Liebestraüm no. 3 by Franz Liszt - live recording
20090411 at 24:48 
Searching for Liebestraüm no. 3 online, I ran into the recording I uploaded long ago on Archive.org. It’s good to see it on the first page of google results. This is a live performance, recorded at Capp Street Community Music Center in San Francisco.
Mr. Sheldon was pretty frank when he discussed with me the subject matter of this piece. “Dream of Love,” rather than conveying some flowery notion of romance, is the physical sex act committed by two people in love. The climax is the bar immediately followed by a spine-tickling descending cadenza, then a return to “Tempo I” for a fond recollection and a cigarette. After listening to an unsatisfying performance of this piece, it’s appropriate to say “I didn’t hear an orgasm.” Some may be shocked at this description; today the mention of a cigarette is completely unacceptable.
I was able to find a truckload of public domain sheet music on free-scores.com. The Liszt collection in particular looks very complete. Also, the IMSLP project is back online, and they have several editions of this piece as well.
Liebestraüm No. 3 - Franz Liszt - Richard Walker Live at Capp St - Track 10
richardwalker
Lang Lang plays Liebestraüm no. 3
I’m a little surprised a Lang Lang’s interpretation of this piece. In my opinion it departs from Liszt’s intent, without good reason. Egon Petri wrote these applicable ”pithy sayings”
- I am here to defend the composer.
- Music is so lovely when it’s left alone.
- People who talk too much about interpretation are apt not to be humble enough. I try not to overshadow the composer.
Perhaps it is Lang Lang’s age at issue here, or it may be a certain lack of restraint that lets him go too far.
richardwalker
Artur Rubinstein plays Liebestraüm no. 3
This represents the true Lisztian conception, and style of performance.
audio | tagged Liszt, audio, live performance, piano, public domain, sex, sheet music