Romantic Piano Techniques in Franz Liszt’s Liebestraum, 3 Nottornos für das Pianoforte No. 3
Session Title
Humanities and Fine Arts
College
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Department
Music
Faculty Mentor
Ian Pearson, Ph.D.
Abstract
Composer Franz Liszt was born in Raiding, Austria, in 1811. While conducting the Court Orchestra at Weimar in 1850, Liszt transcribed many of his songs and choral works for piano. Shortly after composing a collection of three songs titled Liebestraum, 3 Notturnos, he transcribed the songs for piano, showcasing his virtuosic dexterity and extended harmonic vocabulary. The third selection, “O lieb” (O love), is the most adored from the collection to this day, with most admirers using the collection's title, Liebestraum (Love Dream), to refer to the third song alone. This study examines how "O love" captures the emotions of a lover's daydreams with the piano alone. The selection includes several cadenza-like motifs in unmeasured rhythm that emulate dancers cascading down romantically. The entire range of the piano is used as the texture quickly shifts from five-octave chords to floating melodies, which represents the full range of emotions one experiences while in love. Liszt also implements extended harmonic progressions to blur the tonic, resulting in a murky, dreamlike sound. These virtuosic techniques come together in "O love" to portray profound emotions that have captured audiences since the transcription's premiere.
Course Assignment
MUST 564 – Pearson
Start Date
12-4-2019 1:45 PM
Romantic Piano Techniques in Franz Liszt’s Liebestraum, 3 Nottornos für das Pianoforte No. 3
DIGS 114
Composer Franz Liszt was born in Raiding, Austria, in 1811. While conducting the Court Orchestra at Weimar in 1850, Liszt transcribed many of his songs and choral works for piano. Shortly after composing a collection of three songs titled Liebestraum, 3 Notturnos, he transcribed the songs for piano, showcasing his virtuosic dexterity and extended harmonic vocabulary. The third selection, “O lieb” (O love), is the most adored from the collection to this day, with most admirers using the collection's title, Liebestraum (Love Dream), to refer to the third song alone. This study examines how "O love" captures the emotions of a lover's daydreams with the piano alone. The selection includes several cadenza-like motifs in unmeasured rhythm that emulate dancers cascading down romantically. The entire range of the piano is used as the texture quickly shifts from five-octave chords to floating melodies, which represents the full range of emotions one experiences while in love. Liszt also implements extended harmonic progressions to blur the tonic, resulting in a murky, dreamlike sound. These virtuosic techniques come together in "O love" to portray profound emotions that have captured audiences since the transcription's premiere.
