Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major
About this arrangement
Liszt first wrote it as a song on Ferdinand Freiligrath's poem "O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst", and published it in 1850 both as a song and as this piano piece. It's the third of his three Liebesträume.
Practise the melody on its own first so you know which notes to bring out when it moves into the middle of the texture. Loop each cadenza slowly with the right hand before trying it at tempo.
Start with short loops.
Use the section list as a practice map. Start at 50% tempo, loop one section, then return to the full piece once the hand shape feels stable.
Choose Right or Left to focus on one hand. Wait for note checks the highlighted notes as you play them on the screen or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Before you practice.
01 How hard is Liebestraum No. 3?
It's advanced. The tune is simple, but you need to sing it over wide arpeggios, and the two cadenzas and the octave climax are demanding.
02 How long is Liebestraum No. 3?
Our edition has 89 bars in 6/4.
03 What should I practise first?
The melody alone, then the left-hand arpeggios alone. Put them together at 50% tempo and make sure the melody stays louder.
04 What does Liebestraum mean?
It means "dream of love". The piece is based on Liszt's own song setting of a poem by Ferdinand Freiligrath.