Thursday 23 January 2014

Godowsky's arrangement of Strauss' Fledermaus

It is perhaps a little blasphemous to call it an arrangement, as it is ambitiously titled as "Symphonic Metamorphosis" of the dainty Strauss waltz, and is among some of the most difficult transcriptions written for the piano.  Here is the first edition of the score published in 1912 by Cranz.  No idea who owned this particularly copy, but it was certainly well used, with piano markings and notations, and repairs done to the edges.   
What is interesting when collecting old scores is their original prices.  It is interesting to see that, even then, the "Wine, Women and Song" transcription was the cheapest of the three, while the insanely complex Künstlerleben is the most expensive.  4 Marks at that time was about 19 Pence; calculated to inflation it was roughly 18£.  








Here is Doris Pines playing this Godowsky Fledermaus, ripped from an old LP I have from the 70s.  I have given this score to a fellow pianophile, Frederic Koon, who resides and occasionally performs in Hong Kong. 




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