Katsaris plays Liszt, Volume 1
Cyprien Katsaris
Piano 21 P21 041-N
www.cyprienkatsaris.net
Liszt! What do we think of when one of the most flamboyant composers of the 19th century comes to mind? Swooning ladies? Technical brilliance on an almost superhuman scale? Whatever image we have, the 200th birthday of this legendary pianist/composer from Raiding was celebrated in 2011, and among those marking the occasion was French-Cypriot pianist Cyprien Katsaris, who issued a splendid two-disc set titled Katsaris Plays Liszt on his own label, Piano 21.
Internationally famous since his debut in Paris in 1966, Katsaris has been the recipient of several prizes for his recordings, including the Grand Prix du Disc Franz Liszt in 1984 and 1989, and the German Record of the Year in 1984. This set — recorded over a 39 year period — is bound to appeal to any Liszt aficionado. The first disc, titled Gypsy and Romantic, is mainly devoted to his earlier works, including four of the Hungarian Rhapsodies, the well-known Liebestraum, and the Piano Concerto No.2 with the German Radio Symphony of Berlin, Arid Remmereit conducting. Here, Katsaris handles the technical demands of the repertoire with ease and panache, easily upholding his reputation as a fleet-fingered virtuoso.
Yet the set is not all tinsel and glitter. The second disc, titled Avant Garde, Hommage à Wagner, The Philosopher, is considerably more introspective and features music from Liszt’s late period. This was a time when the composer was very much “pushing the boundaries.” Indeed, Grey Clouds, The Lugubrious Gondola 1 and 2 and At Richard Wagner’s Grave stylistically look to the future, with Katsaris perfectly conveying the dark, almost sinister quality of the music.
As this set is designated as “Volume I,” may we assume there are more to come? We can only hope so, in light of the high standards and intriguing programming presented in this one.
