Like so many of the composer's works, Franz Liszt's Tre sonetti di Petrarca (1838-1839; 1861) only assumed their final form after many decades of re-composition and revision. Indeed, several different versions for various types of voice with piano exist, as does a version for piano alone. Therefore, one cannot necessarily say that there is a "final" version of the Sonetti—rather, one is greeted with a spectrum of pieces that reflect Liszt's continually changing attitude toward both his own music and Petrarch's deeply sentimental poetry.

Around 1838 or 1839 Liszt composed the initial version of the Sonetti, for tenor (and a high one at that, with a range extending to high C sharp) and piano. Liszt originally presented the Sonetti in the following order (the numbers corresponding to those assigned to Petrarch's sonnets): No. 104, No. 47, and No. 123. Of the settings, No. 47 is perhaps the weakest, with its barely covered structural seams and occasionally rambling narrative. Already at this early stage, though, the other two songs show an intimate understanding of Petrarch's rather erotic verse, as evidenced by their charged atmosphere and rich melodic sense.

The Sonetti remained unpublished for many years, during which time Liszt crafted the first solo piano version. The piano version was published in 1846—about the same time that the version for tenor and piano appeared in print—but in 1858 Liszt re-crafted the piano version and included it in the second book of Années de pèlerinage. It is in this form, in fact, that the Sonetti are today best known.

The Sonetti, in their 1858 incarnation, are surely among the most splendid of the mid-nineteenth century piano works. Although Liszt had not entirely repaired the flaws of No. 47, both Nos. 104 and 123 are lovely and idiomatic; the music comes forth from the piano so naturally that many are unaware of its vocal origins. Liszt does not suppress the ebullience of his youthful attitude towards love, but rather augments and clarifies his vision in the 1858 version. Like much of the second book of Années de pèlerinage, the Sonetti show a strong affinity for the sleek melodic contours of Italian opera. (It is interesting to note that Liszt reversed the order of the first two Sonetti for the 1858 version, significantly streamlining the dramatic narrative of the group as a whole.)

The most substantial revision came in 1865, when Liszt chose to transcribe the original vocal version for lower voice. Now intended for baritone or bass, this "final" version of the Sonetti provides a stark contrast to each of its predecessors. Here, Liszt has greatly simplified the textures, removing much of the exuberant emotion which so characterized the earlier versions, and has replaced his youthful optimism with something approaching the grim austerity of his later works.

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