Java Suite

The Java Suite (originally published as Phonoramas. Tonal journeys for the pianoforte) is a suite for solo piano by Leopold Godowsky, composed between 1924 and 1925. It consists of twelve movements and is influenced by the gamelan music of Java, Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies), extensively utilizing pentatonic harmonies throughout.

The Java Suite (originally published as Phonoramas. Tonal journeys for the pianoforte) is a suite for solo piano by Leopold Godowsky, composed between 1924 and 1925. It consists of twelve movements and is influenced by the gamelan music of Java, Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies), extensively utilizing pentatonic harmonies throughout. ==Structure== The suite consists of twelve movements, divided into four parts. Godowsky composed the work under the influence of gamelan music after a visit to Java. A typical performance of the work lasts approximately 50 minutes. The first complete recording of the entire Suite was made in 2000 by Esther Budiardjo, on Pro Piano Records CD PPR224529. Since then, it’s been recorded by Konstantin Scherbakov (Marco Polo) and Carl Petersson (Sterling Records). The Gardens of Buitenzorg is recorded by several other pianists like Marc-André Hamelin and is the only piece that get recorded regularly. Although the Java suite is published as a whole, it wasn’t meant to be performed in its entirety. The suite is divided into four equal parts, each containing three pieces whose tonal schemes correlate, creating a unified whole. Furthermore, each book is structured in the same manner: each book starts with a character piece, followed by a slow movement and ending with a brilliant showstopper. The first book starts in A minor. The second piece too, continues in A minor, though it ends on an E major-chord, creating an imperfect cadence which resolves into the third and final piece. The tonal schemes of the first piece of the second book mirrors in the third piece. Both have a ternary structure, but the first one is in C major with a middle section in E major while the third piece is in E major with a middle section in C major. The middle piece is in E minor, a tonality both close to C major and E major. The third book starts with three dances, which misleadingly gets counted as a whole. The first dance is in G minor, the second in B major and the last in A major. Remarkable is the last measure of the third dance, which also opens the following piece. This is the only instance of some kind of cyclic use in the suite. The fourth and last book starts with the gamelan in C minor. It clearly bears resemblance with the first piece of the first book, although this one feels freer and more elaborate. The following two pieces are both in A major. The middle section of the last piece echoes the first piece of this book. The suite ends bombastically in A major, the relative major of the first piece, thus creating a sense of unity yet again. ==Descriptions== Godowsky added detailed descriptions of each of the scenes, elaborately describing what each of them is inspired by. ==External links==

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