GRIEG Piano Concerto in a 1. Peer Gynt: Morning Mood. Impressions: Hommage à Chopin. Lyric Pieces: Selections • Cyprien Katsaris (pn); 1 Horst Neumann, cond; Leipzig RO • PIANO21 028-A (75:03)


Grieg’s piano music (other than his concerto, which has been a staple of the repertoire for years—it was Rachmaninoff’s favorite concerto!) has for too long languished in obscurity. Though the current recital does not touch upon the least-known works of his oeuvre , it does show off some of the best of it in the Lyric Pieces . These works are, in a sense, the Norwegian counterparts to the character pieces of Schumann and the Songs Without Words of Mendelssohn; and just like these latter works, the Lyric Pieces have never garnered the attention that they deserve.


They have found a good advocate in Cyprien Katsaris, who has long been a champion of this kind of little-played repertoire. As most of the performances on the current disc were recorded live, the sound is sometimes fine, sometimes abominable. This, however, does not distract from the simple way that Katsaris caresses the instrument, subtly capturing the mood of each of these tiny gems—from the quirkiness of the Little Bird , op. 43/4, to the frantic climaxes of the March of the Dwarfs , op. 54/3. His way with the simple Arietta , op. 12/1, is a bit too fussy for my taste; I much prefer the way Emil Gilels lets the piece shape itself without getting in its way. Regardless, one can hear Katsaris having fun, bringing out the character of each little masterpiece, which consequently allows us to simply revel in the music. This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of playing these pieces, and Katsaris succeeds on multiple levels.


His way with the concerto, unfortunately, is less successful because of the way in which he seems to want the piece to be something that it is not. The dramatic opening sounds a bit too rushed, taking away some of its inherent drama, while the following low A is slammed out and held as though the climax has already been reached. There are nice moments throughout, but there is also a bit too much stop-and-go motion—something that works well, perhaps, in concert, but not in repeated listening on recordings. The other two small pieces, the “Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt and the Hommage à Chopin , are both given fine readings, the former for its simplicity and pathos, the latter for its breathtaking virtuosity. For the Lyric Pieces my top recommendation is still for one of the most impressive discs that Emil Gilels, or any pianist, ever recorded (DG Originals 449721). For the Piano Concerto, one of the most exciting performances—also recorded live—is Michelangeli’s recording with the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (BBC Legends 4043). For another recommendable performance of the Lyric Pieces , Katsaris’s recording will complement these performances nicely.


FANFARE: Scott Noriega

CHOPIN Preludes: op. 28/4, 6, 7, 15, 20. Souvenir de Paganini ( Carnival of Venice ). Polonaise, op. 26/1. Fantasy-Impromptu. Wiosna, op. 74/2. Contredanse. Mazurkas: op. 7/1; op. 67. Waltz, op. 74/2. 3 Ecossaises. Cello Sonata: Largo. Études: op. 10/3, 12. Nocturnes: op. 9/2, 20; op. 15/3. Piano Concerto No. 2: Larghetto • Cyprien Katsaris (pn) • PIANO 21 43 (78:48)


This is exactly the kind of recording that should be listened to—by force, if necessary—by all those publicity folks at labels big and small, from Decca and DG on down, who have somehow formed the opinion that Hot Young Pianist X is the next great genius of the keyboard. As fine as some of these players are, very few have the kind of seasoned authority one hears in this recital from Cyprien Katsaris. This is not merely good playing, not even great playing. It is playing so wholly wrapped up in the spirit of the composer that the performer disappears, and you find yourself listening to Chopin and not to “Katsaris,” superb though he is.


Not a single note or phrase of this recital passes through the mind without making an impression of some sort. Moreover, despite having a big technique—especially obvious in such items as the Fantasy-Impromptu and the Carnival of Venice —Katsaris never, ever makes it sound as if he’s showing it off. He’s not trying to dazzle you with B.S. He’s playing music, and he happens to have the right technique and style for it. That Carnival of Venice is a perfect example. Probably listed in the program under its Souvenir de Paganini title, as soon as he begins playing the audience recognizes the melody—and laughs. Katsaris keeps on playing it, but teases the melody a little with little flourishes and touches of rubato, knowing that he has his audience in the palm of his hand. It’s playing that makes you smile, and how often have you had that experience when listening to classical music?


