Ignaz Friedman
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Ignaz Friedman (also spelled Ignace or Ignacy) (February 14 1882 – January 26 1948) was a Polish pianist and composer. Critics (e.g., Schoenberg) and colleagues (e.g., Rachmaninoff) alike placed him among the super-virtuosi of his day, in the stratosphere of Godowsky, Rosenthal, and Lhevinne.
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[edit] Biography
The son of a musician in Krakow, Ignaz Friedman was one of the most highly regarded virtuoso pianists of his time. A child prodigy, he studied with Theodor Leschetizky. His official début in Vienna in 1904 featured a program of three piano concertos and several encores, rivalling the similar programs of established titans like Busoni and Godowsky, and he remained a titan throughout his career. His style was quiet and effortless, imbued with a sense of rhythm and color, grounded in a sovereign technique, and much has been written about his peerless interpretations of Chopin in particular. He was also known for "Friedman moments" in his interpretations where he might double bass notes, fill in chords, extend passagework, and add ornamentation though always with an aristocratic sense of style.
Like his compatriot and contemporary Rosenthal, his Chopin interpretations, particularly those of the Mazurkas, are particularly admired. Despite having given 2,800 concerts during his career, he tended to receive lukewarm reviews in America, where critics found his playing mannered. (Rachmaninoff loved Friedman's playing but felt he "played too much to the gallery.")<ref>David Dubal, Evenings with Horowitz.</ref> At the outbreak of the Second World War Friedman was on a concert tour in Australia and, unable to return to Europe, remained there until his death. Partial paralysis of his left hand forced him to retire from the concert platform in 1943.
His many recordings are admired and loved. Like most of the great artists of his time who broadcast, much of his recorded material has been lost, including hours of radio recordings made in Australia and New Zealand. His place in the pantheon of great pianists of the twentieth century is assured.
He composed more than ninety works, mainly piano miniatures, but also pieces for cello and a piano quintet. His compositions are superior to those of most other virtuoso pianists of his time, but have not found a niche in the repertory. He arranged many works, especially those of J. S. Bach and Domenico Scarlatti. He also edited the complete works of Chopin and produced editions of Schumann and Liszt, as did his colleagues Harold Bauer and Alfred Cortot.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Releases by Naxos Historical
- Vol.1:- BEETHOVEN: 'Moonlight' Sonata / CHOPIN: Mazurkas (8.110684)
- Vol.2:- GRIEG: Piano Concerto / CHOPIN: Sonata in B Flat Minor (8.110686)
- Vol.3:- CHOPIN: Mazurkas (8.110690)
- Vol.4:- MENDELSSOHN: Songs without Words (8.110736)
- Vol.5:- English Columbia Recordings (8.111114)
[edit] External links
