Virtuoso pianist IGNAZ FRIEDMAN’S compositions have long been neglected but they possess great melodic beauty and harmonic inventiveness. Grouped into sets of character pieces, they exude the haunting melodies of late-Romanticism. The lush inventiveness of the Vier Klavierstücke, Op. 27 finds time for Polish folkloric inspirations whilst Stimmungen, Op. 79 – dedicated to his friend Rachmaninov - is pensive, passionate, serious and colourful. Strophes reflects Friedman’s love of Grieg, as well as the abiding influence of Vienna.
This recording was made on a modern instrument: Steinway, Model D
Tracklist
6 Wiener Tänze nach motiven von Eduard Gärtner (1916) (00:20:00 ) 1 No. 1. Tempo di Valse lente (00:03:48) 2 No. 2. Vivo e sciolto (00:03:22) 3 No. 3. Allegretto (00:04:04) 4 No. 4. Langsamer Walzer (00:04:48) 5 No. 5. Moderato * (00:03:02) 6 No. 6. Epilogue: Moderato (00:02:34)
4 Klavierstücke, Op. 27 (1908) (00:11:37 ) 7 No. 1. Prolog: Andante, molto tranquillo * (00:03:46) 8 No. 2. Geständnis: Andantino, molto espressivo * (00:02:31) 9 No. 3. Mazurka: Vivo, con grazia * (00:02:30) 10 No. 4. Im Volkston: Moderato, poco marciale * (00:02:52)
Strophes, Op. 71 (1917) (00:09:40 ) 11 No. 1. Non troppo mosso * (00:01:52) 12 No. 2. Passionato ed agitato * (00:02:13) 13 No. 3. Andantino * (00:01:15) 14 No. 4. Andante mesto * (00:01:53) 15 No. 5. Quasi allegro, con eleganza * (00:02:26)
Stimmungen, Op. 79 (1918) (00:04:00 ) 16 No. 1. Poco mosso * (00:01:52) 17 No. 2. Vivace e volante * (00:00:45) 18 No. 3. Moderato, sempre largamente * (00:01:48) 19 No. 4. Andante * (00:02:59) 20 No. 5. Comodo, Tempo di Ländler * (00:01:04) 21 No. 6. Andante, pensieroso * (00:01:48) 22 No. 7. Grazioso e meno mosso * (00:01:09) 23 No. 8. Appassionato * (00:01:27) 24 No. 9. Andante, con tristezza (00:02:18)
4 Preludes, Op. 61 (1915) (00:06:00 ) 25 No. 1. Pensieroso * (00:01:43) 26 No. 2. Vivo e molto leggiero * (00:01:35) 27 No. 3. Con abandono * (00:01:28) 28 No. 4. Molto appassionato ed animato * (00:01:28)
