     This famous tone poem is based on a poem by Alphonse de Lamartine, a French romantic poet.  The program pulled from Lamartine's work is full of dramatic and contrasting  moods.  Following is an excerpt from the program.
What else is life but a series of preludes to that unknown song whose first solemn note is intoned by death.  Love is the enchanted dawn of all existence; but what destiny is there whose first delights of love are not interrupted by some storm? . . . . . after such a storm, does not try to soothe its memories in the gentle calm of country life?  . . . . to find in combat the full awareness of himself and the complete possession of his powers. 
     This single movement work was written during a period when Liszt was not concertizing.  The structure is made up of four large sections preceded by a slow introduction.   A simple three note motive (long-short-long) is is the basis for thematic transformation.  It first appears in the strings and moves to the brass.  From there it is transformed into two different love themes.  The storm follows the love themes with military like transformations of both love themes. The themes eventually combine at the end suggesting commonality between what seems to be opposites.
     The use of thematic transformation is not only a means to consciously unify long works, it is a natural developmental process in improvisation.  Liszt's command of this technique as a composer and performer proposed exciting new horizons for dramatic orchestral writing.  Wagner was among the benefactors of the expanding harmonic and melodic style heralded in this work.
