Liebesträume (German for Dreams of Love) is a set of three solo piano works (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 ~ a portrait by Henri Lehmann in 1839
Liebestraum No. 3 is the last of the three that Liszt wrote, and the most popular. It can be considered as split into three sections, each divided by a fast cadenza requiring dexterous finger work and a very high degree of technical ability.
This is one of the most important works for solo piano by Liszt and an all-time favourite among classical music lovers around the world.
Evgeny Kissin’s performance shows the importance of remaining focused on the musicality that is the hallmark of Liszt.
Kissin is legendary for making his debut concert at the age of ten, playing Mozart’s piano concerto No. 20 in D minor. Two years later at the tender age of twelve, he played and recorded both Chopin’s piano concertos with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra to critical acclaim by critics around the world. Hence, a star is born.
“He is a born musician and a born great pianist” – Vladimir Ashkenazy
Such is the accolade given by maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, himself a virtuoso pianist, to Evgeny Kissin, one of the great pianists of our generation.
For a piano recital in Sydney this month, Kissin is playing the works of Liszt that includes the piano sonata in B minor, Ricordanza and Venizia e Napoli, S162.