An AMAZING pianist ... CYPRIEN KATSARIS

[Lance]

This French-Cypriot pianist, Cyprien Katsaris never ceases to amaze. Recently, as fade-out music for my radio program, I aired his own transcription of the "Badinerie" from Bach's Suite, BWV 1067 and was deluged with calls about "who was that" - "what was that ... I know the piece but never heard it like that!" The piece comes from Katsaris's own label, Piano 21 [21 017, Volume 2: J. S. Bach].

My first exposure to Katsaris's playing came from a Teldec LP (eventually on Teldec CD 42479: Katsaris Live - Virtuoso Showpieces), which contained some of the most incredible piano playing I have ever heard. You may get the sense that he's a pianist in the vein of the late Georges Cziffra (another of my personal favourites) - and he is, but it goes much deeper than sheer pianistic virtuosity. From that Bach "Bandinerie" he can move to "Sheep May Safely Graze" (in another of his own transcriptions) that is played with the kind of delicacy that is rare among pianists.

I now have 52 CD entries of Katsaris's playing, including the highly touted Beethoven/Liszt nine symphonies and every one is unique. This is one artist I get musically excited about.

Whether it is Schumann, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Chopin, French music, Mexican music, Bortkiewicz, Latin music - Katsaris is an extraordinary master. He has recorded with cellist Ofra Harnoy, soprano Margaret Price, Cecile Eloir (mezzo), Brigitte Fassbaender, and Leonard Bernstein, but his solo recordings far outnumber the collaborations.

It's a pity his Piano 21 recordings are not more available in the US. A few were available here but are no longer distributed, from what I have observed. They are all worth seeking. The pianist seems to be "appreciated" more in Europe than in the US.

[Gary]

The Beethoven/Liszt just blew me away when I first heard it!

Liszt's transcriptions of the symphonies are incredible to begin with, and then to have Katsaris give such pyrotechnic performances--quite a listening experience! I often listen to one of these versions of B's symphonies and the orchestral version in succession--also quite an experience.

I thought Katsaris' tempo in his recordings of Mendelssohn's two mature piano concertos was a bit on the fast side; the orchestra seemed to have a hard time keeping up with him.

[Kevin R]

I've always loved his recordings. And his Beethoven/Liszt cycle is indeed a must for anyone who loves the piano (I never warmed to the Howard recordings). But my favorite would be Earl Wild's recording of the 1st. Now that is some playing!

[SamLowry]

Some Beethoven symphonies I first heard played by him, and of course loved them. I also first heard the Brandenburgs (and Badinerie) by Carlos on synthesizer. May explain my sometimes off-beat tastes in performer.

From what I've read, I think Brahms would have some of his orchestral works initially performed by two pianos? At least piano concertos. Did Beethoven do anything like that before an audience?

If forced to choose among Katsaris' recordings of Beethoven, I would take the 6th. One of my least favorite I think would be the 5th -- because the music often needs something besides just a piano, IMO.

In these symphonies, does Katsaris follow fewer repeats than most performances?

Appears to me that the CD "Katsaris Live" above, is out of print. Darn.

[Holden Fourth]

Yes Lance he is an amazing pianist and of course I have his LvB/Liszt symphonies. Of that set, two stand out. The already mentioned 6th is unique for CK's ability to bring out the inner colours of the work that are easy to do with an orchestra (can the woodwind play a bit louder here please?) but so much harder to achieve on a piano. The other is the 8th. The energy and clarity he brings to this is just jaw dropping and what I considered to be Beethoven's ho-hum symphony suddenly took on new meaning and life.

[Lance]

Indeed, the more I listen to Katsaris, the more amazing I find him. For example, a recent re-listening of his Piano 21 disc [P21 018] of Mozart transcriptions illustrates some incredible pianism of works NOT written for the keyboard, but orchestral works that were arranged to Mozart himself, Katsaris, Hummel, Mathias, Bizet, and Matthew Cameron (b. 1968). All appear to be world premiere recordings with Katsaris playing an orchestral-sounding Steingraeber concert grand with a rich, penetrating sound though with a slightly thin-sounding treble.

