In 1863, Liszt wrote a pair of pieces for solo piano which are beyond compare in the remainder of his output. Faust, in turn, whisks away one of the village maidens, turning and twirling into the forest beyond. The joyous festivities take a turn when the demon commandeers a violin and ekes out an ‘indescribably seductive’ melody. Subtitled ‘The Dance in the Village Inn’, it follows a part of Nikolaus Lenau’s Faust story, in which Mephistopheles and Faust join a village wedding party. Written in the years between 18, the first waltz is the most famous.
Liszt wrote four Mephisto Waltzes, named for one of the most renowned demons in German folk literature (also known as Mephistopheles). Here are the 15 greatest pieces he ever wrote. Over a six-decade career, he left behind a colossal amount of music – mostly piano, but also orchestral and vocal. Not least because of his swarming fanbase and 6’1” height, Liszt loomed large over the German music scene as an innovative and experimental performer and composer.
Read more: Franz Liszt: discover the great Romantic composer’s life
