Le carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) • The Swan

In my choice of pieces to include to my repertoire I am quite picky: usually I tend to avoid those most far-famed. Of course, it is quite difficult to get a considerable exposure while playing works that no one is aware of, so I do not strictly adhere to this rule. Yet still I need to know why a certain piece would be the right choice – I don’t feel right playing something I don’t have an emotional involvement in. With this transcription of The Swan, the choice was quite obvious for me though – sure enough it is the most famous movement of the Carnival of the Animals, but as it was arranged by no one other than Leopold Godowsky, I couldn’t resist. Godowsky’s playing technique was tremendous and his transcriptions have always been giving me a chance to take my own to the new heights. To all the pianists who want to grow as a musician: I can’t recommend Godowsky’s transcriptions enough!