He returned to the material in 1845, to make a larger work, with some additional text by Almire Gandonnière to Berlioz's specifications, that he first called a "concert opera", and as it expanded, finally a "légende dramatique" ("dramatic legend").

[15] Eric Stark has commented on Berlioz's use of the chorus to convey specific information about time, place, and visual imagery in the work.

Tired of life, he is about to commit suicide when the sound of church bells and an Easter hymn remind him of his youth, when he still had faith in religion.

Méphistophélès and Faust arrive at Auerbach's tavern in Leipzig, where Brander, a student, sings a song about a rat whose high life in a kitchen is ended by a dose of poison.

Marguerite enters and sings a ballad about the King of Thule, who always remained sadly faithful to his lost love ("Autrefois, un roi de Thulé").

Just then, Méphistophélès bursts in, warning them that the girl's reputation must be saved: the neighbors have learned that there is a man in Marguerite's room and have called her mother to the scene.

David Poleri, Suzanne Danco, Martial Singher, Donald Gramm, McHenry Boatwright Boston Symphony Orchestra, Harvard Glee Club, Radcliffe Choral Society Conductor: Charles Munch Recorded: 21–22 February 1954, Symphony Hall, Boston Label: RCA Red Seal Records LM 6114 (original mono LP set)

Richard Verreau, Consuelo Rubio, Michel Roux, Pierre Mollet Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra, Chorale Élisabeth Brasseur Conductor: Igor Markevitch Recorded: Salle de la Mutualité, Paris, May 1959 Label: Deutsche Grammophon 138 099 (stereo LP set)[22]

Nicolai Gedda, Janet Baker, Gabriel Bacquier, Pierre Thau, Maria Peronne Orchestre de Paris, Choeurs du Théâtre National de l'Opéra Conductor: Georges Prêtre Recorded: October 1969, Salle Wagram, Paris Label: EMI Classics HMV SLS 947/2[23]

Nicolai Gedda, Josephine Veasey, Jules Bastin, Richard Van Allan, Gillian Knight London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Ambrosian Singers and Wandsworth School Boys' Choir Conductor: Colin Davis Recorded: Wembley Town Hall, July 1973 Label: Philips 6703 042

Dénes Gulyás, Maria Ewing, Robert Lloyd, Manfred Volz Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Kölner Rundfundchor, Südfunkchor Stuttgart, Chor des NDR Hamburg Conductor: Eliahu Inbal Label: Denon 81757 9200 2 (1991)[25]

Thomas Moser, Susan Graham, José van Dam, Frédéric Caton Lyon Opera Orchestra and Chorus Conductor: Kent Nagano Audio CD (7 August 1995) Label: Warner Classics UK / Erato 0630-10692-2

André Turp, Régine Crespin, Michel Roux, John Shirley-Quirk London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Conducted by Pierre Monteux Recorded: Royal Festival Hall, 8 March 1962 (live performance) Label: BBC Legends BBCL 40062 (1998 CD issue)

Michael Myers, Marie-Ange Todorovitch, Alain Vernhes, René Schirrer Orchestre National de Lille, Slovak Philharmonic Choir Conductor: Jean-Claude Casadesus Label: Naxos 8.660116-17 (2006)[26]

Vinson Cole, Charlotte Margiono, Thomas Quasthoff, Jaco Huijpen Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, Groot Omroepkoor Conductor: Bernard Haitink Label: Challenge Classics CC72517 (live recording from 1999; commercial release in 2011)[27]

Bryan Hymel, Karen Cargill, Christopher Purves, Gábor Bretz London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle Hybrid SACD (8 March 2019) Label: LSO Live LSO0809[28]