Liebesträume

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 "Liebesträume" 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 two poems by Uhland and the one by Freiligrath depict three different forms of Love. Uhland's "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; Uhland 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"). Freiligrath's 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").

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.

In popular culture

* Liebesträume No. 3 in A Flat Major was featured in an episode of the popular Cartoon Network series, Courage the Cowardly Dog.
* It can be heard when placed on hold during a phonecall to CVS/Pharmacy stores.
* It was published with version 2 of the scorewriter Sibelius as an example score.
* It made two important appearances in the film All About Eve.
* Spike Jones recorded an unforgettably frantic cover of Liebesträume No. 3 early in his career.
* Liebesträume No. 3 is played by a character in the film Lost in the Desert and from this becomes an important theme in the soundtrack.
* Victor Borge played a version for his album "Caught in the Act." When he announced he was about to play it, the audience applauded. He stopped them with "Don't be too happy about it...I hate that number! Can't stand it. I play it with both hands; that way I get through with it a little faster!" While he played it he said things like "It stinks!" and "Blah blah blah blah..."
* It has been used in the anime series ""
* It was used in a cutscene in the video game Haunting Ground.
* It is played by Ryotaro Tsuchiura in the special episode of the anime Kin'iro no Corda.

External links

Sheet music

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Recordings

* Kunst der Fuge: [http://www.kunstderfuge.com/liszt.htm MIDIs from Piano Rolls] . Real recordings by Otto Higel, Leo Ornstein, Josef Lhevinne, Eugene d'Albert, Katsuhiro Oguri
* [http://www.classiccat.net/liszt_f/541.htm Liebesträume: 3 Notturnos] , various recordings
* [http://www.superopera.com/mp3/pclassics/pclassics.htm Recording of Number 3 in A-flat performed by the pianist Alberto Cobo]
* [http://www.serg.vangennip.com/www/piano.html Recording by Serg van Gennip]