Leopold Godowsky
born Vilnius, Feb 13, 1870; died New York, Nov 21, 1938
Documents associated with this person:
Polish pianist, one of the greatest virtuosos of his day.
Career Summary
Godowsky studied with Ernst Rudorff (close friend of Schenker) at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik in 1884. He was based in London 1886-90, and in the USA 1890-1900 (during which time he became a US citizen), thereafter returning to Berlin. In 1909, he moved to Vienna, where he led the piano Meisterschule at the Vienna Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst (= Conservatory) until 1914, at which point he returned to the USA. A stroke in 1930 ended his career, and he died in New York. (NGDM)
Godowsky and Schenker
There were at least two points of contact between Schenker and Godowsky. On February 6, 1910, Schenker expressed concerned that Godowsky had been allowed to see the proofs of his edition of the J. S. Bach Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue when he himself had not yet seen them. (Hertzka explained that no proofs had yet been produced, and Godowsky's assistant had merely glimpsed the pile of manuscript for the work at the Universal Edition office: WSLB 51 and OC 52/424, February 6-7, 1910). Second, in June 1912 Godowsky was apparently involved in an abortive attempt to form an "Organization of Creative and Performing Artists" along with Moriz Rosenthal, Schenker and others.
No correspondence between Schenker and Godowsky is known to exist.