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Leopold Godowsky

(Early 20th century)
   
 
Leopold Godowsky

Leopold Godowsky, a Polish-American composer, pianist and teacher, was born in what was then Russian territory and is now part of Lithuania. His talent made it possible for Godowsky to start giving concerts at the age of 10 and during his musical lifetime he toured all continents except Australia. What is most striking is that Leopold Godowsky, a brilliant pianist of the first quarter of the 20th century, can safely be called a self-taught man. His teachers were such outstanding and gifted personalities as Woldemar Bargiel, Ernst Rudorff and Camille Saint-Saens, but their lessons were never long, totaling on the whole to less than three months. Practicing independently for 12-14 hours daily Leopold Godowsky mastered his skills to the highest level, becoming “the pianist of the pianists” and at the age of 24 was appointed head of the piano department at the Chicago Conservatory. Unfortunately, very few recordings of Godowsky’s performing remain, but they are virtually priceless and help us come closer in understanding to the remarkably sage and deep composer’s interpretations.

It is of little surprise that being a vivid example of an autodidactic, he expected the similar attitude from his successors. In his opinion the initiative, creative impulse should originate from the student alone. He thought that a long process of learning could be harmful for the musician since there was a high probability of him losing his will while following the teacher’s instructions.

The principles of piano playing introduced by Godowsky are universally adopted in the contemporary piano teaching methods. The composer paid careful attention to the freedom and naturalness of the musician’s motions, purposeful application of his celebrated relaxed weight principle, believing that the necessary expressiveness could only be attained with the help of physiological motions guided by intellect.

He highly esteemed scales, etudes and educational compositions, demanded the exact replication of the author’s score. Having this in mind he considered high skills in playing to be only a basis or foundation, which must be utilized to fully convey the composer’s message. Besides intuitive perception of the idea, Godowsky attached much importance to intellectual engagement, logic and wide knowledge of music, as well as to the musician’s life experience believing that only a well-educated person had a faculty of penetrating into the essence of the piece performed.

A brilliant and unique self-taught musician who contributed substantially to the piano playing methods, also a renowned virtuoso pianist and gifted teacher, the author of compositions valued by millions – all this fully applies to Leopold Godowsky. The composer’s transcriptions of Bach, Chopin, Lully, Rameau and Strauss are very popular among piano players while Godowsky’s own works are performed on a regular basis in the largest concert halls around the world.

Popular works
Tambourin in E Minor. For piano
Classical / Arrangement
Schwanengesang (Swan Song), D.957. No.1 Liebesbotschaft (Message of Love). For piano
Classical / Arrangement
Minuet in G Minor
Classical / Arrangement
Elegy
Classical / Arrangement
Die schöne Müllerin (The Beautiful Miller's Wife), D.795 Op.25. No.7 Ungeduld (Impatience). Piano score
Classical / Arrangement
Myrtles, Op.25. No.24 Du bist wie eine Blume (You are Like a Flower). For piano
Classical / Arrangement
Waltzes, Op. posth.70. No.2 in F Minor. Version by Godowsky
Classical / Arrangement
Heidenröslein (Little Hedge Rose), D.257 Op.3 No.3. Arrangement for piano
Classical / Arrangement
Waltzes, Op. posth.69. No.1 in A Flat Major
Classical / Arrangement
 
   
 
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