Godowsky ,born on 13 February 1870,was a famed pianist, composer, and teach… Read Full Bio ↴Godowsky ,born on 13 February 1870,was a famed pianist, composer, and teacher. He has been described as the "Pianist of Pianists".
He became a naturalised American, but was born to Polish parents in Sozły, near Wilno, in what was then Russian territory but is now part of Lithuania. He considered himself of Polish heritage.
Godowsky had studied under Ernst Rudorff at the Berlin High School for Music,but left after three months. Otherwise, he was self-taught.
His career as a concert pianist, which eventually would take him to every continent except Australia, began at age ten.Godowsky made his debut in America on 7 December in Boston.
Later,moving to France to study with Liszt ( who unfortunately died a few days before Godowsky's arrival there), he played for Tchaikovsky, and could count among his acquaintances Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet, Amboise Thomas, Gabriel Fauré, Gabriel Pierné, Charles-Marie Widor and Leo Delibes.
He died of stomach cancer in New York on November 21, 1938.
As a composer, Godowsky has been best known for his paraphrases of piano pieces by other composers, which he enhanced with ingenious contrapuntal devices and rich chromatic harmonies. His most famous work in this genre is the 53 Studies on Chopin's Etudes, in which he varies the already challenging originals by: introducing countermelodies.
He also transcribed for the piano a number of sonatas and partitas for solo violin and solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach.
The Piano Sonata, the Passacaglia, and Triakontameron are amongst other works of his that have become more well-known of recent times. The Passacaglia is based on a theme from Franz Schubert's Unfinished Symphony;it has acquired an undeserved reputation for difficulty.
"Godowsky's achievement is greater than that of the mere transcriber or arranger. He aimed higher and opened up new vistas for developing our pianistic mechanisms...When teachers, performers and students wake up to the possibilities and potentials of the Godowsky legacy, and when they apply themselves to its enormous challenge, we will begin once again to enjoy the music they make, to find recitals less of a duty and more of a joy to attend, and to share in the experience of expressivity through beautiful sounds produced with freedom and ease."
- Frank Cooper
He became a naturalised American, but was born to Polish parents in Sozły, near Wilno, in what was then Russian territory but is now part of Lithuania. He considered himself of Polish heritage.
Godowsky had studied under Ernst Rudorff at the Berlin High School for Music,but left after three months. Otherwise, he was self-taught.
His career as a concert pianist, which eventually would take him to every continent except Australia, began at age ten.Godowsky made his debut in America on 7 December in Boston.
Later,moving to France to study with Liszt ( who unfortunately died a few days before Godowsky's arrival there), he played for Tchaikovsky, and could count among his acquaintances Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet, Amboise Thomas, Gabriel Fauré, Gabriel Pierné, Charles-Marie Widor and Leo Delibes.
He died of stomach cancer in New York on November 21, 1938.
As a composer, Godowsky has been best known for his paraphrases of piano pieces by other composers, which he enhanced with ingenious contrapuntal devices and rich chromatic harmonies. His most famous work in this genre is the 53 Studies on Chopin's Etudes, in which he varies the already challenging originals by: introducing countermelodies.
He also transcribed for the piano a number of sonatas and partitas for solo violin and solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach.
The Piano Sonata, the Passacaglia, and Triakontameron are amongst other works of his that have become more well-known of recent times. The Passacaglia is based on a theme from Franz Schubert's Unfinished Symphony;it has acquired an undeserved reputation for difficulty.
"Godowsky's achievement is greater than that of the mere transcriber or arranger. He aimed higher and opened up new vistas for developing our pianistic mechanisms...When teachers, performers and students wake up to the possibilities and potentials of the Godowsky legacy, and when they apply themselves to its enormous challenge, we will begin once again to enjoy the music they make, to find recitals less of a duty and more of a joy to attend, and to share in the experience of expressivity through beautiful sounds produced with freedom and ease."
- Frank Cooper
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Schubert Songs Freely Transcribed For Piano
Leopold Godowsky Lyrics
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The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@welcherg
Ah Godowsky…only 20 seconds in and it’s already monstrously difficult, especially with all that glorious counterpoint.
Some seriously great waltzes - goes beyond the dance form and turns them into dense little tone poems.
@djha4287
The hommage, a deep bow Godowsky pays to his master-colleagues humbles us and also tickles us with humour and good natured fun and affection. How we envy Rachmaninov, Kreisler, Charlie Chaplin, Arnold Schoenberg etc. and others of his inner circle to have him at their parties and entertaining nights!
@AEPMUSlC
Such an underrated composer
@lajonnunez5578
I just noticed the intro of No.8 which is dedicated to liszt actually sounds like the intro for Liszt's Anees Pilgrimage Orage
@redeemerofcasuality1722
1,3 and 7 are pure gold!
@yagiz885
42:20 damn that vibe
@JohnZobolas
Excellent, thanks for the upload! (I wasn't aware of this recording) - it's nice to hear others playing these pieces :)
@jeanjacqueskasel2607
sensational playing, asolute perfection
@yagiz885
My favorite waltz set!
@AsrielKujo
So beautiful uwu Godowsky always so good