Customer Reviews

Beethoven/Liszt: Symphonies, Nos. 1-9

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's rare that you find a pianist as good as Cyprien Katsaris who goes through the effort to produce something as difficult and pedantic as the Liszt transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies. The result in this case is professional, passionate and articulate.

Beethoven's symphonies are as important to the field of classical music as any other set of works. They convey the many sides of Beethoven's character and unchallenged depth while making advances to the rigid style as allowed by the contemporary rules. Liszt did a stunning job of transcribing them, maintaining every bit of depth and passion. In a way, the transcriptions are a very sophisticated performance interpretation written by a man who continued the traditions of Beethoven through a line of teachers and students.

Katsaris provides a faithful reproduction of Liszt's transcription without the dull mechanical sheen usually found in performances of these pieces. His passion and commitment to the piece is easily heard throughout all nine symphonies. His attention to detail is fanatical and he has the presence to bring these pieces to life.

I recommend this recording to anyone who wishes to investigate the Beethoven-Czerny-Liszt heritage and delve deeper into the hidden meaning in Beethoven's symphonies.

Transcribing the greatest cycle of music from the full symphony orchestra to the comparatively limited scope of the piano would seem like an insurmountable task. And for most great pianist-composers it probably was, except Franz Liszt. I believe the inimitable success of Liszt's achievement has not been fully recognised either by pianists or audiences. In fact, to find any of them programmed by a major (or minor) pianist is somewhere between rare and impossible.

To my knowledge, only four pianists have committed all nine to disc: Katsaris, Biret, Howard and Scherbakov. Both Scherbakov and Howard have their merits--my lack of enthusiasm for Biret's annoyingly willful playing (currently being re-released on her own IBA label together with the Concertos and Sonatas) has been amply described elsewhere--but Katsaris surpass both of them with a substantial margin. Even though Liszt's ability to think up endlessly varied piano textures and figurations is beyond reproach, some level of repetitiveness is virtually inescapable in certain movements (e.g. Second/II, Sixth/II and Seventh/I)--there is only so much one can do with ten fingers and the percussive mechanics of a piano.

Trading Beethoven's epoch-making orchestral writing for Liszt's pianistically inflated reductions--sounds like an absolutely preposterous venture, does it not? Indeed, regardless of how extraordinarily Katsaris renders the Third, Fifth and Ninth Symphonies, it goes without saying that Beethoven's originals are as priceless as they are irreplaceable. Still, and forgive me for swearing in church, forced to live with one version only, I would actually consider choosing the Lisztian versions of the Fourth and Eighth. Katsaris's trademark ability to vary repeats (he observes most of them throughout) and to augment sonorities (especially in the lower bass tessitura) work wonders here--as well as in the Eroica's Funeral March, where his ripping sub-bass cluster chord creates an earth shatter at the end of the fugal 'development'. His tempos are generally grand, in the traditional manner (too much so in the Third/II and Fifth/III), but daringly exciting in Finales of the Third, Seventh and Ninth.

What deserves special mention is Katsaris's world-premiere recording of the Ninth Symphony. Initially, Liszt found the fourth movement of the Ninth impossible to transcribe for two hands only--hence, it took another two years until the four-hand, two-piano version of 1863 was replaced. What Liszt achieved here in terms of extending the boundaries of piano playing is in the same league as his own Etudes and Alkan's Op 39 Etudes, the Concerto for Solo Piano in particular. The first movement is impressively grand--Katsaris's recapitulation is, again, truly earth-shattering. The Scherzo's multiple voices come across with unbelievable clarity. But the show-stopper is the Finale, where Katsaris's sheer stamina in the near-impossible cascades of notes demands to be heard. The plus added to the four stars is to highlight that Katsaris's Ninth should be part of any piano connoisseur's discography.

Just having reviewed Vänskä's immaculately played and recorded, but emotionally inhibited, Minnesota cycle on BIS, I concluded that we are not likely to see the revolutionary romanticism of Karajan's first BPO cycle being surpassed in these post-period times. Therefore, with an unfailing bias for the piano, it is most refreshing to immerse oneself in Katsaris's extraordinarily romantic and pianistic Beethoven Symphonies--caught in serviceable, if somewhat unnatural, 1980s Teldec sonics.

REFERENCE: This One

Having heard the orchestral versions of Beethoven's symphonies many times before, I was intrigued when my friend recommended that I check out this recording of the Liszt piano transcriptions.

Needless to say, I was amazed by the performance (particularly the Pastorale, No.6). The sound is so full at times, that I completely forgot that it is being produced by a single piano (and a single person). I am hypnotized by these recordings and have listened to them for countless hours since.

I heard that it took Katsaris many years to polish and record all of these transcriptions, and his dedication and hard work has paid off tremendously with this heavenly recording.

Very highly recommended.

This 6 CD box set devoted by renowned virtuoso Cyprien Katsaris to the Liszt's mighty transcriptions of the nine Beethoven symphonies is - in my opinion - a must for all those who succumb to charms of grand pianistic displays and love both great composers involved therein. For this set has all you have come to expect from such a repertory performed by such a great pianist, and even more. The outcome is amazing, literally breathtaking throughout, haunting, hair rising at times (all the first movement of "Eroica").

