Leopold Godowsky's 1925 Java Suite consists of 12 piano pieces inspired by the sights and sounds he absorbed during his Indonesian concert tour. For the most part, Godowsky consciously avoided the serpentine chromaticism of his controversial Chopin Etude transcriptions, favoring a more modal, impressionistic, and open-ended harmonic language. Furthermore, the rich, loquacious sonorities of the traditional Gamelan orchestra add a new and original dimension to Godowsky's polytextural keyboard deployment. Konstantin Scherbakov offers the cycle's second complete recording; the first featured Jakartan native Esther Budiardjo on a 2000 ProPiano release that may be hard to find.

Godowsky prefaces each piece with programmatic descriptions that actually prove useful in helping performers establish mood and character, and I sense that Scherbakov takes these to heart. In the opening selection, Gamelan, Scherbakov's dry, highly articulated playing contrasts to Budiardjo's languid shimmer. He takes No. 4 (Chattering Monkeys at the Sacred Lake of Wendit) considerably faster than Budiardjo, although he sacrifices tone and line for speed. But whereas Budiardjo is literal and square in No. 5 (Borobudur in Moonlight), Scherbakov's more flexible treatment wrings more allure and mystery from the murky opening measures and truly ignites the central climax. By favoring line over mass in No. 6 (The Bromo Volcano), Scherbakov's gaunt, sparely pedaled interpretation decisively cuts through the thick textures, while in No. 8 (The Gardens of Buitenzorg) he emphasizes inner voices that the smoother interpretations of Marc-André Hamelin and Stephen Hough play down.

In Godowsky's paraphrase on Wine, Women and Song, Scherbakov admittedly gives short shrift to some of the transcriber's tempo indications, yet his sharp-edged, muscular, and supremely delineated rendition is quite a piece of workmanship. And unlike Shura Cherkassky's more charming, impish performances, Scherbakov plays the transcription without cuts. A slightly metallic hue covers the loudest, busiest passages; otherwise the close, detailed sonics are fine.

--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com