These 26 selections were recorded in both studio and live settings over a 32-year period, the Fantasy-Impromptu coming from a 1978 studio recording and the etudes, mazurka, nocturnes, and Chopin’s own piano-only transcription of the Larghetto from the Second Piano Concerto coming from both concerts and studio sessions from 2010. There is remarkable continuity of style and vision in all of them, even though—to my ears—the early Fantasy-Impromptu lacks just a bit of personal identification with the material compared to the later performances.


But really, folks, this is what great playing is all about. These are Chopin recordings to stand the test of time, along with those of Cortot, Rubinstein, Cherkassky, Hobson, Lipatti, and Barbosa. The young lions today—a few names, like Alice Sara Ott and Daria Gloukhova excepted—have technique to burn but no real personal stamp on their material. The highest compliment I can pay to this disc is that all the selections, even the studio recordings, have the feel of a live concert about them. You feel as if you’re in the hall, listening to Katsaris and being enraptured by the music, not sitting at home listening to a dead piece of plastic on your CD player.


Cyprien, if you see this review, know that you have issued a masterpiece. Words fail me in trying to describe just how great this disc is.


FANFARE: Lynn René Bayley

V2: PIANO CONCERTOS

V19: KATSARIS ARCHIVES

Directed by Claude Chabrol. Starring Cyprien Katsaris.

MOZART Piano Concertos: No. 8 in C, K 246 1; No. 14 in E?, K 449 2; No. 15 in B?, K 450 3 • Cyprien Katsaris, piano; Yoon Kuk Lee (cond); Salzburg CP • PIANO 21 P21 026-N (71:18) Live: Salzburg 1 12/6/96, 2 4/22/98, 3 1/15/98


I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: One-time whiz-kid Cyprien Katsaris has matured into one of the most wide-ranging pianists alive; and if you pass up his Mozart because you think that no one who plays Liszt, Tchaikovsky, and Boulez that well could possibly be at home in Mozart, you are making a serious mistake. The earlier releases in this complete run of the concertos—this is Volume 5, although Volume 6 has already been issued (see Fanfare 33:2)—showed him to be a first-class Mozartian. The same clarity, intelligence, and sensitivity are on display here—as is the same slightly old-fashioned approach that exploits, but does not indulge in, the timbral resources of a modern instrument.


The overall interpretive mood is slightly soft-spoken: There’s little of the caustic aftertaste we get from so many cutting-edge period-performance recordings, and in place of the blaze we might expect from his kinetic readings of super-virtuoso repertoire, we get a warm glow. But while it’s gentle, the playing isn’t weak or undercharacterized: Intimate rather than reticent, nuanced rather than shy, it’s Mozart playing of tremendous tact, discernment, and impetus. Thus, for instance, even though it never turns aggressive, the finale of the 14th Concerto has tremendous buoyancy; while it avoids the hard sell, the 15th opens with infectious momentum nonetheless. Throughout it all, Katsaris’s touch is breathtaking (listen to the utter grace of the small cadenza in the finale of No. 8). As on the earlier discs, too, I’m struck by the appreciation of the music’s conversational moments—from its banter to its more serious dialogues—both those between the piano and the orchestra and those within the solo part itself. It’s a quality that can give tremendous interest even to passages that, in other hands, risk sounding either mundane (try his treatment of the back-and-forth in the piano beginning at measure 163 in the finale of the Eighth) or slightly stuffy (listen to the delight in the fugal moments in the finale of No. 14).


Are these romantic readings? In a sense, yes; but to the extent that they are, they look ahead not to the heroics of Beethoven but to the kind of bel canto you hear in early Chopin. Nothing in these performances is ever slushy or sentimental, even in the slow movements—but the lyrical impulse takes priority over rhythmic drive. In all three performances, Yoon Kuk Lee and his orchestra offer finely gauged support laced with loving details that never distract (listen, for instance, to the delightful wind playing beginning at measure 62 in the finale of No. 8); the engineering, as on the rest of the series, is first-rate. As on earlier issues in the series, alternate cadenzas are offered (although truth to tell, none of them are particularly gripping, especially when played out of context). Warmly recommended.


