Dreaming of Love in Liszt's Liebestraum No 3
The Best Moments
Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major, S. 541, No. 3
Welcome, I am Franz Liszt, and here I have gathered the best moments of my Liebestraum No 3. You will hear how I turned a song about unconditional love into a solo piano nocturne where tender melodies give way to dazzling, passionate flourishes. If you would like to recognize our music the moment it starts playing, visit our Trainer where I and the other composers here will gladly show you how.
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Romance with a Grave Warning
I begin Liebestraum No 3 in a warm A-flat major on the solo piano, wrapping the melody in rolling notes that sound like a quiet evening conversation. I originally wrote this music in 1843 as a song for Ferdinand Freiligrath's poem about loving people before you end up mourning at their graves, which is a slightly grim way to start a dream of love.
Ten Fingers Doing the Work of Twenty
After a quick flourish of fast notes that gives your fingers a workout, I push the middle section through B major and E major as the mood grows much more passionate. The melody climbs higher and louder as if it is trying to shout from the rooftops, proving that even after I retired from touring and settled in Weimar, I still liked making pianists sweat.
Coming Home Without Waking the Neighbors
Following a second rapid shower of notes that tumbles down the keyboard like a handful of pearls, I bring the music back to A-flat major. The melody returns one last time in a hushed voice before fading into slow chords, leaving the room so quiet you might wonder if the pianist fell asleep at the keys.
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Did you enjoy hearing the story behind the best moments of Liebestraum No 3? Even after walking through these passages together, there is still plenty more to discover about Liebestraum No 3 and how it came to be. Feel free to follow the links on this page if you would like to keep exploring Liebestraum No 3 with me.
Recording: Wilhelm Backhaus, Public domain