Mephisto Waltz, for piano No. 3 (I & II), S. 216 (LW A325)

• Date: 1883
• Composer: Franz Liszt
• Period: Romantic (1820-1869)

Review

Franz Liszt's personality was complex: the wildest possible extremes of both behavior and philosophy were as natural as breathing to this man who lived as a flamboyant virtuoso, sired a number of illegitimate children, and yet took minor orders in the Catholic hierarchy. His intense devotion to the Christian faith was perhaps the cause (or more appropriately, the foil) for Liszt's preoccupation with the legend of Faust, and the character of Mephistopheles in particular (whom he seems to have revered). Perhaps this is because of his boyhood idol, the great virtuoso Nicolo Paganini, who was popularly rumored to be in league with the devil; however, motivations aside, "Mephisto" provided Liszt with a great deal of musical inspiration. In all, he composed four Mephisto Waltzes (the fourth of which was left incomplete), as well as a Mephisto Polka which is of less interest.

The third Mephisto Waltz (1883) is perhaps the best of the group, despite the fact that is played less frequently than the first two. It was originally conceived on the piano; indeed, no other instrument could provide the sheer percussive violence which seems to be so integral an element of the work. A composition with six sharps (probably just to make it seem more demonic!), this work opens with a five measure phrase which is surely the most extraordinary thing in tonal music up to that point: the tetrachord C sharp-E sharp-A sharp-D sharp is hammered out in fortissimo arpeggiated figures, only to immediately be stalled on a sustained D sharp, after which the real motion of the piece begins. Unlike the first Mephisto Waltz (which has a seductive, syncopated lyric middle section), the third Waltz provides the listener little respite from its unrelenting violence -- here Liszt's demonic fury is at its most potent. ~ Blair Johnston, Rovi

Albums with Complete Performances of the Work

Title	Date
Franz Liszt: 4 Mephisto-Waltzes; 3 Valses oubliées; Mephisto Polka; Romance Oubliée; Trauervorspiel	1995
Franz Liszt: Mephisto Walzer 1-4; Mephisto-Polka; Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude; Bagatelle ohne Tonart	1985
Georges Cziffra: Ses Enregistrements Studio, 1956-1986	2008
Georges Cziffra: Ses Enregistrements Studio, 1956-1986	2008
Liebestraum: Romantische Klaviermusik
Liszt Waltzes	1986
Liszt: 4 Mephisto Waltzes; Mephisto Polka; Bagatelle sans tonalité
Liszt: Late Piano Music
Liszt: Mephisto Waltzes; Two Elegies; Grosses Konzertsolo	2007
Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Mephisto Waltzes
Liszt: Rhapsodie Espagnol; Les Jeux d'Eau de la Villa d'Este; Etc.	1996
Marianna Rashkovetsky, Piano	2002
Piano Classics	2000

Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work

Title	Date
Liszt: Rarities, Curiosities, Album Leaves and Fragments	1999

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