The Faust story, and Berlioz's Faust compositions, inspired Liszt to write several works. In the first period between 1856-61 he wrote the Faust Symphony and Zwei Episoden aus Lenaus Faust, which included Night March and Dance in the Village Tavern - the latter known also as First Mephisto Waltz - for orchestra, along with versions for piano for two and four hands, and for two pianos, written simultaneously. The rest of the Mephisto compositions are all late works from between 1879-85: Second Mephisto Waltz 1879-1881, Third Mephisto Waltz and Mephisto Polka 1883, Fourth Mephisto Waltz 1885, and the waltz also numbered fourth as well but subtitled "Bagatelle sans tonalité", probably also 1885. The five Mephisto Waltzes and the Mephisto Polka are now published by EMB in one volume (the first such selection world-wide), as separate volume in the New Liszt Edition, where they appeared in both critical and performance editions between 1982-84.

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