When Liszt took over the direction of the Court Opera in Weimar, he dedicated considerable time exploring the works of Goethe. In particular, he was interested in the theme of "Faust." He used Nikolaus Lenau's "Faust," an extensive poem in 24 scenes, as a model for his orchestral work in two parts titled "Episodes from Lenau's Faust."
The second part, "Dance at the Tavern," was originally written for solo piano. He gave this explosive piece, which peaks in almost delirious crescendo, the title "Waltz of Mephistopheles." The piano composition quickly spread worldwide and is still regarded today as the quintessential bravura piece. For the first time, a version of the piece that has been trimmed and simplified by Liszt can be found in the supplement.