Musician's or Publisher's Notes No. 5 in D-flat Major, "Tristesse"; No.
44 in f minor; No. 13 in e-flat minor; No. 41 in b minor; No. 2 in D-flat Major; No. 22 in c-sharp minor, "Revolutionary"
Leopold Godowsky's
transcriptions of the Op. 10, Op. 25, and Trois
Nouvelles Etudes of Chopin are considered by many to be his crowning
achievement. Chopin's etudes are inverted, laid on top of one another, or made
into variations. Nowhere is Godowsky's ingenuity more apparent. The resulting
pieces are among the most clever, and most difficult, ever written for the
piano. They possess a rich polyphony with each voice requiring its own shape.
There are a total of 54 studies which
Godowsky adapted. They can be divided into seven categories: 1. Strict
transcriptions (a one-hand version of the etude); 2. Free transcriptions; 3. Inversions;
4. Free variations; 5. Combinations of multiple etudes; 6. Cantus firmus (the left hand plays the part of the original's right, while the right hand
accompanies); and 7. Metamorphoses (everything is changed except the structure)
Even the 22 studies arranged for
the left hand alone (six of which will be performed today) get harmonic and
textural facelifts, emerging as more than just single-handed reductions. For
instance, in the e-flat minor étude (the third in today's set), Chopin's
murmuring accompaniment underneath the lyrical melody is replaced by runs that
quietly dart up and down the keyboard.
This
free treatment incurred abuse from those who believed Godowsky was trying to
improve Chopin's etudes or make them into a virtuosic display. Godowsky himself
emphasized that his work constituted a tribute to Chopin, and that by studying
it, one might come to a better appreciation of the beauties in the original.
Classical Music | Piano Music
Leopold Godowsky
Six Etudes of Chopin, transcribed for the left hand alone Play
Recorded on 04/18/2010, uploaded on 12/12/2010
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
No. 5 in D-flat Major, "Tristesse"; No. 44 in f minor; No. 13 in e-flat minor; No. 41 in b minor; No. 2 in D-flat Major; No. 22 in c-sharp minor, "Revolutionary"
Leopold Godowsky's transcriptions of the Op. 10, Op. 25, and Trois Nouvelles Etudes of Chopin are considered by many to be his crowning achievement. Chopin's etudes are inverted, laid on top of one another, or made into variations. Nowhere is Godowsky's ingenuity more apparent. The resulting pieces are among the most clever, and most difficult, ever written for the piano. They possess a rich polyphony with each voice requiring its own shape.
There are a total of 54 studies which Godowsky adapted. They can be divided into seven categories: 1. Strict transcriptions (a one-hand version of the etude); 2. Free transcriptions; 3. Inversions; 4. Free variations; 5. Combinations of multiple etudes; 6. Cantus firmus (the left hand plays the part of the original's right, while the right hand accompanies); and 7. Metamorphoses (everything is changed except the structure)
Even the 22 studies arranged for the left hand alone (six of which will be performed today) get harmonic and textural facelifts, emerging as more than just single-handed reductions. For instance, in the e-flat minor étude (the third in today's set), Chopin's murmuring accompaniment underneath the lyrical melody is replaced by runs that quietly dart up and down the keyboard.
This free treatment incurred abuse from those who believed Godowsky was trying to improve Chopin's etudes or make them into a virtuosic display. Godowsky himself emphasized that his work constituted a tribute to Chopin, and that by studying it, one might come to a better appreciation of the beauties in the original.Ivan Ilić
More music by Leopold Godowsky
Passacaglia
Alt-Wien
Performances by same musician(s)
Nocturne No. 6 in g minor, Op. 15, No. 3
Ballade No. 4 in B major, Andante con moto, Op. 10
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