Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Franz Liszt - Mephisto Waltz No.1, S514
Performer: Max Egger
1971.10.24 東京文化会館大ホ一ルにて収録
Now there is an opportunity to hear it in the context of the two Episodes together as Liszt conceived them, Mephisto’s mad whirl of earthly pleasures mocked a perfect foil for the awesome fatalism of Faust’s vision on his night ride. Humphrey Searle, in The Music of Liszt, cannot be bettered in his paraphrase of the episodes from Lenau’s poem:
(1) It is a warm spring night, dark and gloomy, but the nightingales are singing. Faust enters on horseback, letting his horse quietly saunter on. Soon lights are seen through the trees, and a religious procession approaches, singing … The procession passes on, and Faust, left alone, weeps bitterly into his horse’s mane. (2) Faust and Mephistopheles enter the inn in search of pleasure; the peasants are dancing, and Mephisto seizes the violin and intoxicates the audience with his playing. They abandon themselves to love-making, and two by two slip out into the starlit night, Faust with one of the girls; then the singing of the nightingale is heard through the open doors.
Franz Liszt - Mephisto Waltz No.1, S514
Performer: Max Egger
1971.10.24 東京文化会館大ホ一ルにて収録
Now there is an opportunity to hear it in the context of the two Episodes together as Liszt conceived them, Mephisto’s mad whirl of earthly pleasures mocked a perfect foil for the awesome fatalism of Faust’s vision on his night ride. Humphrey Searle, in The Music of Liszt, cannot be bettered in his paraphrase of the episodes from Lenau’s poem:
(1) It is a warm spring night, dark and gloomy, but the nightingales are singing. Faust enters on horseback, letting his horse quietly saunter on. Soon lights are seen through the trees, and a religious procession approaches, singing … The procession passes on, and Faust, left alone, weeps bitterly into his horse’s mane. (2) Faust and Mephistopheles enter the inn in search of pleasure; the peasants are dancing, and Mephisto seizes the violin and intoxicates the audience with his playing. They abandon themselves to love-making, and two by two slip out into the starlit night, Faust with one of the girls; then the singing of the nightingale is heard through the open doors.
![Franz Liszt - Ballade No.2 in b minor, S170a [early version]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PNa9OM_pEzE/mqdefault.jpg "Franz Liszt - Ballade No.2 in b minor, S170a [early version]
As a matter of fact, Liszt never expected the original version of Ballade No.2 to be published, but the original version has long been known. In the later version, Liszt change the ending. Beyond all doubt, the beautiful and quiet coda of the later version is fantastic, but it doesnt mean the original ending is not good. As for me,I even very like the original version. It is an interesting job to explore Liszts creation through different version of works.")
