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Romantic · consolation

Consolation No. 4, S. 172

Franz Liszt · Level 6, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

Consolation No. 4, S. 172 is a piece by Franz Liszt from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 6, an estimate.

On this page
  • consolation
  • Romantic
  • gentle

Also known as Consolation, S.172 No. 4.

History

No. 4 belongs to Liszt's six Consolations, published in 1850 after he discarded an earlier engraved version. He condensed and simplified this number for the final set, making its restraint part of the work's publication story.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. A chordal pickup starts a singing phrase

    The half-bar chordal pickup leads into a singing upper phrase and changed answer. Hear their connection without making the pickup a separate full phrase.

  2. A lower melody leads to an internal hold

    The marked lower line moves through related phrases to a fermata. Listen to its singing direction; the held arrival is not the end of the piece.

  3. Repeated lower descents meet chords

    Repeated lower descents lead into a chordal answer. Hear their changing support beneath the renewed upper contour.

  4. Long chords sustain the final sound

    The last chords are sustained across the ending. Listen to the remaining voices and their release rather than expecting another active flourish.

How to practise it

Chordal partial opening; arpeggiated longer note and ties.

  1. Practise the two pickup chord landings quietly and lead them into the following line.
  2. Keep the long arrival from becoming a new repeated attack while later tied notes continue.

How hard is it

Level 6, estimated

Chordal sonorities and expressive phrase direction require refined balance and sensitive harmonic pacing.

About this piece

Interpretive sketch of Franz Liszt, an illustration and not a verified likeness
An illustration, not a portrait
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Source
mutopiaproject.org
Credit
“Consolation, S.172 No.4” by F. Liszt (1811 to 1886). Mutopia edition maintained by Ryan Prince. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=1650. Licensed under CC BY 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Changes to the supplied file: none; any later conversion or edit must be disclosed separately.

More by Franz Liszt

  1. Consolation No. 1, S. 172Level 4, estimatedWith Maestro
  2. Liebesträume No. 3, S. 541Level 9, estimatedWith Maestro
  3. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2Level 10, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Chordal partial opening; arpeggiated longer note and ties.

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