Liebesträume
Encyclopedia
Liebesträume is a set of three solo piano
works (S/G541) by Franz Liszt
, published in 1850. Liszt called each of the three pieces Liebesträume, but often they are referred to incorrectly in the singular as Liebestraum (especially 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 Seliger Tod (Holy Death) is often known by its first line ("Gestorben war ich") ("I was dead"), and evokes erotic love; "dead" is a metaphor here referring to what is known as "la petite 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, and warning that love lost is miserable: "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
").
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.
Liebesträume No. 3 is a standard repertoire piece, and most concert pianists will have played or studied it.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
works (S/G541) by Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, published in 1850. Liszt called each of the three pieces Liebesträume, but often they are referred to incorrectly in the singular as Liebestraum (especially No. 3, the most famous of the three). Originally the three Liebesträume (Notturni) were conceived as songs after poems by Ludwig Uhland
Ludwig Uhland
Johann Ludwig Uhland , was a German poet, philologist and literary historian.-Biography:He was born in Tübingen, then Duchy of Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, but also took an interest in medieval literature, especially old German and French poetry...
and Ferdinand Freiligrath
Ferdinand Freiligrath
Ferdinand Freiligrath was a German poet, translator and liberal agitator.-Biography:Freiligrath was born in Detmold, Principality of Lippe. His father was a teacher. He left a Detmold gymnasium at 16 to be trained for a commercial career in Soest...
. 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 Seliger Tod (Holy Death) is often known by its first line ("Gestorben war ich") ("I was dead"), and evokes erotic love; "dead" is a metaphor here referring to what is known as "la petite mort
La Petite Mort
La Petite Mort is the seventh album by German rapper King Orgasmus One.- Tracklist :# "Rollt auf Chrom"# "Elfenklänge"# "La petite mort"# "Es war einmal"...
" 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, and warning that love lost is miserable: "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
O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst
O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst is a poem written by Ferdinand Freiligrath, a 19th century German writer. In 1847, Hungarian composer Franz Liszt set the poem to music , and eventually adapted it into his famous Liebesträume No. 3. The work is one of Liszt's most famous and poignant...
").
Liebesträume No. 3
The piece is the last of the three that Liszt wrote, and the most popular, and can be considered as split into three sections, each divided by a fast cadenza requiring dextrous fingerwork and a very 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.
Liebesträume No. 3 is a standard repertoire piece, and most concert pianists will have played or studied it.
In popular culture
- The Melachrino Orchestra Conductor: George MelachrinoGeorge MelachrinoGeorge Melachrino was a musician, movie composer, and musical director who was English born of Greek and Italian descent. He was an accomplished player of the violin, viola, oboe, clarinet and saxophone....
recorded the piece in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on December 9, 1945. It was released by EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
on the His Master's Voice label as catalogue numbers B 9527, EA 3736 and TG 105. - The Baltimore, MD based experimental band Animal CollectiveAnimal CollectiveAnimal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
sampled Liebesträume No. 3 in A Flat Major for the song "Cuckoo Cuckoo" of their 2007 album Strawberry JamStrawberry JamStrawberry Jam is the seventh studio album by American indie rock band Animal Collective. It was released in September 2007, the band's first on Domino Records. The title and track listing were revealed by band member Geologist on the Collected Animals message board on May 16, 2007... - Liebesträume No. 3 in A Flat Major was featured in an episode of the popular Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
series Courage the Cowardly DogCourage the Cowardly DogCourage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
. - It was published with version 2 of the scorewriter Sibelius as an example score.
- It made two important appearances in the film All About EveAll About EveAll About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr.The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star...
- firstly played on the piano at the party when Margo is sitting with the pianist, and later heard on the car radio - Spike JonesSpike JonesMel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
recorded an unforgettably frantic cover of Liebesträume No. 3 early in his career. - Another infamous rendition, this time for violin, was performed by actor Werner KlempererWerner KlempererWerner Klemperer was a comedic and dramatic actor, best known for his role as Colonel Klink on the CBS television sitcom, Hogan's Heroes.-Early life:...
for the Hogan's HeroesHogan's HeroesHogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
episodeEpisodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
"Kommandant Gertrude". - Liebesträume No. 3 is played by a character in the film Lost in the DesertLost in the DesertLost in the Desert is a South African film from 1969/1970, written and directed by Jamie Uys, who also directed the better-known The Gods Must Be Crazy. Prominent roles were played by Wynand Uys as Dirkie Hayes , Jamie Uys as Anton Hayes , and Pieter Hauptfleisch as Uncle Pete...
and from this becomes an important theme in the soundtrack. - Victor BorgeVictor BorgeVictor Borge ,born Børge Rosenbaum, was a Danish comedian, conductor and pianist, affectionately known as The Clown Prince of Denmark,The Unmelancholy Dane,and The Great Dane.-Early life and career:...