FANFARE: Peter J. Rabinowitz

KATSARIS LIVE IN MOSCOW: THE INTERNATIONAL TCHAIKOVSKY COMPETITION, 1970 • Cyprien Katsaris (pn) • PIANO 21 029-A (55:17) Live: Moscow 6/3/1970; 1 6/12/1970 2


CHOPIN Etude in b, op. 25/10. 1 LISZT Etudes d’exécution transcendante: Feux follets. 1 RACHMANINOFF Etude-tableau, op. 39/1. 1 TCHAIKOVSKY The Seasons: October. 1 Dumka. 2 BACH Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude and Fugue in c?. 1 HAYDN Sonata No. 48 in C. 1 SHOSTAKOVICH Preludes and Fugues: No. 24 in d. 2 RÄÄTS Toccata 2


MOZART Concerto for 2 Pianos in E?. 1 Concerto in F K 242 for 3 Pianos. 1,2 Concerto in F K 242 for 2 Pianos 2 • Cyprien Katsaris (pn); Eueng-Gu Kim (pn); 1 Mari Ota (pn); 3 Yoon Kuk Lee, cond; Salzburg CP • PIANO 21 031-N (72:54) Live: Salzburg 6/4/1999


First prize in the 1970 Tchaikovsky competition was shared by Vladimir Krainev and John Lill. Further down on the list (in fact, eliminated before the final round) was 19-year-old Cyprien Katsaris. Forty years after the fact, it’s easy to second-guess the judges. After all, despite Lill’s distinguished discography, Katsaris has developed into a more wide-ranging and more interpretively interesting pianist; and despite the fierce concentration of his best work, Krainev’s career has not matched his promise. Still, even Katsaris (who befriended Lill during the competition and who considers Lill’s victory “amply deserved”) was “not satisfied” with his own performances; and listening to this CD (which includes everything he played except the third movement of Boulez’s Second Sonata, which somehow never made it on to the original Soviet tape), it’s easy to see why. The virtuoso elements are sometimes pushed to the limit (or even beyond the limit), while the nod to Bach (required by the competition) is dutiful and dull.


Yet whatever the weaknesses, this is agile and often thrilling playing that—the Bach aside—should keep a strong grip on your attention. The furious, highly accented outer sections of the Chopin, the keen edge of the Liszt (played at a furious pace), the heart-on-the-sleeve “October”: the playing may be slightly unseasoned, but the enthusiasm is contagious, as is the technical facility. Even when Katsaris’s exuberance courts incoherence (as in his aggressive charge through the Rachmaninoff), he carries you along through sheer conviction.


In sum, it’s impossible not to regret that Katsaris didn’t get to the final round, where he would have played the Tchaikovsky First and the Rachmaninoff Third: the Moscow disc suggests that he would have seared the ears of his listeners. (You can hear slightly later performances of those concertos—the Tchaikovsky from 1973, the Rachmaninoff from 1978—on his Russian album, P21 020-A, reviewed in 31:5. They more than fulfill the expectations raised by the competition performances.) But even given his chipper reading of the Haydn—popular with beginning pianists, but hardly one of his more challenging works—this is not a pianist you’d want to hear in Mozart.


Then again, he’s not the pianist we hear in the 1999 Mozart performances, at least not in anything but the most literal sense. The Katsaris of 29 years later is a far richer musician, one who hasn’t lost his youthful delight in music-making, but who sees a lot more variety in the music before him, and who shades his playing accordingly. Writing about earlier installments in this complete run of the Mozart concertos (this is Volume 6), I called it “slightly old-fashioned Mozart that takes advantage of the modern piano’s range of color and articulation” (31:5)—and the same basic approach is heard here. But, as on the earlier releases, the interpretations steer a canny route between preciousness and romanticization: they’re elegant, tactful, and consistently less acidic than many period-instrument accounts, but they never condescend to the music. What’s most striking here—even more than on the solo concertos—is the conversational interplay: I don’t know how this sounded in the hall, but on these sharply focused CDs, the spiffy back and forth among the artists provides consistent pleasure.


Indeed, until now I’ve always found K 242 a dull affair, even in the hands of such experts as the Fleischers (I’ve not heard the recording praised by Mortimer Frank in 33:1, but I found it hard to stay awake when I heard them perform it live in Syracuse). Indeed, many first-rank pianists—for instance, the youthful all-star team of Kocsis, Ranki, and Schiff (see 29:4)—seem utterly bored when they take it on. But the exchanges in these recordings of K 242 by Katsaris and friends are so vital and alert that the music sounds considerably better that it actually is.


