Mephisto Waltzes

The Mephisto Waltzes are four virtuoso piano solos composed by Franz Liszt near the end of his life in 1881. Of the four, the first is the most popular and has been frequently performed in concert and recorded. It is popularly called "the Mephisto Waltz," as if there were only one.

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The Mephisto Walze #1 outlines events on the legend of Faust (which numerous poets and other composers have also used). Faust and Mephistopheles enter an inn where a wedding party is being held. Mephistopheles takes a violin from one of the peasents, tunes it (represented in the music by the 5ths build up at the start of the piece) and plays a frantic dance. The music slows for a gorgeous new theme as Faust tries to seduce a woman in the inn, and after some wooing, escapes into the woods with his young suitor...a nightingale sings a tune, and the music builds to an exciting climax as Faust has a night of passion with the woman.

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