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!" - It has been used in the animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning. - It was used in a cut scene in the video game Haunting GroundHaunting GroundHaunting Ground, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 console in 2005. The game shares many similarities with Clock Tower 3.-Gameplay:...
. - It is played by Ryotaro Tsuchiura in the special episode of the anime Kin'iro no Corda.
- It appeared in the movie Larry the Cable Guy: Health InspectorLarry the Cable Guy: Health InspectorLarry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector is a 2006 comedy film starring American stand-up comedian Larry the Cable Guy. Larry, a municipal restaurant health inspector, is assigned a new rookie partner after recklessly closing restaurants for code violations, Amy Butlin , by his boss, Bart Tatlock...
as the song to which LarryLarry the Cable GuyDaniel Lawrence Whitney , better known by his stage name and character Larry the Cable Guy, is an American comedian, actor, and former radio personality....
's female partner kept switching his truck radio. - It was recorded by western swing band Bob WillsBob WillsJames Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
and His Texas Playboys in 1941, with steel guitar, saxophone, clarinet, trumpets, and drums. The version was unissued at the time but was included in SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's 2006 anthology, Legends of Country Music: The Best of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys - In 1975, songwriter/performer Richard O'BrienRichard O'BrienRichard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...
and his wife Kimi recorded a version of the song, with new lyrics by O'Brien, as their proposed third single as vocal duo, Kimi and RitzKimi and RitzKimi and Ritz were a short-lived English pop vocal duo in the early 1970s, comprising Richard O'Brien and his then wife, Kimi Wong O'Brien...
. However, it was never released. - In December 2004 it was played at the memorial service of Gene A. Dwyer, a multi-instrumentalist who played in many famous bands of the 1930s, 40's, and 50's. Though Dwyer was known more for his work with big band and jazz music, he enjoyed the classics, and Liszt in particular.
- It is currently used in many test portfolios, and comes recommended in The Royal Conservatory of Musics level 10 Piano repertoirePiano repertoirePiano repertoire is a term that refers to the collection of music any person or group of persons is able and ready to perform on a piano. A repertoire for a piano may commonly be translated into a trio and played with a cello, a violin, and a piano.-History:...
. - Ilia KulikIlia KulikIlia Alexandrovich Kulik is a Russian figure skater. He is the 1998 Olympic Champion, the 1995 European Champion, the 1997–1998 Grand Prix Final champion, and the 1995 World Junior champion.- Career :...
skated to piano/violincello version of the song during 1997 Japan OpenJapan Open (figure skating)The Japan Open is an annual senior international figure skating team competition organized by the Japan Skating Federation. It is held every autumn in Japan. Invited skaters compete in the disciplines of men's and ladies singles. Skaters perform a free program but no short...
LP - Japanese skater Mao AsadaMao Asadais a Japanese figure skater.She is the 2010 Winter Olympic silver medalist, the 2008 & 2010 World champion, the 2008 & 2010 Four Continents champion, a two-time Grand Prix Final champion, the 2005 World Junior champion, the 2004–2005 Junior Grand Prix Final champion and a four-time Japanese...
(浅田真央) used Richard ClaydermanRichard ClaydermanRichard Clayderman is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of most popular works of...
's arrangement for her 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 long program. - The 1970 SovietCinema of the Soviet UnionThe cinema of the Soviet Union, not to be confused with "Cinema of Russia" despite Russian language films being predominant in both genres, includes several film contributions of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union reflecting elements of their pre-Soviet culture, language and history,...
/HungarianCinema of HungaryHungary has had a notable cinema industry from the beginning of the 20th century, with Hungarians who affected the world of motion picture both inside and outside the borders...
film Szerelmi álmok – Liszt (EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Dreams of Love – Liszt, also known in English as The Loves of Liszt) (RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Ференц Лист. Грезы любви) about a composer co-named with his famous work. http://kino-teatr.ru/kino/movie/euro/8240/annot/ - It is featured in the 2008 Korean drama Beethoven VirusBeethoven VirusBeethoven Virus is a 2008 MBC TV drama in Korea. It was screened Wednesday and Thursday nights on MBC. This show drew attention for being the first drama to depict the lives of classical musicians and orchestra in Korea....
.
Sheet music
- Sheet music of Liebestraum No.3 on Cantorion.org
Recordings
- Kunst der Fuge: MIDIs from Piano Rolls. Real recordings by Otto Higel, Leo Ornstein, Josef Lhevinne, Eugene d'Albert, Katsuhiro Oguri
- Liebesträume: 3 Notturnos, various recordings
- Liebestraum performed by Kevin Carone. A lyrical interpretation
- Recording of Number 3 in A-flat performed by the pianist Alberto Cobo
- Recording by Serg van Gennip
- YouTube video by Valentina Igoshina
- YouTube video by Michel Dalberto
- 1991 Youtube video by young Evgeny Kissin