A Night in Spring by Leopold Godowsky

People who don’t have much time to read biographies of composers think that case of Mozart who started composing when he was five years old is unique. But many wunderkinds were born since then – take Leopold Godowsky. By the age of five he had written several pieces and was accomplished violinist and pianist – mostly self-taught, by the way.

Godowsky is mainly known for his transcriptions of Chopin’s etudes; he attempted to make them more difficult and had success in that. He was one of the most respected pianists – his skill was admired both by listeners and colleagues. Busoni, for example, thought that no one but Godowsky contributed to piano technique and writing to such an extent after Liszt. For all that he did Godowsky deserves a greater recognition than he already has.

A Night in Spring, one of his classical pieces, is available for download here: A Night in Spring, Op.15 No.2

Polka for Piano by Mily Balakirev

Mily Balakirev was a virtuoso pianist, composer, and leader of The Five – a circle of composers united by intention of playing music which doesn’t borrow elements of European music and refers to traditional Russian motifs. Balakirev’s creativity was appreciated among the most talented of his colleagues: his Islamey was one of Franz Liszt’s favorites due to its challenging difficulty. Balakirev defined Russian orchestral music and used innovative techniques of composition. His pieces are melodically rich, subtle and beautiful.

Polka for Piano is an excellent introduction to Balakirev's legacy – score of this marvelous composition is available here: Polka for Piano.

Quatuor concertant No.2 by Jean-Baptiste Davaux

Unlike all today’s Earth population, Jean-Baptiste Davaux knew about the Bastille being assaulted firsthand rather than century later. Revolutionary-minded violinist, he spent 28 years composing his 13 symphonies concertantes (1772-1800) and was perhaps very happy when the riot eventually led to a prison wreck just a year before his baker’s dozen of symphonies was completed. All in all, Davaux’s heritage is quite rangy: after constructing a device forerunning modern metronome he proved himself not only as a composer but inventor, as well. Still, music was on the first place for him and, I guess, for us, too.

Davaux's score is available here: Quatuor concertant No.2

Been forgotten, but revived

Johann Pachelbel was almost unknown to the wide public until 30s of the XX century though he won a reputation of a talented organist, composer and teacher already during his lifetime. It is notable that his piece Canon in D major became popular 1877, far ahead all his other works, having been completely neglected at time of its origin.

Sheet music of Pachelbel's Canon scored for three violins and cello is available for download here: Canon in D for Three Violins and Violoncello.

Advanced talent of Gabriel Fauré

It would be completely unfair if we left out at this blog legacy of Gabriel Fauré, an outstanding French composer believed to be the foremost composer of his time in France. He inspired with his works many Impressionist as well as modern composers and influenced thereby strongly whole contemporary classical music.
Sheet music of one of his most delightful pieces can be found here: Pavane, Op. 50. It charms with its harmony being very exquisite and subtle though sometimes broken and emotionally disordered because of unresolved mild discords which Fauré especially favored.