Moritz Moszkowski

The best of Polish-German pianist/composer Moritz Moszkowski's music is fine, fine stuff -- the Piano Concerto in E major, Op. 59, deserves better than the odd performance or two as an outmoded novelty piece, and among his many salon-type piano pieces are several gems. One special treasure is the short piece Guitarre, Op. 45, No. 2, originally for pianoforte but today known just as well or maybe better in a transcription for violin and piano made by Pablo de Sarasate (a transcription that has itself been re-transcribed by two other famous violinists over the years: Carl Flesch and Jascha Heifetz). Sarasate was himself, of course, a Spaniard, and it is a measure of the skill with which Moszkowski, in Guitarre, bent his talents towards the Spanish style that Sarasate chose to bend his own towards a transcription. The piece, which the composer marks Allegro comodo, is really little more than a lovely, songful G major melody in several strains and some swirling, graceful -- but here and there suddenly passion-filled -- arpeggio-figures that mimic the traditional Spanish guitar style and provide the piece its title. Guitarre is a standard three-part song, and the middle section has some rapid changes of mood (as befits good salon music).