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Huneker, James, 1860-1921

"Chopin : the Man and His Music"

This is formed of
two studies. In the right hand is the G flat study, op. 25, No.
9, and in the left the black key study, op. 10, No. 5. The two go
laughing through the world like old friends; brother and sister
they are tonally, trailing behind them a cloud of iridescent
glory. Godowsky has cleverly combined the two, following their
melodic curves as nearly as is possible. In some places he has
thickened the harmonies and shifted the "black key" figures to
the right hand. It is the work of a remarkable pianist. This is
the way it looks on paper at the beginning:
[Musical llustration]
The same study G flat, op. 10, No. 5, is also treated separately,
the melody being transferred to the treble. The Butterfly
octaves, in another study, are made to hop nimbly along in the
left hand, and the C major study, op. 10, No. 7, Chopin's
Toccata, is arranged for the left hand, and seems very practical
and valuable. Here the adapter has displayed great taste and
skill, especially on the third page. The pretty musical idea is
not destroyed, but viewed from other points of vantage.


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