Berezovsky Chopin-Godowsky "Minute Waltz"

Boris Berezovsky performing an encore in a 2006 Mexico City concert. Berezovsky's interpretation is as close to Godowsky as I could imagine--"salon" intimacy, relaxed, and keeping the musical line in spite of all the "fluff."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• boris
• berezovsky
• chopin
• godowsky
• minute
• waltz

[lovesGenet]

His bass and left hand so precie and the character he gives it like  2 pianists playing togethe!

[medpiano]

The title "Minute Waltz" did not come from Chopin, but he wrote it. It is NOT supposed to be played in 1 minute (that would be ridiculous--your mum couldn't be more wrong), but this adaptation by Godowsky is played slower partly because it's appropriate musically, but also because so many things have been added texturally to the music.

[phenylphenol]

@stephenborisoff I am sure you are spot on with your judgment---I am a professional (academic) musician and amateur pianist, and have to defer. I wish I had somebody to force me into Czerny when I was 12-14 or so. As it was, though, I was rescued around age 23 from mediocre "jazz" by a one-two punch. First was deciding to play all of Joplin's rags, and second was learning some Chopin etudes. For me, this was the perfect recipe to elevate most everything to a new level.

[TheChildArt]

Puedo notar que a los pianistas que son tan expertos como Godowsky en este caso, les cuesta trabajo interpretar estas melodias tan sencillas, claro sencillas para ellos jeje

[DCLiszt]

"minute" waltz does not mean at all that you have to play it in a minute or less... this would sound terrible! "minute" in this context comes from french "miniature" which means "small" or kinda like :) so this is just a little waltz and not a waltz to break your fingers - and musicality

[MrTsikara]

i don't like godowsky's chopin :)



[stephenborisoff]

@stephenborisoff Schonberg states:"Godowsky was well aware that his tinkering with Chopin Etudes would be protested in many musical circles...[Godowsky wrote] Their aim is to develop the mechanical, technical and musical possibilities of piano playing...to polyphonic and poly dynamic work and...tone coloring. Godowsky's remarks have made no impact on the present age, which regards the paraphrases as sacrilege...heresy. Godowsky...is the piano pushed to extremes of transcendental quality.", etc

[stephenborisoff]

@cowheadcow Are you an immature Troll? I listen to your Aufschwung on your site and it shows a maturity that is sadly lacking in your childish attack on me. After typing all I have said on this list, my comments can't be bullshit or the worst you ever heard. i found a quote from Harold C Schonberg which allows us both to have a descent point of view and mutual respect. I will paraphrase it in my next comment. Then I want an end to this thread and let the facts on both our sides stand.

[stephenborisoff]

@cfwpiano i'm not joking. some of these Godowsky paraphrases are aesthetically ugly. Period. Don't tell me, a 61 year old professional pianist that you use Chopin Etudes to work on your technique. They are just too damned hard...and Godowsky's are utterly unplayable for most pianists to be practical for polyphonic, counterpoint technical studies to further the capacities of the pianoforte...let alone to help to play Chopin or Liszt's much easier works. Czerny yes, Chopin Studies, not.

[cowheadcow]

@borisoff22 usually I'm fine ignoring the hundreds of people who say stupid shit on classical music videos on Youtube, but god you're full of it.

[cowheadcow]

@borisoff22 You're right. It's not Chopin, it's Godowsky. So what's the problem?

I call bull on everything you've said. Your grandmother was a famous pianist? Who was she. You're a pianist who has been studying Chopin all your life? Where are your videos? I'm a 21 year old amateur pianist and even I have more video evidence to back that I know what I'm talking about. You're 61 years old? I'll go out on a limb and guess you're 14. Don't make me tell your mother on you.

[cfwpiano]

@borisoff22 Nothing is gained musically? You're joking, right? As for the difficulty, the POINT of an etude (study) is to work on your technique.