The second act opens in the garden, with Faust (under the name of Henry), Marguerite, Mephistopheles, and Martha, Marguerite’s mother, strolling in couples.  The music, which is of a very sensuous character, is descriptive of the love-making between Faust and Marguerite, and the sarcastic passion of Mephistopheles for Martha.  It is mostly in duet form, and closes with a quartet allegretto ("Addio, fuggo"), which is very characteristic.  The scene then suddenly changes to the celebration of the Witches’ Sabbath on the summits of the Brocken, where, amid wild witch choruses, mighty dissonances, and weird incantation music, Faust is shown a vision of the sorrow of Marguerite.  It would be impossible to select special numbers from this closely interwoven music, excepting perhaps the song ("Ecco il mondo”) which Mephistopheles sings when the witches, after their incantation, present him with a globe of glass which he likens to the earth.

The third act opens in a prison, where Marguerite is awaiting the penalty for murdering her babe.  The action is very similar to that of the last act of Gounod’s “Faust.”  Her opening aria ("L’ altra notte a fondo al maro”) is full of sad longings for the child and insane moanings for mercy.  Faust appeals to her to fly with him, and they join in a duet of extraordinary sensuous beauty blended with pathos ("lontano, lontano").  Mephistopheles urges Faust away as the day dawns, and pronounces her doom as she falls and dies, while the angelic chorus resounding in the orchestra announces her salvation.

In the fourth act a most abrupt change is made, both in a dramatic and musical sense.  The scene changes to the “Night of the Classical Sabbath” on the banks of the Peneus, amid temples, statues, flowers, and all the loveliness of nature in Greece.  The music also changes into the pure, sensuous Italian style.  Faust, still with Mephistopheles, pays court to Helen of Troy, who is accompanied by Pantalis.  The opening duet for the latter ("La luna immobile”) is one of exceeding grace and loveliness, and will always be the most popular number in the work.  With the exception of a powerfully dramatic scena, in which Helen describes the horrors of the destruction of Troy, the music is devoted to the love-making between Helen and Faust, and bears no relation in form to the rest of the music of the work, being essentially Italian in its smooth, flowing, melodious character.  At the close of the classical Sabbath another abrupt change is made, to the death-scene of Faust, contained in an epilogue.  It opens in his laboratory, where he is reflecting upon the events of his unsatisfactory life, and contemplating a happier existence in heaven.  Mephistopheles is still by his side as the tempter, offers him his cloak, and urges him to fly again.  The heavenly trumpets which rang through the prologue are again heard, and the celestial choirs are singing.  Enraged, Mephistopheles summons the sirens, who lure