Originally written as solo songs for soprano, these works were composed as piano solo pieces by Liszt at age 39 in 1850 and published the same year as "Liebesträume – Three Nocturnes." Looking at Liszt's activities around this time, it is notable that he became Kapellmeister at the Weimar court in 1848. This appointment came after he resigned from approximately 10 years of concert activities, and it was intended to place composition at the center of his life.

Weimar was a city where literary giants like Goethe, Schiller, and Herder were active, and historically, J.S. Bach also flourished there. Liszt composed and presented works for major celebratory events, such as the centenary of Goethe's birth in 1849. Among these, he presented the overture for Goethe's drama Tasso (later revised and re-performed as the symphonic poem Tasso in 1854, at which time the term "Symphonische Dichtung" was first used) and the Faust Symphony (1854).

He also actively supported contemporary composers, frequently performing works by Berlioz and Schumann. In 1850, he conducted the world premiere of Wagner's romantic opera Lohengrin. Liszt was extremely active, not only performing these works but also publishing writings to promote understanding of them. The activities mentioned above bore fruit not only in orchestral works but also in numerous paraphrases for solo piano.

For the following explanations, information about the solo songs is provided first, followed by information about the piano arrangements.

No. 1 in A-flat major "Hohe Liebe"

As a solo song (S307) based on a poem by the German poet Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787-1862), the first version was completed and published in 1850. (The second version was completed in 1854.) The poem's content is about gladly abandoning earthly joys to become a martyr.

In the piano arrangement composed and published in 1850, the original song is first largely transcribed as is, after which the graceful theme is repeated amidst a brilliant impression, with frequent use of decorative figures in the high register.

No. 2 in E major "Gestorben war ich"

Similar to No. 1, it was completed in 1846 and published in 1850 as a solo song (S308) based on a poem by Uhland. The gist of the poem is: "I died before the joy of love. Buried in her arms, I awoke with her kiss, and saw heaven in her eyes."

In the piano arrangement composed and published in 1850, the section up to the double bar corresponds to the original song, but it is arranged more pianistically compared to No. 1. The theme then reappears with ornamentation, but the subsequent phrase of the theme is dramatically built up by repeated chords.

As a related work, the first piece in E major from "Five Piano Pieces," completed in 1865, can be mentioned.

No. 3 in A-flat major "O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst!"

This is one of the most popular short pieces among Liszt's works. As a solo song (S298) based on a poem by the German poet Hermann Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810-1876), it was composed around late 1843, and its first edition was published in 1847. The second version was completed and published in 1850.

The poem, beginning with "O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst!" (O love, as long as you can love!), is not about romantic love but about human love. Its content is: "The time will come when you will lament before a grave. Therefore, love as long as you can love. If someone opens their heart to you, devote yourself to them and never cause them sorrow. And be careful how you speak, for bad words quickly escape the mouth. Even if you say, 'God, it was a misunderstanding!', that person will lament and depart."

The difference from the song version is the passage just before the opening theme is recapitulated. In the song, this section corresponds to the line "Und huete deine Zunge wohl, ..." (And guard your tongue well, ...), taking the form of an alternating performance between the vocal and piano parts, creating a recitative-like section (a musical passage used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas to explain situations or individual feelings, or for narrative purposes). In the piano arrangement, this passage does not exist; instead, a different melody is used to form the climax of the piece, adorned with rich ornamentation, leading into the recapitulation of the opening theme.