my favorite pianists/ composers- Franz Liszt

Now, not a person remotely talented musically, or educated beyond a few years of flute, I consider myself still able to appreciate a good tune.

The Faust and Dante Symphonies, ladies and gentlemen, by Franz Liszt:




(I like the fact that geeks and composers have helped us reach a point where we can embed entire playlists as flash frames. Just keep clicking next above to listen to the full thing.)

Dante and Goethe

I have started (and will most likely finish over Winter Break) Dante’s Inferno, the first part in The Divine Comedy. It is a classic that I have wanted to read for some time, and now I have finally allowed myself to make my nerdy dream come true. After reading the first Canto, and snooping through some of the commentary provided by the editor, I realized how Faustian this book is.

Evidence in Canto 1:

First line Dante is traveling through the “Midway on our life.” Like Faust, he is Middle-Aged and restless.

Dante cannot handle his restlessness, thus, he “found” himself “now searching” in line 4. Also like Faust Dante has a strong thirst for knowledge, something new.

Further on in the Dante finds a savage Beast. The feline beast is Unfaustien because it “blocks progress”. I interpret the Beast represent the lethal politics of the Catholic Church. Dante was exiled from Florence in 1302 due to his political beliefs that the church found unsavory. This large feline is chasing him, and Dante fears for his life, but he is rescued by the poet Virgil. When Dante meets Virgil, he is Star struck. It would be as if I meet Margaret Cho, or Professor Tobin met the Ghost of Herr Goethe. Dante meets his literary inspiration, his hero. Or, as he puts it “the light and glory of all poets” in line 82.

In the next line, 83, Dante talks about his “ceaseless care” in his study of Virgil’s poetry. The element of Care allowed him to study Virgil’s poetry, to open Dante’s eyes. In the story of Faust, on the other hand, Care blinds the protagonist. Another interesting difference in this story is that Virgil is sentenced to live on the outskirts of hell, where as Mephisto works in hell. The guide in Dante’s story is captive, where as the guide in Faust’s story is a collaborator.

Another interesting similarity (outside literature and present in the author’s realities) was the fact that there were both politicians. (Goethe in real life and Dante in real life).

Exorcising the Devil from Thomas Mann's "Doktor Faustus"

Hello class!
Last week I talked about Karin Crawford's article Exorcising the Devil from Thomas Mann's "Doktor Faustus"
A write up on my presentation can be found here.
A link to the article on JSTOR can be found here.

During class time, we had a guest lecture from Professor Korstvedt from the Music Department on dodecaphonic music and we listened to pieces from Schoenberg.

By Thanksgiving we should hand in our creative writing pieces, based on pp. 382-283, the Thomas Mann style characterizations. We should also be beginning our research for our papers!

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

The Overwhelming World of Faustian News Articles

I decided this week that I would Google News Search the terms “Faustian bargain”. I was surprised at how many different news items were described in this way – a demonstration of just how much the US has integrated the Faust myth into its culture.
Here are links to some of the articles, categorized and with a brief description. If nothing else, it’s a good way to keep up with some current events!

Politics/History/Science:
Scientists, officials and others once affiliated with the Nazis were allowed to come to the United States after World War Two and contributed to important scientific developments.

The pros and cons of energy sources

Geoengineering

The Pakistani-American political relationship

Entertainment:
Scary celebrity children taking over the entertainment industry

Chelsea Handler’s new publishing imprint

Sports:
Payment of college athletes

Yankees players’ high salaries

Dare by Abiola Abrams

This is the book I was talking about in class - the African American Faustian novel :-)

This is the link to Abiloa Abrams' homepage where you can find out more about her and the book and the story behind the story!