Franz Liszt- Liebestraum

   Franz Liszt was one of the most extraordinary artists of the Romantic Era. He infused the entire emotional spectrum in each of his pieces, and no piece, in my mind, is more representative of both him as a composer and of Romanticism as a period than Liebestraum. 
   Literally, Liebestraum means love dream, and its stunning range of tempos, dynamics, and notes entail the tempestuous journey that is love. The beginning of the song, is soft, but is relatively fast. This is the first stage of love: shy and hidden. Gradually, the song builds in speed and loudness. The song details passion, anger, and just about every other emotion you could think of. The song builds to a frenzy, climaxing at a gorgeous cascade of breathtakingly fast notes. The song then returns to a pattern similar to that of the beginning of the song, where the sweet elements of love are depicted musically. The piece is both eloquent and raw, effectively hypnotizing the listener.
   The song is the archetypical Romantic music composition. The Romantic Era was famed for its emphasis on emotion, on the perfection and innateness of human nature, and on its moving themes. First of all, when one thinks of a full range of emotion, the main thing that should come to mind (in any normal person at least) is love. Love has its highs and lows, from happiness to anger and passion. Liszt cleverly depicts the true essence of love in this song, and by doing so he clearly personifies the Romantic Era.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpOtuoHL45Y