COMPOSERS: Godowsky
LABELS: Marco Polo
WORKS: Three Pieces, Op. 14; Airs of the 18th Century; Waltz Poems; Five Miniatures; Four Poems; Three Pieces, Op. 12
PERFORMER: Konstantin Scherbakov (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: 8.223793
If Art Tatum had been white, he might have made a career as a great classical pianist. Had Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) been black, he might have become a great jazzer. His best playing is said to have been to private gatherings in his New York salon, and his compositions are beautifully wrought for the quiet delight of connoisseurs. They are relatively, but only relatively, easy listening. Virtuosi sometimes play the short pieces here as encores, when they do all the hard work and the audience relaxes. They are stylishly served in a recording which captures the sensitive colouring of this 34-year-old Russian pianist. Adrian Jack
Godowsky: Three Pieces, Op. 14; Airs of the 18th Century; Waltz Poems; Five Miniatures; Four Poems; Three Pieces, Op. 12
If Art Tatum had been white, he might have made a career as a great classical pianist. Had Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) been black, he might have become a great jazzer. His best playing is said to have been to private gatherings in his New York salon, and his compositions are beautifully wrought for the quiet delight of connoisseurs. They are relatively, but only relatively, easy listening. Virtuosi sometimes play the short pieces here as encores, when they do all the hard work and the audience relaxes.
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:40 pm