" FAUST " ON THE STAGE.

[To THE EDITOR 07 THE " SPECTATOR."]

SIB,—Goethe's Faust, in the shape in which we now know it, was first published in 1808. It was first acted upon a public stage in Brunswick on January 19th, 1829. Twenty-one years elapsed before Germany produced the greatest work in its literature on the German Stage. It would seem that Goethe wrote Faust merely to satisfy his own ideal, and that his great work was never limited in conception by any regard to its possible production on the boards. Goethe himself, as Adolph Enslin records, never himself saw his own Faust upon the stage, though it was played in Weimar on August 29th, 1829, in honour of the poet's eightieth birthday. He seems to have shrunk with timid reticence from seeing his great ideal work dealt with through the conventionalities of the Stage.

I have just succeeded in obtaining a copy of the play- bill of the first performance in Brunswick. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the original cast is wholly unknown in England, and as such a record must interest your readers, I beg to append a transcript of this, the original play-bill of Faust :—

Zwelter llerr Kuenter. Dritter Herr Pincher.

Erster (Sehueler) ... ... Herr Berger. %welter ... ... Herr Fitzenhageo Erstes (Dienstmaedeben) fem. Solbtig. Zweite, Kline liamdath. Eerier aluergernmedchen) Madme. Groeoner.

Zweites Dem. Hoepler.

Erster (Buerger) ... ... Herr Gerard. Zweiter . ... Herr Mm

aba. fritter . . ... Herr 'Innen.

Eine site Wahraagerin .. hiadme. !teener. Soldnten. Volk. Erschelnungen. ()Older. Per Anting lot um G Mir, uud dcc Eude naelt halb to Uhr.

The performance just recorded was the first representation of Faust in any public theatre ; but it should also be mentioned that the play had been acted in a half dilettante manner, and to. a private if brilliant audience, in Berlin, on May '24th, 1820. This representation took place in the Monbijou Palace, and was under the auspices of Prince Anton Radziwill, the husband of the only daughter of Prince Ferdinand of Prussia.

Mephistopheles was played by Prince Karl of Mecklenburg, the youngest brother of Queen Louisa. The actor, Wolff, of the Royal Theatre, acted Faust ; Graf Voss was the Wagner; and Fran Stich (afterwards so well known as Frau Crelinger) enacted Gretchen. The play was Bowdlerised for representation before the royal and courtly audience, which comprised the King, Friedrich Wilhelm III.; all the Princes, including, no doubt, the present Emperor, and many noble guests honoured with invitations. Zelter reported all the details of the repre- sentation to Goethe. I could add many more details, but that I fear to trespass unduly upon the space that you can afford for such a letter. I ask leave, however, to add that I hope to give a tolerably complete study of Goethe's Faust in the two next following numbers of the Modern Bevietv.—I am, Sir, &c.,

Wagner, rein Famulus Mephistopheles ... Per Kul:feint

PM Schuster Frosch (Studenten) ... Brander . . Siebel . Altmayer

Margarethe. emu Buerger. nmedehen . Valentin, ihr Bruder, Soldat Frau Marthe, Hire Nach- BRAUNSCHWEIG HOF THEATER. MONTAG, DEN 19 JANUAR, 1829, zeN ERSTENMAL,

FAUST,

TragUdie in Seas Abthellungeo, von Goethe, tSr die Bitbne redigirt.

PERSONEN. Herr Srhuetz. Erster (liandwerksbursche) Herr Peuerflache

Herr Senk. Herr Mum Herr Desnoir. HerrGossmann. Herr Iluebseh. Herr Eggert. lierrGuenther. Herr Moller. Herr Scholz. Madme. Lay.

Madme. Berger. lierr Kettel.

Md. Klingemann.