Sunday, February 23, 2014

O love, love as long as you may!

O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst! O lieb, so lang du lieben magst!
O love, love as long as you can! O love, love as long as you may!

Liebesträume (German for Dreams of Love) is a set of three solo piano works 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. The two poems by Uhland and the one by Freiligrath depict three different forms of love. 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"). Ferdinand Freiligrath was a tireless champion of freedom and civil liberties and a poet who sang the song of democracy in the face of repression. He was repeatedly forced into exile due to his active political engagement for democracy.

MAYBE TIME HAS COME TO LET LOVE PREVAIL?

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