Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 10/10/2012, uploaded on 03/13/2013

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

There are four Mephisto Waltzes, composed by Franz Liszt in 1859-62, 1880–81, 1883 and 1885.  Nos. 1 and 2 were composed for orchestra, later arranged for piano, piano duet and two pianos, whereas 3 and 4 were written for piano only. Of the four, the first is the most popular.  It is a typical example of program music, taking for its program an episode from Faust, not by Goethe but by Nikolaus Lenau (1802–50). Three versions of the waltz – orchestral, piano duet, and piano solo – 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 Carl Tausig, his favorite pupil. 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. .       Andy Feldbau

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.