Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, pianophiles, and adventure seekers alike, prepare to embark on an auditory journey like no other. Today, the great pianist Archie Chen will perform Leopold Godowsky's mesmerizing Study no. 4 in A minor "Ignis Fatuus" – a composition so delightfully treacherous it will leave you questioning the very limits of human dexterity.

From the mind of Godowsky, the mad scientist of piano, comes a set of 53 arrangements that would make even Chopin's most nimble fingers tremble in fear. Schonberg once quipped that they are "the most impossibly difficult things ever written for the piano," and we dare say he wasn't far off the mark!

But what's all this about Ignis Fatuus, you ask? A term that conjures images of spectral lights and ghostly marshes, it refers to the deceptive luminous phenomena that have haunted folklore for centuries. These mischievous lights, known as Will o' the Wisps or Jack o' Lanterns, have been said to lead travelers astray, luring them to their untimely doom. Whether the spirits of the drowned or the souls of unbaptized infants, these eerie orbs have captured the imagination and terror of many a night wanderer.

And so, the stage is set for Archie Chen's spellbinding rendition of "Ignis Fatuus." Listen in awe as he transfers Chopin's already devilish right-hand etude into the left hand – a feat of pianistic prestidigitation that would leave even Houdini gasping for breath. As the haunting melody flits and flickers like the enigmatic lights it emulates, you may find yourself lost in its bewitching allure.

But fear not, dear listener! For Archie Chen is your guide through this labyrinth of notes, and he shall lead you safely back from the brink of pianistic pandemonium. So sit back, relax, and let the otherworldly beauty of Godowsky's Study no. 4 in A minor "Ignis Fatuus" wash over you like a mysterious, flickering flame.

And remember, don't follow the light... unless, of course, it's Archie Chen's dazzling fingers dancing across the keyboard!

My SoundCloud Channel: @archie-chen
Official Website: www.archiechen.com
Youtube DIPF www.youtube.com/c/PianofestivalIe
Youtube Archie www.youtube.com/c/ArchieChenPianist
Festival Website: www.pianofestival.ie
Teaching Website: www.pianoacademy.ie

Unedited live recording
Piano: Hamburg Steinway B
Piano Technician: Martin Walsh
Recording Engineer: Joey McDonald
Piano provided by Pianos Plus

Frederic Chopin Etude in A minor op. 10 no. 2+Leopold Godowsky Study no. 4 in A minor "Ignis Fatuus"

The Music Educators Toolbox is a collection of free, open-source learning resources and assessment tools created for classroom use by music teachers and Carnegie Hall teaching artists. Developed after an in-depth, five-year partnership between Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute and PS/MS 161 in upper Manhattan, the resources are designed to be adaptable for use in a variety of music classroom settings. The Toolbox currently features grade-specific music education resources addressing fundamentals of Meter, Rhythm, Form and Design, Expressive Qualities, Pitch, and Performing. To learn more, visit www.carnegiehall.org/toolbox/.

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image Giuseppe Milo
https://flic.kr/p/nAmREF


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Grabación en vivo del concierto realizado en St. Giles in the fields, Londres, Reino Unido.
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Charles Mathews is an experienced ballet and contemporary accompanist, who has worked with teachers and dancers from Birmingham Royal Ballet, Elmhurst School for Dance, The Royal Academy of Dance, The Royal Ballet School, The British Ballet Organisation and DNA3D Dance Company amongst others. As well as playing for classical ballet, Charles also plays and improvises for contemporary dance classes and composes original music and arrangements for ballet and contemporary dancers. He has also written and recorded music for film trailers, computer games, mobile apps, the opening ceremonies of the European Gymnastics Championships and 2011 World Gymnaestrada in Lausanne, Switzerland.  Charles can be contacted via http://www.musicforballetclasses.com

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