The Godowsky Collection 4

Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) was one of the most celebrated pianists of the golden age of the piano virtuoso. A prodigious arranger, transcriber and adapter of existing keyboard music, he was also a gifted composer.

This fourth volume in the distinguished series devoted to his piano works, contains some of Godowsky's best known transcriptions (Albeniz - Tango, Op. 165 and Triana from Iberia, Bizet - Adagietto from L'ArlEsienne, Bohm - Still Wie Die Nacht, Kreisler - Rondino (on a Theme by Beethoven), Saint-SaIns - Le Cygne from The Carnival of the Animals, Richard Strauss - Standchen, Op. 17, No. 2, von Weber - Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65, et. al.) and his remarkable Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Johann Strauss, Jr., as well as his own terrific Waltz Poems.

The pianistic wizardry on view in this collection is quite simply, mind-boggling. This is a volume any serious musician and pianist will want to own and treasure. As before, the excellent biographical sketch and notes on the pieces are by noted Godowsky scholar, Dr. Millan Sachania.