Wim Westerveld

During this season, a number of concerts at the Konzerthaus Berlin were dedicated to Thomas Mann’s novel Faustus, which he wrote at the end of WWII while exiled in America. The story follows the tragic fate of a fictional composer who struggles with the German mentality and traces the development of Germany’s soul up until the catastrophic events of the Second World War. We drew upon the style figures in the book and incorporated visual contrasts and contradictions as well as an vertical axis (used as a caesura) to create reflections, reversals, and striking opening pages. We also sought out visual metaphors to express the tensions implicit in the story, juxtaposing the frail Centaur (used as the body text) against Broken Script (used for the aggressive initials). The gold accent color lent a slightly theatrical touch.