Description
In the same D-flat major as the famous third, a melody supported by chords accumulates quietly here, like a hymn. It is the fourth of Liszt's six Consolations, S. 172, and the two stand as a pair. Some editions carry a note that this one is based on a melody by Maria Pavlovna, the Grand Duchess at Weimar, where Liszt was employed.
There is none of the third's broken-chord accompaniment: the common-time writing is plainer, with the hands sharing the chords. Around 500 notes fill about two and a half minutes, and the motion stays gentle throughout.
Singing a melody from inside the chords is what lifts it to intermediate. Holding the top voice through to the next chord requires substituting fingers to sustain it. Practising that connection without the pedal clarifies the melodic line. Played after the third, how quietly this one can begin is what creates the contrast.
Six meditative piano pieces Liszt composed around 1849-50, calm and introspective in character.
Browse all songs in Consolations →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Franz Liszt was a Hungarian-born virtuoso pianist and composer whose legendary performances earned him fame across Europe as the "wizard of the piano." Beyond his transcendent technique, he was also an innovative composer who created the symphonic poem as a genre, and he is equally remembered for meditative miniatures like the Consolations and dramatic works like the Ballades. This site includes 4 of his works, including Ballade No. 2 and Consolations No. 1, 3, and 4.
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