Leopold Godowsky (1870 - 1938)
Pologne

Pologne

Leopold Godowsky (13 February 1870 – 21 November 1938) was a Polish American pianist, composer, and teacher. One of the most highly regarded performers of his time, he became known for his theories concerning the application of relaxed weight and economy of motion in piano playing, principles later propagated by Godowsky's pupils, such as Heinrich Neuhaus. Ferruccio Busoni said that he and Godowsky were the only composers to have added anything of significance to keyboard writing since Franz Liszt.

As a composer, Godowsky is best known for his transcriptions of works by other composers. His best known work in the field is 53 Studies on Chopin's Études (1894–1914).

s 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 Études (1894–1914), in which he varies the (already challenging) original études using various methods: introducing countermelodies, transferring the technically difficult passages from the right hand to the left, transcribing an entire piece for left hand solo, or even interweaving two études, with the left hand playing one and the right hand the other.

The pieces are among the most difficult piano works ever written, and only a few pianists have ventured to perform any of them. Among such pianists are Marc-André Hamelin, who recorded the entire set and garnered a number of prestigious awards, and Francesco Libetta, who performed the complete set in concert (the only pianist to do so from memory) and made a video recording of the set (live in Milan, March 2006). Other pianists who frequently perform Godowsky are Boris Berezovsky and Konstantin Scherbakov.

Other important transcriptions by Godowsky include Renaissance (1906–09), a collection which includes arrangements of music by Rameau and Lully, 12 Schubert Songs (1927), and six transcriptions of Bach's music for solo cello and solo violin, arranged for the same instruments, but with complementary voices, etc.

Although his transcriptions are much more well known, Godowsky also composed a number of substantial original works. He considered the Passacaglia (1927) and a collection of pieces for left hand alone (1930–31) to be his most mature creations; both, however, employ traditional approach to harmony and counterpoint. A more experimental work was the Java Suite (Phonoramas) (1925), composed after a visit to Java, under the influence of gamelan music. Godowsky was equally comfortable writing large-scale works like the Passacaglia or the five-movement Piano Sonata in E minor (1911) as he was creating collections of smaller pieces, such as the 46 Miniatures for piano four hands and the Triakontameron (1920; subtitled '30 moods and scenes in triple measure').

Quite a number of Godowsky's original works were considerably difficult to perform; the Passacaglia (which consists of 44 variations, cadenza and fugue on the opening theme of Franz Schubert's 'Unfinished' Symphony) was declared to be unplayable even by Vladimir Horowitz, who claimed it would require six hands to perform. Nevertheless, the work has had a number of recordings.

Despite their traditionalism, Godowsky's compositions may have influenced Maurice Ravel and Sergei Prokofiev. (Hide extended text) ... (Read all)

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Saint-Saens, Camille : The Swan (from Carnival of the Animals)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 27 May 2015

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Strauss II, Johann : An Artist's Life (Künstlerleben) (Op.316)

Piano solo / 3 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 20 Apr 2011

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Russian Suite No.2 (National Dance and Folk Tunes)
Leopold Godowsky

Piano solo / 1 PDF /

By Fs, the 21 Feb 2015

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Progressive Exercises for Stretching and Making the Fingers Indepentent
Leopold Godowsky

Piano solo / 8 PDF /

By Fs, the 21 Feb 2015

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Netherland Suite
Leopold Godowsky

Piano solo / 1 PDF /

By Fs, the 21 Feb 2015

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Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da : Adoramus te Christe

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 27 May 2015

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Chopin, Frédéric : Rondo E flat Major (Op.16)

Piano solo / 1 PDF / Intermediate

Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 31 Mar 2016

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Chopin, Frédéric : Concert-Paraphrase (Op.18)

Piano solo / 1 PDF / Intermediate to difficult

Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

1833
By Fs, the 31 Mar 2016

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Weber, Carl Maria von : Perpetuum mobile (Rondo from Piano Sonata No.1) (Op.24 No.3; J.138)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

1812
By Fs, the 04 Apr 2016

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Rameau, Jean-Philippe : Tambourin (RCT 2 no.8)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 20 Jun 2016

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Brahms, Johannes : Wiegenlied (Op. 49 No.4)

Piano solo / 2 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 30 Jul 2015

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Albéniz, Isaac : España (Op.165)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 10 Jun 2013

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Bohm, Carl : Still wie die Nacht (Calm as the night) (Op.326 No.27)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 10 Jun 2014

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Schubert, Franz Peter : Das Wandern (D.795 ; Op.25 No.1)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

1823
By Fs, the 31 Aug 2014

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Schubert, Franz Peter : Heidenröslein "Wild Rose" (D.257 ; Op.3 No.3)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

1815
By Fs, the 03 Sep 2014

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Wagner, Wilhelm Richard : Tannhäuser (Selections) (WWV 70)

Piano solo / 2 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 21 Sep 2014

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Beethoven, Ludwig van : Violin Sonata No.9 "Kreutzer Sonata" (Op.47)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 04 Oct 2014

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Henselt, Adolf von : Si oiseau j'étais (Op.2 No.6)

Piano solo / 1 PDF /
Arranger : Godowsky, Leopold

By Fs, the 04 Oct 2014

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Concertino
Leopold Godowsky

Trumpet (Bb) or Bugle or Cornet, piano / 2 PDF /

By Fs, the 21 Feb 2015

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Swedish Suite No.1 (National Dance and Folk Series)
Leopold Godowsky

Piano solo / 1 PDF /

By Fs, the 21 Feb 2015

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Details Details	Godowsky Collection, Vol 5 1 Piano, 4 hands [Solo Part] Carl Fischer $40.00 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 1 to 2 weeks Similar items

Details Details	The Godowsky/Kreisler Collection Violin and Piano [Score and Parts] Carl Fischer $24.99 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 1 to 2 weeks Similar items

Details Details	Leopold Godowsky Miniatures Volume Ii with CD Performing Artist Series 1 Piano, 4 hands [CD] - Intermediate/advanced Belwin $12.95 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 1 to 2 weeks Similar items

Details Details	Leopold Godowsky: Miniatures, Volume II: Ancient and Modern Dances 1 Piano, 4 hands [Sheet music + CD] Alfred Publishing $12.95 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 1 to 2 weeks Similar items

Details Details	Leopold Godowsky: Godowsky Collection, Vol 4 Piano solo [Sheet music] Carl Fischer (2) $60.00 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 1 to 2 weeks Similar items

Details Details	Leopold Godowsky : Alt Wein (Old Vienna) Piano solo - Advanced Schirmer (4) $4.99 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 24 hours - In Stock Similar items

Details Details	Godowsky Collection, Volume 2 -Transcriptions, Arrangements And Cadenzas Piano solo Carl Fischer $65.00 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 1 to 2 weeks Similar items

Details Details	Godowsky Collection, The-Vol 1-Original Compositions Piano solo [Solo Part] Carl Fischer (1) $70.00 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 1 to 2 weeks Similar items

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