Teodor Leszetycki - skill characteristics
The pianistic art of Theodor Leschetizky was formed in a pre-modernist era. It is full of nuances concerning tempo fluctuations of all levels of narration and stricture; the pianist does not avoid introducing his own textual variants. The playing is framed with refinement of emotions expressed with the music.
Leschetizky shows individual character of cantilena and the accompaniment playing the whole Nocturne in D flat major Op. 27 No. 2 (Pearl Opal CD 9839) with breaking hands. In punctuated rhythms he refers to vocal archetypes of musical utterance. When the theme appears for the second time, he moves the cantilena one octave up and he doubles bass lines with octaves. Leschetizky draws the form of the work in a beautiful way, with a great deal of tempo fluctuations (thus deliberately compensating limitations of recording technique of that time?). The run before the last appearance of the theme suggests his pupils were much better technicians, and the times of impeccable virtuosos had not come yet.
See also
