Naturszenen Op. 3, No. 22

While most of these Naturszenen present images of the waking world, this one is set in the world of dreams. From the very beginning of the intro there is a feeling of an almost trance-like state as the right hand plays a simple, yet haunting figure with very little motion under a sustained, sighing melody. When the main theme begins, the left hand takes up the pulsating figure and the right begins its melancholic rise and fall. The chromatic nature of the piece lends an aura of wandering through the world of sleep, looking with fascination at the unusual sights conjured up by the unconscious mind. Is there a hidden meaning to what we see or simply our imagination taking us on a journey to a fantastic world of untold wonders?