Godowsky Sonata, 2nd movement

Leopold Godowsky - Sonata in E minor (1911)
2nd movement: Andante cantabile

Thomas Ang, piano

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Leopold Godowsky was an autodidact genius of the piano, having had little more than three months' lessons in his entire life. Becoming known as the Prince of the Left Hand - a reputation enhanced by his work in that medium - he was one of the most sought-after teachers in Europe just before the Second World War.

He revolutionised attitudes toward fingering and technique, borne out especially in his compositions and transcriptions, which typically are dressed in a rich chromaticism and dense polyphony. Among his most well-known works are the monumental 53 Studies on Chopin, a kaleidoscopic panorama on the Chopin études, and the waltz Alt-Wien ("Old Vienna"), which has been variously transcribed for several instrument-and-piano combinations and included in many easy-listening collections.

The Sonata in E minor, a five-movement work written early in his career, is variously influenced by Mahler and Richard Strauss, not least in the polyphonic writing and the overall form, especially reminiscent of Mahler's symphonies. This movement, a cantabile intermezzo in continuous-variation form, shares many similarities with the fourth, especially with regards to tonal outlay and usage of material.

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