We start of with the overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio, then the aria "Hier soll ich dich denn sehen", and a rousing performance of Hummel's arrangement of the Symphony #40 in g; Magic Flute excerpts, and Cameron's incredible Serenade #13 (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik). It is thrilling to hear both of these major Mozart pieces performed on the piano. I found myself wanting to especially hear the Symphony #40 many times.

The question might be why we would want to hear these major works in piano transcriptions when so many recordings of the works in their original form are available. Well, it is like listening to Liszt's transcriptions of any of the Beethoven symphonies; in listening to the "reduction," one discovers elements in the music you might miss in a full orchestral recording. One helps to build listening skills in the other in terms of understanding the work.

Katsaris is one of those pianists where there seems to be no technical struggles for him (though I'm sure them must be some ... we're just never aware of any!). He's such a natural at the piano - and in many ways, reminds me of Cziffra, the great Hungarian pianist, with his ease at the keyboard.

Hearing is believing and any of these Piano 21 discs are astounding.

I must say, however, that I still find Glenn Gould's playing of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (trans. Liszt) to be thrilling in its own way, perhaps a tad more exciting than even Katsaris's in this one particular work.

[Lance]

Another Katsaris disc that should be brought to pianophiles' attention is on Piano 21 [P21 017] - Bach Transcriptions, Volume 2. Apparently this is the sequel to the Sony all-Bach disc [66272] called Bach's Italian Journey - Volume 1 though everything on the Sony disc is not all transcriptions. (If someone has a Piano 21 catalogue designating the number of the Bach Transcriptions, Volume 1, please advise.)

Here, performed on a superb-sounding Steinway D are many world premiere recordings transcribed by Katsaris, such as the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565, Mario Fenniger, Harold Bauer/Wilhelm Kempff, Myra Hess, and Saint-Saëns.

The musical sensitivites run the gamut in this disc from Hess's beloved "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," to one of the most amazing Bach transcriptions I've ever heard, the Badinerie from the Suite BWV 1067 (transcribed by Katsaris) normally heard performed by a flute solo with strings. This one piece is worth the price of the disc alone.

Other transcriptions include the Siciliano from the Flute Sonata, BWV 1031, "Be Glad, My Soul," "Wachut, auf, ruft uns die Stimme," (two versions, Nicolai's melody harmonized by Bach and the Kempff version), the Adagio from the Toccata BWV 564, a Fantasie (Praeludium/Fugue) transcribed by Szanto/Liszt/Katsaris; "Sheep May Safely Graze," and quite a few others.

[daycart]

I've got only one: the Teldec vinyl of the Chopin Ballades and Scherzi. Very nice piano tone. I also particularly like his interpretations of the 2nd and 4th Scherzi.

[SamLowry]

Lance, how can somebody who has read just about enough find any of these CDs, besides the Beethoven 9?

Thanks

[Lance]

Lance, how can somebody who has read just about enough find any of these CDs, besides the Beethoven 9?

Thanks

Hi Sam:

I managed to get most of the domestic and Teldec imports when they were immediately available. The life of a CD today is questionable; sometimes it's months, other times it may be years. While Katsaris is recognized in the US for his outstanding pianism, there doesn't seem to be a market for his recordings by the general public. Piano aficionados snap them up eagerly. Katsaris's own label, Piano 21, started to be distributed in the US but seems to have been discontinued. On the European continent, they are available but are rather pricey (over $20/disc plus post).

You might check the US and British Tower sites. It's surprising what England can supply and the US can't. JPC-Germany I think can also supply the Piano 21 discs. But the Teldecs and Sonys, especially the Sonys, are to the best of my knowledge, out of print. Teldecs can still be found on occasion - and they are generally mid-priced for 2 CDs if you can find them.

Let me know how you make out.

[Gary]

Sam,

http://www.berkshirerecordoutlet.com/ has three Katsaris CDs for sale. Just type his last name in the search box. It's the same place where I got B's symphonies. Alas, those are not available at the moment.

[SamLowry]

I had previously given up on finding what I wanted, but just now I ordered Bach Transcriptions #2 through Amazon.uk.

Thanks for your help. The other transcription disc sounds very interesting too.