Comments on: The Pianist of Pianists

The Pianist of Pianists

Joe Beese — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:19:42 -0800

Leopold Godowsky's technique was such that Arthur Rubinstein wrote, "It would take me 500 years to get a mechanism like [his]." Which came in handy playing his 53 Studies on Chopin's Etudes - which are often nominated as the most difficult pieces in the repertoire.

By: LMGM

LMGM — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:58:28 -0800

I'm usually not a fan of the "big-hand" piano repertoire, but I'm rather impressed by the lightness of his touch on the recording linked here. It's hard to make these sorts of pianistic fireworks sound effortless.

By: twoleftfeet

twoleftfeet — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:53:02 -0800

"Big-hand" piano is easier if you cheat.

By: The Bellman

The Bellman — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:54:47 -0800

I was prepared to be all "meh". I was not all "meh". I was all "holy crap". I have never heard anything like the hand independence in that recording of Black Keys Study. He sounds like two different people playing at once, or some kind of keyboard stegosaurus with extra brains in each of his hands.

By: Joe Beese

Joe Beese — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:12:24 -0800

I have never heard anything like the hand independence in that recording of Black Keys Study Poldy seems to have taken Schnabel's famous criticism of Chopin as a "right-handed genius" especially hard. :-) Here is Canadian super-virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin - whose complete recording of the 53 Etudes, one of the few ever made, is widely considered definitive - recasting him as a left-handed genius as well.

By: Cranberry

Cranberry — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:39:55 -0800

Someone should digitize those old Brunswicks, removing all the needle hiss and mechanical sounds.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:11:18 -0800

I played the Chopin étude op. 25 no. 1 when I was a kid, which had me reaching more than octaves throughout. But this Godowsky version is another beautiful can of worms. Thanks for the post, and the memories, Joe.