Leopold Godowsky

 Piano Music, Vol. 12

 6 Waltz-Poems for the Left Hand Alone 

 Transcriptions

 Marco Polo 8. 225364

Strauss - 6 Lieder, Op. 17, TrV 149: No. 2. Standchen  

6 Waltz Poems for the Left Hand Alone:
No. 1. Allegretto amabile
No. 2. Allegretto grazioso
No. 3. Allegretto amabile                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

3 concert studies, Op. 11: No. 1 in C Major: Grottesco 

Schumann - Myrthen, Op. 25: No. 24. Du bist sie eine Blume (A flower to me thou seemest) 

Brahms - 5 Romanzen und Lieder, Op. 84: No. 4. Vergebliches Standchen                                                                                   

Schubert - Schwanengesang, D. 957: No. 12. Am Meer                                                                                                                

Kreisler - Rondino on a Theme by Beethoven                                                                                                                                 

Bohm - Still wie die Nacht (Calm as the Night), Op. 326, No. 27                                                                                                 

Schumann - Myrthen, Op. 25: No. 14. Hochlandisches Wiegenlied (Highland Cradle Song)

Suite for the Left Hand (excerpts):                                                                                             

Menuet                                                                                                                                   

Gigue

Schubert - Die schone Mullerin, Op. 25, D. 795: No. 18. Trockne Blumen

6 Waltz Poems for the Left Hand Alone:                                                                                     

No. 4. Moderato, con tenerezza e grazioso                                                                                 

No. 5. Moderato                                                                                                                       

No. 6. Con fuoco

Weber - Aufforderung zum Tanze (Invitation to the Dance) 

Weber - Perpetuum Mobile

 

As always, Scherbakov is in complete command, technically and musically. His sense of textural foreground and background particularly shines in the Six Waltz-Poems for the left   hand alone, while his firm articulation and rhythmic drive in the Op. 11 No. 1 Concert Study prove more interesting than the actual music. These qualities also describe Scherbakov’s bravura performance of the Weber Perpetuum Mobile, where Godowsky piles more technical hurdles on top of that composer’s already challenging First Sonata Rondo finale. In Godowsky’s hands, Weber’s Invitation to the Dance gets swallowed up into a huge contrapuntal paraphrase, packed with chromatic reharmonizations and garish inner voices. Somehow Scherbakov’s straightforward elegance and stylish poise prevent the music from sounding overloaded. Jed Distler, Classics Today 

 

 

Each piece ...is wonderfully characterised to show these largely forgotten works in the best possible light. Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone