Godard: Piano Works, Vol. 2

Though he died in his mid-forties Benjamin Godard, a child prodigy who had entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of ten, wrote prolifically in almost all genres. Stylistically he adhered to models such as Schumann and Chopin rather than aligning himself with Wagner, as did many of his French contemporaries. His piano works are gracious and witty, sometimes spiced with unusual harmonies, and balance perfectly the differing demands of the salon and the concert hall. Spanning the breadth of Benjamin Godard's compositional life this selection of piano music includes the gracious and warm Nocturnes, which show some Chopin influence, and the Trois Fragments Poétiques, Op.13 with their long-spun lyrical melodies. His sparkling vivacity and more virtuosic side can be savored in the late Fantaisie en trois parties, Op. 143.