Thursday, 23 January 2014

Abram Chasins, Keyboard Karikatures Op.6, Live recording

Written in 1925, these three pieces are jeu d'esprit of American composer Abram Chasins (1903 - 1987) in which the well-known attributes of title characters (brooding Rachmaninoff, contrapuntalist Godowsky, and piano virtuoso Wilhelm Bachaus) are highlighted in musical portraiture.  A lengthy introduction that explains these "Karikatures" was included by the publisher in the original edition; Chasins however later withdrew these titles and re-published them simply as Nocturne, Valse, and Etude.  Though intended as ever-so-comically a musical jest, Chasins probably did not feel comfortable "reducing" these great figures to mere stereotypical caricature.

The Nocturne (Rachmaninoff) has been recorded once on CD; the Etude (Bachaus) has been transcribed on the violin with one live recording.  However, as a set, this is the first ever recording of Abram Chasins Keyboard Karikature Op. 6.

Recorded live in Vienna on February 19, 2013

https://soundcloud.com/ernest-hin-leung-so/sets/abram-chasins-keyboard

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