Friedman: Original Piano Compositions

Virtuoso pianist IGNAZ FRIEDMAN'S compositions have long been neglected but they possess great melodic beauty and harmonic inventiveness. Grouped into sets of character pieces, they exude the haunting melodies of late Romanticism. The lush inventiveness of the Vier Klavierstücke, Op. 27 finds time for Polish folkloric inspirations whilst Stimmungen, Op. 79 - dedicated to his friend Rachmaninov - is pensive, passionate, serious and colorful. Strophes reflects Friedman's love of Grieg, as well as the abiding influence of Vienna.