Liebesträume

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Liebesträume (German for Dreams of Love), is a set of three solo piano works (S/G541) by Franz Liszt, published in 1850. Often, the term Liebestraum refers specifically to No. 3, the most famous of the three. Originally the three Liebesträume (notturni) were conceived as songs after poems by Ludwig Uhland and Ferdinand Freiligrath. In 1850 two versions appeared simultaneously as a set of songs for high voice and piano, and as transcriptions for piano two-hands.

The three poems by Uhland and Freiligrath depict three different forms of Love. Hohe Liebe (Exalted Love) is saintly, or religious, love: the "martyr" renounces worldly love and "heaven has opened its gates." The second song evokes erotic love: "Gestorben war ich". "Dead" is a metaphor here and refers to what is known as "le petit mort" in French, ("I was dead from love’s bliss; I lay buried in her arms; I was wakened by her kisses; I saw heaven in her eyes"). The poem for the famous third "notturno" is about unconditional mature love: "Love as long as you can! The hour will come when you will stand at the grave and mourn" ("O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst").

[edit] Liebestraum No. 3

The piece is the last of the 3 that Liszt wrote and can be considered as split into three sections, each divided by a fast cadenza requiring dextrous fingerwork and a relatively high degree of technical ability.

The same melody is used throughout the entire piece, each time varied, especially near the middle of the work, where the climax is reached.

At the end, the piece dies down into a final chorded section, and has a broken chord for an ending, usually played slowly as if they were individual notes, rather than rippled.

[edit] In popular culture

Liebestraum No. 3 in A Flat Major can be heard when placed on hold during a phonecall to CVS/Pharmacy stores.
It was published with Sibelius 2 (music software, not the Finnish composer) as an example score.
It made two important appearances in the film All About Eve.
Spike Jones recorded an unforgettably frantic cover of Liebestraum No. 3 early in his career.