Overview
Introduction
Liszt's brief piano composition En rêve (Dreaming) was written in 1885. Composed in the last period of his life, it is a work of great beauty despite its modest proportions, and shows Liszt's compositional style in its most polished and mature form. While much of Liszt's later work is mournful in character, this piece has an uplifting quality and lyrical sense of line. True to its title, the piece has a dreamlike quality expressed in a lilting melody and supported by a flowing, broken-chord accompaniment in the left hand. As with several other late Liszt pieces, the harmonic structure of this work foreshadows the tonal experiments of the twentieth century, but its mood is reflectively peaceful. The lovingly placed embellishments in the melodic line add an ethereal sense to this charming and personal work. Less than two minutes in length, this piece is a diminutive gem.
