Godowsky: The Art of Transcription
Laurent Wagschal (piano)
There is so much to admire about Wagschal’s grasp of and complete empathy with the genre that comparisons become irrelevant. His handling of Godowsky’s multi-layered voices is masterly and the...
Godowsky: The Art of Transcription
Laurent Wagschal (piano)
Purchase product
There is so much to admire about Wagschal’s grasp of and complete empathy with the genre that comparisons become irrelevant. His handling of Godowsky’s multi-layered voices is masterly and the...
About
The legendary pianist Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) left a huge catalogue boasting more than 400 pieces, more than half of which are transcriptions, arrangements or paraphrases for piano. The present recording offers an eclectic glimpse of the art of transcription according to Godowsky, featuring some of his finest realisations.
As with Liszt, the original work is a pretext for inspiration, thoroughly, and very freely reworked. His devotion to the great composers of the past was immense, and he carried out his adaptations with considerable respect, taste and style, the final aim always remaining musical above all.
A singular pianist, appreciated for his amazing charisma, Laurent Wagschal offers us a poetic reading of the most famous standards, from Chopin Etudes to the American national anthem, by way of Saint-Saëns' Swan, Bach and a few Lieder by Schubert and Schumann.
Contents and tracklist
- Laurent Wagschal
- Laurent Wagschal
- Laurent Wagschal
- Laurent Wagschal
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- Laurent Wagschal
- Laurent Wagschal
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- Laurent Wagschal
- Laurent Wagschal
Awards and reviews
October 2016
There is so much to admire about Wagschal’s grasp of and complete empathy with the genre that comparisons become irrelevant. His handling of Godowsky’s multi-layered voices is masterly and the variety of tone and touch be brings to the Schumann, Albéniz, Saint-Saëns and six Schubert transcriptions is most sensitively judged
12th December 2016
Wagschal’s recital is very listenable, quite impressive and very well recorded.
23rd October 2016
Most fascinating here is Bach’s G minor sonata for solo violin, in which the first movement is an entirely original meditation … Laurent Wagschal plays…with clarity and definition.
Record Review 19th November 2016
it takes a very special pianist to bring this out … you can hear the way that he [Wagschal] looks at these pieces with a lot more insight than just a pianistic virtuosity, he really penetrates them as a musician first and a pianist second, and I think that’s what makes it successful
