Posted by Andrew Cockburn on January 31, 19101 at 07:32:51:
In reply to: Live performances of the Passacaglia
posted by Claus N. Kristensen on January 29, 19101 at 02:06:23:
: Godowsky's Passacaglia is one of my favorite piano works. I have all commercial recordings of it, except Stephen Glover's. But who can tackle it in public? I am aware of the following pianists: : Godowsky (London 1928, Berlin 1930) : Are there others? (Bolet, Glover, Hobson, Stanhope, Libetta?) : Best regards : Claus Many years ago I recall Paul Howard (founder of the original International Godowsky Society) having a correspondence with a delightful American lady - who had the delightful name: Henrietta Schumann - about the wonders of the Passacaglia, which she played, presumably as a professional. In the course of this ,rather brief correspondence ("I never write letters", she wrote, although maestro Paul Howard's powerful personality was clearly creating an exception here) she mentioned that she had recently given birth to a baby girl whose name was Bonny. This naturally evoked many felicitations from Paul. And then, sadly, we heard shortly afterwards that she (Henrietta) had died. I am relying on my memory here; it was, incredibly, fifty years ago now.(Howard died in March 1953.) Yet for some reason these details have stayed in my mind, as if standing for the Passacaglia that was somehow before its time. Very different to the present scenario. I have a young friend, Nicholas Austen, who recently performed the Passacaglia in recital in Germany. Andrew.
: Saperton (At Godowsky's 65th birthday party, New York 1935)
: Simon Barere
: Janice Weber (New York 1983)
: Rian de Waal (London 1991. Does he play anymore?)
: Hamelin (London 1994, 2000)
: Carlo Grante (London 1996)
: Anitti Siirala (London 2000, at the World Piano Competion, at which he won 1st price. He is only 20 - incredible)