Liszt’s Consolation No. 5 in E Major, S. 172 is a graceful Romantic piano piece with a gentle, song-like character. The music is marked Andantino and con grazia, giving it a calm, elegant feeling rather than a dramatic one. The texture often places a lyrical melody above flowing inner motion and soft accompaniment patterns, with expressive pauses, small tempo changes, and delicate harmonic shifts throughout the piece.

Measures 1–13 introduce the main musical idea. The left hand begins alone with a rising accompaniment figure, and the right hand enters with a simple, singing melody marked dolce. The phrase includes a short poco ritardando before returning a tempo, giving the opening a natural, flexible shape.

Measures 14–20 move into a more expressive passage with fuller chords and more chromatic harmony. The texture becomes thicker, and the voices move closely together, creating a warmer and more emotional sound before the music relaxes again.

Measures 21–30 return to the gentler main style. The dolce melody comes back over the flowing accompaniment, and the music again feels light, graceful, and carefully shaped.

Measures 31–38 form a more personal and flexible section, marked espr. a piacere. The melody becomes freer and more ornamented, with small turns and triplet figures that give the phrase a slightly improvised feeling.

Measures 39–48 continue the lyrical writing with longer melodic lines and repeated accompaniment patterns. The harmony moves gradually, and the music begins preparing for the final buildup.

Measures 49–59 bring the piece to a gentle but fuller conclusion. The texture grows with a crescendo, then settles into broad final chords. The ending remains calm and expressive, closing the piece with quiet warmth rather than force.

Interesting fact: Liszt’s Consolations, S. 172 are a set of six short piano pieces, and the second version was composed around 1849–1850 and published in 1850. The set has often been compared to nocturnes because of its lyrical, intimate character.