Schliessmann plays Godowsky and Liszt
Leopold Godowsky, Franz Liszt, Burkhard Schliessmann
One of the most exciting young performers of the modern era plays Godowsky and Liszt this month, albeit with a basis in works by two other great composers.
Frany Liszt’s love of Schubert songs led him to transcribe over fifty for piano. The resulting arrangements are among some of the most difficult pieces forn piano, as well as establishing the transcriptions as an art from their own right. This collection includes two of Schubert’s most popular songs, Die Forelle and Erlkönig. Leopold Godowsky also wrote many transcriptions, including those of Schubert songs, and, like Liszt, was also one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of his time. His pieces are often technically challenging yet witty and entertainig, the Symphonic Metamorphoses being an perfect example.
German-born Burkhard Schliessmann has revceived numerous honours for his incisively intelligent yet intuitive interpretations, with a particular empathy for the great Romantic composers. He has been favourably compared with such legedary pianists as Richter and Michelangeli. his first record, intended only as a demo-tape for the Washington Music Festival, received the 1988 Preis der Deutschen Schalplattenkritik, while second album of Brahms won a Grammy Award.
