The Mephisto Waltzes () are four waltzes composed by Franz Liszt from 1859 to 1862, from 1880 to 1881, and in 1883 and 1885. Nos. 1 and 2 were composed for orchestra, and later arranged for piano, piano duet and two pianos, whereas nos. 3 and 4 were written for piano only. Of the four, the first is the most popular and has been frequently performed in concert and recorded.

Associated with the Mephisto Waltzes is the Mephisto Polka, which follows the same program as the other Mephisto works.

The Waltzes

No. 1, S.514

thumb|300px|Excerpt from the beginning of the Mephisto Waltz No. 1

The most popular of the series and, along with the third Waltz, most praised musically, the ("The Dance in the Village Inn: First Mephisto-Waltz"), or the First Mephisto Waltz, is the second of two short works he wrote for orchestra under the title Zwei Episoden aus Lenaus Faust. While the work preceding it, Midnight Procession (), is rarely given (though both works have been recorded together), the waltz has been a concert favorite, with its passion, sensuality and dramatics generating an emotional impact. James Huneker described the work's "langourous syncopated melody" as "one of the most voluptuous episodes outside of the Tristan score".

The first Mephisto Waltz is a typical example of program music, taking for its program an episode from Nikolaus Lenau's 1836 verse drama (not from Goethe's Faust). The following program note, which Liszt took from Lenau, appears in the printed score:

<blockquote>There is a wedding feast in progress in the village inn, with music, dancing, carousing. Mephistopheles and Faust pass by, and Mephistopheles induces Faust to enter and take part in the festivities. Mephistopheles snatches the fiddle from the hands of a lethargic fiddler and draws from it indescribably seductive and intoxicating strains. The amorous Faust whirls about with a full-blooded village beauty in a wild dance; they waltz in mad, abandon out of the room, into the open, away into the woods. The sounds of the fiddle grow softer and softer, and the nightingale warbles his love-laden song.</blockquote>

Liszt intended to publish the Waltz simultaneously with the Night Procession: "...The publication of the two Lenau's Faust episodes... I entrust to Schuberth's own judgement; as to whether the piano version or the score appears first, makes no difference to me; the only important thing is that both pieces should appear simultaneously, the Night Procession as No.1 and the Mephisto Waltz as No.2. There is naturally no thematic relationship between the two pieces; but they are related nonetheless by all the contrasts of emotions. A Mephisto of this kind may only arise from such a poodle!..." Liszt's request was not fulfilled and the two episodes were published separately.

The waltz was conceived as both an orchestra and a piano work. Three versions, orchestral (S.110/2), piano duet (S.599/2) and piano solo, (S.514), all date more or less from the same period (1859–62). The piano duet version is a straightforward transcription of the orchestral version, while the solo piano version is an independent composition. Liszt dedicated the piece to Karl Tausig, his favourite pupil. A further two piano version, published by Schuberth in 1885, was arranged by Dr. Fritz Stade and later revised by Isidor Philipp.

The orchestral version also has an alternate, softer ending which, while not as rousing as the usual coda, some critics argue is closer to the intent of Lenau's tale. While this ending is not often heard in the concert hall, both Fritz Reiner and James Conlon have recorded it. Liszt also provided two extra passages for the piano solo version. It is not known when Liszt wrote these extra passages, but it was a habit of his later years to make alterations while teaching his works to his pupils.

Harmonically, the second waltz anticipates Scriabin, Busoni and Bartók. Liszt begins and ends the work with an unresolved tritone, a musical interval famous as representing the devil in music, and the music overall is more violently expressive than both its predecessor and Camille Saint-Saëns' Danse macabre, which Liszt had transcribed a few years earlier. The piece, for all its dissonance, remains firmly in E major until the B–F tritone shatters the work's climax at the piece's end. Liszt made no orchestral version of the piece.

No. 4, S.216b

The Fourth Mephisto Waltz, S.696, remained unfinished and was not published until 1955. Liszt worked on the piece in 1885. Like the second waltz, the fourth uses an introduction and coda which do not stick to the basic key. While the work is mainly in D major, it begins and ends in C minor. This, writes noted Australian Liszt scholar and pianist Leslie Howard, was an encouragement while working on his performing version to refer to the main material in the slow Andantino and to recapitulate a portion of the fast Allegro before Liszt's coda. Some critics do not consider this waltz as original as its predecessors and surmise that, had Liszt lived to complete it, he might have made considerable improvements. No orchestral version of this waltz was made by Liszt.

Despite its being unfinished, this waltz is still considered playable.

  • Nándor Szederkényi – Violin & Harp version:

A duo transcription by Hungarian violinist Nándor Szederkényi (with harp), inspired by Milstein’s solo‑violin edition. Though not strictly solo, this version adapts the main thematic material into an intimate chamber arrangement.

Viola

  • Marco Misciagna – Mephisto Waltz for Solo Viola:

Italian violist Marco Misciagna has arranged Mephisto Waltz No. 1 for unaccompanied viola. He has performed it live and included it among his catalogue of over 100 solo‑viola arrangements. The version transfers the piece’s fiery, dramatic character into the richer tonal colour of the viola.

Flute

  • Nikka Gershman – Mephisto Waltz no. 1 for Flute and Piano:

This transcription creates an intricate dialogue between the flute and piano, remaining faithful to Liszt's piano arrangement while encapsulating the entire orchestral texture. Gershman premiered this transcription at her solo recital at St. Paul's Chapel, Columbia University, New York.

Other versions

  • Ferruccio Busoni – Piano solo (orchestra → piano):

A virtuosic solo-piano paraphrase by Ferruccio Busoni, published by G. Schirmer (Schirmer’s Library of Musical Classics). Busoni’s transcription compresses the orchestral power into a solo recital piece.

  • Fritz Stade / Isidor Philipp – Piano four hands:

Liszt’s own piano-duet reduction of the orchestral version (S.599/2), later published by Fritz Stade and revised by Isidor Philipp.

References

Sources

  • Recording of the "Mephisto Waltz" No.1 for piano, S. 514, (arr. Busoni), performed by the pianist Cecile Licad, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
  • Waltz No. 1, S.514, performed by Alberto Cobo