Liebesträume (German, ‘Dreams of Love’) is a set of three solo piano nocturnes (S.541/R.211) by Franz Liszt published in 1850. Originally the three Liebesträume were conceived as lieder 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. Franz Liszt was born in 1811 in Hungary, into an already well-established musical family. His father, Adam Liszt, had been in service for Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy. This meant he was in direct contact with prolific composers such as Haydn, Beethoven and Hummel. Liszt was an incredibly innovative, well-respected and frankly a legend in his lifetime. During his time in Weimar, Liszt composed and published his piano nocturnes, Liebestraum (Dreams of Love). This set of three piano works portray Liszt’s romantic writing, as well as programme music. The set was published in 1850 and are a key example of programme music due to their reference to various poems about love and death.
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 “Seliger Tod” (blessed death) is often known by its first line (“Gestorben war ich”, “I had died”), and evokes erotic love; (“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 third nocturne is about unconditional mature love (“Love as long as you can!”, “O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst”).
Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major is the most familiar of the three nocturnes and is in three sections, each divided by a fast cadenza requiring dexterous fingerwork and a high degree of technical ability. One melody is used throughout, and varied, notably near the middle of the nocturne, at a climax, where it is played in a series of octaves and then rendered in arpeggios. The expressive nature of this movement is reminiscent of the opening refrain which returns throughout the poem. The promise of love is hopeful at the start, however, it soon dissipates after the death of a loved one. The emotion within the poetry is what essentially shaped the form of Liebestraum No.3.
The work begins in Ab major, with large arpeggiated phrases in the right hand, and through this large movement it represents the poets anguish. The refrain from the poem is repeated twice in the first 12 bars, with its simple melody and arpeggiated accompaniment. The harmonic progressions within this section show the movement within the poem. Each section of this piece is split up by a cadenza section. The cadenzas are there to represent the Liebestraum. The first highlights the dream-like state that the poet is in, where he can be reunited with his love once more. This cadenza is in B major, which shows a tonal shift. B major does not function with Ab major, which represents the battling feelings between love and death. The first theme comes back, but this time in C major, which shortly resorts back to Ab major. The constant turbulent tonal shifts suggest the emotional rollercoaster that the poet is finding himself in. This section really highlights the emotional and mental turmoil that is happening inside the mind of the poet.
The cadenzas are very interesting as Liszt uses the full range of the piano to express feelings of hope. The fast passages and chromaticisms emphasise the idea of ‘the dream state’. The second cadenza is the ‘coming out’ of his dreams. The range of the piano doesn’t go up and above, but stays grounded, giving a sense of what real life feels like. The back and forth motion of this cadenza is very effective as it emphasises the change between dream and reality, as well as want and have. After this cadenza, the poet realises he can only be truly in love in his dreams. The idea is that the poet warns you that love is fragile but worth taking the risk for. Through dynamic changes you can feel the sense that the poet is feeling sorrowful and is faced with the reality of death. The piece ends very quietly, with this back story in mind it brings the piece into a whole new dimension.