Note the plural in recording s . A few issues back (30:5), Jerry Dubins got his knickers in a twist over a recording of the two-piano version of the three-piano concerto, insisting that he “was not aware that [Mozart] had written more than one concerto for two keyboards,” and berating the record company for not clarifying who had made the arrangement. In fact, Jerry was just being ornery, since as he admitted, the program notes did offer clarification. To set the matter straight: Mozart himself both made and performed the two-piano compression of the three-piano K 242. The two-piano version has been played and recorded numerous times by, among others, Badura-Skoda and Gianoli, Perahia and Lupu, and the Fleischers. What’s unusual here is that Katsaris gives us both redactions—the first time, in my experience, that they’ve shared a single disc. In lesser hands, this would be too much of a not-very-good thing, especially since the arrangement is not especially adventurous (the original third-piano part was fairly rudimentary). But I doubt anyone listening will regret the repetition. The orchestral playing is tight and committed, and as I’ve said, the sound is exceptional. An unalloyed delight.


FANFARE: Peter J. Rabinowitz

V10: KATSARIS ARCHIVES

This DVD conjures up visions of Chopin himself in the fabulous surroundings of the main auditorium of Carnegie Hall in New York, with this memorable recital – also available on double CD – given by Cyprien Katsaris on 17 October 1999 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s death. Katsaris’ talent radiates in this selection of some of the most beautiful works of the Polish composer: Fantasy, Barcarolle, Sonata no. 3, Lullaby and various nocturnes, waltzes, preludes and polonaises, as well as the two funeral marches. The New York audience was manifestly electrified, giving a standing ovation, repeatedly calling the pianist back for several minutes and finally wresting from him three encores.

ALLEGRO

V1: PIANO CONCERTOS

V3: PIANO CONCERTOS

Ever imagined an entire programme devoted to marrying the sounds of the harp and the piano? Yes, of course there is quite a comprehensive repertoire for these two instruments thanks to the composing talents of Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838), Joseph Woelfl (1773-1812), Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812), Francois-Adrien Boieldieu (1775-1834), Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837), Elias Parish-Alvars (1808-1849) and Nicholas-Charles Bochsa (1789-1856), to mention but a few of the better-known names, but, to be honest, not many of their works retain much significance. Years later, a young French composer, Régis Chesneau (born 1986), took an interest in this unusual instrumental pairing; working from three of his arrangements, the harpist Isabelle Courret sometime soloist at La Scala in Milan and the pianist Cyprien Katsaris have devised this surprising programme, a veritable journey through the centuries.

REVIEW:

It’s not surprising that Cyprien Katsaris comes up with the most ingenious piano programming notion for the Beethoven anniversary year. He presents a six-CD chronological survey that intersperses original Beethoven piano compositions with chamber, orchestral, and concerted repertoire transcribed for solo piano by Beethoven and others. In the process, the pianist digs up fascinating rarities like the “Kreutzer” sonata for violin and piano reduced for 10 very busy fingers, Louis Winkler’s reduction of the “Spring” sonata for two hands, a delightful keyboard transformation of the Op. 3 String Trio, string quartet movements transcribed by the likes of Saint-Saëns and Mussorgsky, and Richard Wagner’s “de-orchestration” of the Ninth symphony slow movement.

As usual with transcription repertoire, Katsaris tosses off these pieces with maximum flair and minimum effort. Yet I also find his approach to so-called “non-hyphenated” Beethoven stimulating and often original. Once past the sober front he poses in the C minor Variations’ main theme, Katsaris flies out of the starting gate with Variation 1, but eventually gives way to normality after a handful of variations transpire. The pianist takes special care with the dynamic gradations in the Op. 14 No. 2 Andante’s detached chords, while his freshly minted voicings and points of emphasis in the “Moonlight” sonata never pull focus from the composer’s intentions. His angular phrasing in the Op. 33’s second Bagatelle imparts an extra kick to Beethoven’s sforzandos, and the cycle’s final Presto piece amounts to a master class in generating tension and excitement at the softest dynamic levels.

In this context, I would have expected a more dramatic and explosive Op. 111 sonata than the relatively contained and respectful rendition offered here, or a terser, harder-hitting Op. 78 finale. On the other hand, Katsaris truly lets go in the Op. 77 Fantasia’s bravura episodes, underlining the music’s apparent origins in improvisation. I encourage piano buffs and transcription mavens to join Katsaris in veering off of the conventional Beethoven path. Succinctly informative annotations from the pianist grace this fascinating and delightful release.

– ClassicsToday (Jed Distler)

MOZART FAMILY