About the work
"Faust" is a Romantic opera in three acts by Louis Spohr, with a libretto by Joseph Carl Bernard. Spohr composed it in Vienna in 1813, but its premiere did not take place until September 1, 1816, at the Estates Theatre in Prague, conducted by Carl Maria von Weber.
Plot
The rejuvenated Faust first seduces the burgher's daughter Röschen, then rescues the beautiful Kunigunde from the knight Gulf. At Kunigunde's own wedding he secretly gives her a love potion, and the two flee together; in the third act Kunigunde takes her revenge on Faust, the abandoned Röschen drowns herself in despair, and Mephisto finally drags Faust down to hell.
Cultural significance
Alongside E.T.A. Hoffmann's "Undine," Spohr's "Faust" is counted among the earliest German Romantic operas and, after its Prague premiere, remained one of the most widely performed German-language operas into the late 19th century, with productions also in Italy, France and England.