Lyrical and elegant, this seductive, melodious piece is one of the very best of the well-known earlier Romantic side of Liszt (e.g., as the composer of the "Liebesträume").

An arpeggio in gently flowing triplets, pianississimo and at a Lento placido tempo, opens the work, establishing a tranquil atmosphere. The cantando (singing) melody, centered on the major third step of the scale, enters. As in several other piano compositions by the composer, the harmony supporting the melody does not begin on the tonic chord but on an altered chord (in this case, a half-diminished seventh on the augmented fourth step), and then gradually works its way back toward the tonic (D flat). This uncertainty in the progression adds buoyancy for the listener to the overall harp-like flow created by the initial accompaniment figure.

The harmonic modulates briefly to the relative minor, and just before the completion of the melodic exposition, the line takes over the triplets from the accompaniment. The melody slowly cascades and then ascents by little staccato steps to cadence on the primary chords of the piece (aug. IV, dominant V, I).

The melody repeats in octaves and with more elaboration. After the change to the relative minor key, the harmony begins to wander in a Wagnerian chromatic manner into far-ranging zones (F minor, F major, A minor, A major, back to D flat major).

The melody recapitulates in a warm middle register with the accompaniment part only hinted at. The melody halts for a moment after only a few measures while a wistful arpeggio wafts through the air, ascending through three octaves and then falling back to the second, octave statement of the melody.

Just before the coda, there is an enharmonic change from D flat major to A major. A brief cadenza to the highest octaves brings the mood back to the pianississimo quietude of the beginning. Descending and slowly ritarding thirds closely the piece in an aura of peacefulness.

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Liszt's six Consolations date from 1849-1850, near the beginning of the most productive period in the composer/pianist/conductor's career. Inspired by a set of poems of the same name by historian Joseph Delorme (under the pseudonym Charles Sainte-Beuve), these diminutive compositions convey a mood of unfulfilled hope. As is evident from the sequence of keys and moods, the Consolations were conceived and are best played as a single entity, though they are frequently performed individually on recital programs.

The first Consolation, Andante con moto, serves as an introductory meditation and establishes the predominant E major tonality of the entire group. It ends on an incomplete measure that segues directly to the first bar of the second piece.

The second Consolation, Un poco più mosso, is a lilting work that recalls the composer's many song transcriptions. The primary melody is presented in four different ways, each accompanied in a different fashion, increasing the impression of harmonic complexity. To achieve this effect, Liszt uses one of his favorite keyboard devices, dividing the melody between the hands.

The third Consolation, Lento placido, was inspired by the nocturnes of Chopin and has long enjoyed the greatest popularity of the pieces in the set. It features a right-hand cantilena over a broken-chord accompaniment in the bass line, lending the whole a flowing, lyrical texture. The lovely melody, simple and elegant, is often expressed in soaring open octaves in the treble. A one-measure cadenza provides additional interest at the close of this charming piece.

The highly chordal texture of the fourth Consolation is almost hymnlike in the impression it makes. Based on a theme supplied by the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, the slow and sustained melody has a purposely ambiguous meter that adds to the contemplative mood.

The fifth Consolation was once circulated by an English publisher under the title "Eugenie," with no reference to Liszt's own designation, Andantino. This piece effects a return to the key of E major in preparation for the collection's conclusion. The continuously singing melody is distinctly vocal, while Liszt's use of parallel thirds and sixths suggests the influence of Mendelssohn. The simple statement of the theme and a brief but lyrical coda make this one of Liszt's most ingratiating piano works.

The last and longest of the Consolations, marked Allegretto, departs, at least temporarily, from the mood of the other five pieces. The wide-ranging melodic line is supported by a flowing bass accompaniment. Though the piece is uplifting for most of its length, the 16-bar coda recalls the somber yet gently consoling quality present in the previous Consolations. The final two bars return to the 4/4 meter of the first Consolation, and the cycle thus comes full circle.

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The six Consolations are among Liszt's more popular piano works, especially the third. One reason they are widely played is they make relatively modest technical demands on the performer, unlike most of Liszt's keyboard output. Their inspiration was literary, a book of poetry by Charles Saint-Beuve that appeared in 1830. In general, the six works are intimate and gentle in nature, the first and last two sharing the key of E major. The fifth, here, was once independently published of the others and given the title Eugenie Andantino. The piece opens with a brief introduction of notes rising from the bass to the upper register, after which the lovely main theme appears. It expresses both a sense of playfulness and of serenity. Some pianists wring out a measure of melancholy from it by stretching its tempo to curtail the melody's somewhat chipper aspects. The second subject maintains much the same mood, but in the latter half a variant on the theme divulges greater animation and even develops a sense of passion that seems to augur some eruption or emotional outpouring, neither of which comes. Curiously, there is no reprise of the main theme and the work quietly and gently ends. This Consolation typically lasts just over two minutes.

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