Godowsky's transcriptions of Bach's works are often considered as significant as those by Franz Liszt and Ferruccio Busoni, despite being less frequently performed by pianists.
Composer Biography
Leopold Godowsky, a prominent pianist and composer featured on this album, was born in Żośle near Vilnius, on what were then Polish territories, now part of Lithuania.
Composer Biography
Godowsky, despite his virtuosity, stated in his autobiography 'Retrospekcja' that he did not receive systematic piano lessons, but rather developed his skills independently.
Compositional Technique
Leopold Godowsky's piano transcriptions of Bach's works, like the Sonata No. 1 in G minor on this album, introduce new contrapuntal voices, harmonic modifications, and modern playing techniques.
Compositional Technique
Godowsky's 'Studies on Chopin's Études' are transcendental works that deepen the piano technique used by Chopin and Liszt, expanding polyphonic, polyrhythmic, and polydynamic possibilities.
Composer Biography
Leopold Godowsky performed a recital in the newly built Carnegie Hall in 1891, an important venue for his career.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Godowsky's compositions, predominantly for solo piano, are known for their high technical and interpretative difficulty, rich polyphonic content, and contrapuntal complexity.
