Composer

:

Leopold Godowsky

Genre

:

Keyboard

Compose Date

:

1929

Average_duration

:

15:46

Movement_count

:

6

Movement ....

Leopold Godowsky's 'Pieces (6) for both hands (Concert Album)' is a collection of six piano pieces that were composed in 1914. The pieces were premiered in the same year, and they quickly became popular among pianists and audiences alike. The six pieces are each distinct in their own way, but they share a common thread of virtuosity and technical difficulty. The first piece in the collection is titled 'Alt Wien' (Old Vienna), and it is a nostalgic tribute to the city of Vienna. The piece is characterized by its flowing melody and intricate ornamentation, which require a high level of technical skill to execute. The second piece, 'Triakontameron' (Thirty Pieces), is a set of thirty short pieces that are meant to be played in succession. Each piece is only a few measures long, and they range in style from waltzes to marches to nocturnes. The third piece, 'Elegy', is a somber and introspective piece that is characterized by its mournful melody and rich harmonies. The fourth piece, 'Toccata', is a fast and furious piece that is full of technical challenges, including rapid octave passages and intricate fingerings. The fifth piece, 'Waltz Poems', is a set of three waltzes that are each characterized by their lyrical melodies and flowing rhythms. The final piece in the collection, 'Java Suite', is a set of four pieces that are inspired by the music of Java, Indonesia. The pieces are characterized by their exotic harmonies and rhythms, and they require a high level of technical skill to execute. Overall, Godowsky's 'Pieces (6) for both hands (Concert Album)' is a tour de force of virtuosity and technical skill, and it remains a popular and challenging work for pianists to this day.

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