from Character Sketches

Josef Casimir Hofmann (1876-1957) is one of the most famous piano virtuosos of all time. His rather humble posthumous reputation in Europe as a pianist and composer stands in complete contrast to the successes he enjoyed during his lifetime. Hofmann composed over 100 works, including the piano piece “Kaleidoscope”, which Julius Heinrich Zimmermann published as part of four “Vignettes” in 1908. He dedicated the pieces to his friend, the pianist Leopold Godowsky. It is a mature and sophisticated work, in which Hofmann develops an almost symphonic quality by the use of chromatics and complex harmonies. In recent years, pianists have rediscovered “Kaleidoscope”. Musikverlag Zimmermann has now republished the music for this valuable piece as part of its reprint series.