What is "liebestraume"

(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 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.

The two poems by Uhland and the one by Freiligrath depict three different forms of love. Uhland's (exalted love) is saintly or religious love: the "martyr" renounces worldly love and "heaven has opened its gates". The second song (blessed death) is often known by its first line ("", "I had died"), and evokes erotic love; "dead" could be 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 ("Love as long as you can!", " O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst").