▁extraordinary ▁musical ▁cre ativity ▁( which ▁par alle ls ▁the ▁actual ▁innov ations ▁of ▁Arnold ▁Sch o enberg ). ▁ ▁Le verk ü hn ' s ▁last ▁cre ative ▁years ▁are ▁increasing ly ▁ha unted ▁by ▁his ▁ob session ▁with ▁the ▁Ap ocal yp se ▁and ▁the ▁Last ▁Jud gment . ▁ ▁He ▁feels ▁the ▁in ex or able ▁progress ▁of ▁his ▁ne uro - s y ph il it ic ▁mad ness ▁leading ▁towards ▁complete ▁break down . ▁As ▁in ▁certain ▁of ▁the ▁Fa ust ▁leg ends , ▁he ▁calls ▁together ▁his ▁closest ▁friends ▁to ▁witness ▁his ▁final ▁collapse . ▁At ▁a ▁chamber - reading ▁of ▁his ▁cant ata ▁" The ▁L ament ation ▁of ▁Doctor ▁Fa ust ", ▁he ▁ra ving ly ▁conf esses ▁his ▁demon ic ▁p act ▁before ▁becoming ▁in co her ent . ▁His ▁mad ness ▁reduces ▁him ▁to ▁an ▁infant ile ▁state ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁lives ▁under ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁his ▁relatives ▁for ▁another ▁ten ▁years . ▁ ▁Le verk ü hn ' s ▁life ▁unf olds ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of , ▁and ▁in ▁parallel ▁with , ▁the ▁German ▁cultural ▁and ▁political ▁environment ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁rise ▁and ▁down fall ▁of ▁Naz i ▁Germany . ▁But ▁the ▁pre dis pos ing ▁conditions ▁for ▁Le verk ü hn ' s ▁p act ▁with ▁the ▁devil ▁are ▁set ▁in ▁character , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁art istic ▁life , ▁the ▁art istic ▁processes ▁themselves , ▁not ▁merely ▁as ▁political ▁alleg ory . ▁The ▁inter play ▁of ▁layers ▁between ▁the