Abstract
Abstract Despite its popularity with pianists, Liszt9s first Mephisto Waltz (pub. 1862) has been largely glossed over in musicological studies. In this article, I reconsider the relationship between the piano piece and the excerpt from Lenau9s Faust (pub. 1836) that inspired it, and I explore potential programmatic interpretations of the rhetorical features and idiosyncratic structure of the music, informed by knowledge of Liszt9s aesthetic stance around this period. This hermeneutic approach is framed in terms of certain important sociocultural concerns of the time, including the widespread fascination with the virtuoso as a daemonic agent. The poetic excerpt tells of a crowd being roused to frenzy by the playing of a diabolical instrumentalist, a process that the piece both depicts and (in the act of performance) reenacts. This also links back to Liszt9s mercurial career as a performer, during which period such scenes were commonplace. Written long after he had ceased his tours as a virtuoso to concentrate on composition, the Waltz may use Liszt9s own remembered experiences, but more importantly it is part of the legacy whereby he hoped to ensure his own lasting place in the cultural memory.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
