Friedman

[Rob H]

According to the biography of Friedman by Allan Evans these are his non-piano solo or songs:

op32 Romance pour violon (ou violoncelle)  et piano (published by Piwarski, ded. Kochanski)
op50 Melody Slave, Valse lente for cello and piano (Universal)
Quintet for piano and strings (Hansen, 1918)

I do keep checking but the only recording of the quintet that I know is the one by Gunnar Johansen and the Pro Arte quintet. Like all Johansen's Friedman recordings (and there are quite a few) the sound quality is iffy.

This is a commercial recording on Johansen's own Artist Direct label so I don't think I will be able to post it even though I'm not sure how one gets hold of it otherwise - maybe contacting Gordon Rumson at http://www.gunnarjohansen.org/. I hope that someone eventually makes decent restorations of these recordings to CD. I'm sure there must be software that can correct at least some of the excessive reverberation and occasional pitch fluctuations that abound.

Of course what would be even more welcome would be a modern traversal of his output as opposed to the bits a pieces here and there that occasionally appear.
Rob

[eschiss1]

Thanks!! I just saw that the Wikipedia article on Friedman mentioned a quintet, and - it is intriguing, and I agree.

[minacciosa]

There is a piano quintet; I've perused the score, and it is interesting.

[Rob H]

I keep promising that as soon as I can find a friendly string quartet (and some time!) we'll give it a run through. I'd love to do the two piano suite as well though trickier piano parts in that.
Rob

[thalbergmad]

I have never paid much attention to Friedman's original works, but his transcriptions I love dearly.

The Wiener Tanze No.2 was in my repertoire for ages after seeing Victor Borge playing it, but regretfully his Strauss Waltz transcriptions are beyond me.

Thal

[Rob H]

I find gems in all his music but I agree that his transcriptions are wonderful. I also play his Wiener Tanze 2 and also after seeing Victor Borge live when I was (much) younger. I would dearly love to play the Strauss transcriptions but beyond my talents. "Fruhlingstimmen" seems to get its fair share of decent recordings but "O schöner Mai" is beautiful and I especially love the Schatz Walzer transcription which seems to lose out. Neither Vinocour, Bigger nor Pontinen seems to 'get it' at all and Johansen is in poor sound. I have a great live version of it by Joseph Moog. He seems to have a penchant for Friedman - Fruhlingsstimmen appeared on an earlier CD and now his Scarlatti so hopefully he'll carry on in like vein.
Rob