Mephistopheles' Flohlied Meets Beethoven's Devilish Sting

The essay argues, first, that Beethoven's attraction to Goethe's Faust I and the Flohlied, which he read in 1790 at the age of nineteen, carries greater meaning than simply being an expression of sassy humour. Instead, Beethoven's initial interest is best understood within the context of Bonn's belated Enlightenment and its lasting impact on the composer. Second, the paper discusses Beethoven's perplexing decision to include the incongruous satirical song among a group of six Lieder, published as op. 75 in 1810. And finally, it explores the question of why the ambitious composer never ventured further into Goethe's most significant theatrical work.