First, there are the wondrous transcriptions - a revelation! Boldly Lisztian, but so respectful to the original orchestral scores they were inspired by. Assuming to translate into a keyboard language not only their Beethovenian spirit, their incomparable mood, but also their chromatic combinations or particular instruments effects, the transcriptions succeed even in keeping the tiniest detail unblurred and retrieving the finer melodic lines. Full of bravura, unfolding magisterially the strong contrasts of the originals, imbued with irreconcilable tensions (initial Allegro con brio of the Symphony No.5) or serene lyrical soaring (in Adagio molto cantabile of the Symphony No.9, Andante molto moto of SymphonyNo.6 "Pastoral"), these transcriptions do full justice to Beethoven. On the other hand, they confirm Berlioz's assertion regarding the concept of "piano orchestra".

Second, they offer a juicy means for interpreter's musical and technical skills to show off. Regarding Cyprien Katsaris, I must praise his qualities, his aptness to the spirit of the scores. There is in his virtuosic performing style a lot of stamina and an unfailing joy of immersing in such a great music. As I heard, he faced successfully the huge challenge of performing these symphony-transcriptions even in live concerts. Demanding, but - I suppose - thrilling experience both for the soloist and the lucky audience! If in the original version, each compartments of the orchestra alternate their interventions, the pianist has to supply all these effects by continuously work the keys, by unceasing concentration and high-voltage of his rendition. Bravo Cyprien Katsaris! Highly recommended!

This set of five CDs is astonishing. Liszt was a genius, and the human that best understood the piano, and how to write for this instrument. He left to posterity many examples of this (Rapsodies, consolations...), but his transcription of Beethoven's colossal simphonic works are astounding. Katsaris masters this sometimes hellish pieces with an admirable command and ease. The sound he manages to produce is so dense that it's a wonder that it's achieved with only two hands, a foot and a piano. There are so many passages in this set to remark, that this review would become a speech, if I put them all here. Just listen to the beginning of the Fifth, or the second movement of the Seventh, or the glorious Ninth, or the marvellous Marche funebre of the Third, or...

I will admit up front that I do now own many of Katsaris' recordings, I do know that he is a pianist of the rare breed for our modern times: he composes, improvises, conducts the piano. To put this important element in perspective, that is precisely what Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and even Horowitz did. It's one thing to be a performer, another to be a composer/performer. To dare build on someone elses work is quite something, improvisation an art long gone in today's world of "perform, don't interpret" pianism. Once appointed head of the new Budapest Conservatory of Music, Liszt required that all pianists study improvisation and composition. No compromises. That level of pianism is what Katsaris brings to us.

I am not saying that Katsaris did his own thing with this recording, let me be clear with that. He performs the Liszt as he wrote it, and the only changes were additions in a couple of measures that he discloses in a personal statement in the insert. What Katsaris does do is bring out a level of sound in the piano tha I had not encountered previously. I am a faithful of the Karajan recordings of the Symphonies, and now I find myself enjoying the piano versions even more. Since Katsaris embodies the pianist, the composer and the director, he makes a perfect fit for this compilation of Beethoven's work made to the piano by his disciple Liszt.

The playfulness of the first two Symphonies, the majesticness of the Third, the thundrous Fifth, the melodic Sixth, the innovative Seventh and the crown jewel, the Ninth, all reproduced by two hands (and feet!).
To my knowledge, the only other recent full recording was made as part of Leslie Howard's massive enterprise of recording all of Liszt's piano music. Before that, I believe this collection was recorded before the 1950s.

The sound is clear and the piano is fierce in this recording, and I would recommend it to any lover of Beethoven and Liszt. Since this is a collection rarely recorded, it is hard to compare and make assessments. I do know that it is a great companion to piano lovers, and a great object of study for those interested to listen how Liszt (barely) completed the monumental task of reducing a full orchestra to two daring hands.

Cyprien Katsaris is an astonishing pianist. His countless contributions respect minor works of well known composers such Brahms for instance, made of him to defy that epic challenge that means to play these Nine Symphonies transcribed by Franz Liszt for the keyboard.

You may realize that, with the only exception of Leslie Howard, there has not been any other pianist who has decided to face with the countless difficulties demanded for the score.

But Katsaris confers éclat, elegance and expressiveness, without losing that Beethovenian drive force,that makes - at least to my mind - an insurmountable and excel effort worthy to admire and acknowledge.

Don't miss these extraordinary recordings of this notable pianist.

Cyprien Katsaris spent considerable time getting the playing of the Liszt transcriptions of all 9 Beethoven Symphonies just right and the result is one of the finest most beautiful CD sets on the market.If you cannot imagine liking Beethoven's symphonies played ONLY by piano, well you owe yourself a treat that you will play over and over. I cannot imagine anyone playing these transcriptions better. Listening again to the 6th.,7th.,and 8th.this PM, I must say, Franz Liszt himself might have been pleased with this effort. And in the year of the 200 birth anniversary of Liszt, that is good. This set is worth a celebration of the Liszt birth this year!

To my fortune I decided to buy Beethoven-Liszt 9 symphonies transcriptions under the superb interpretation of the virtuoso Cyprien Katsaris. This proof to be a multiple-joy expierence. After years of hearing many orchestral versions of Beethoven symphonies, hearing the piano transcriptions allowed me to rediscover the original joy that I experimented in my first contact with them, many years ago. I also was pleased with the discovery of such a tremendous artist as Katsaris, who has devoted many years to prepare this monumental task and was able, in extension, to "improve" some passages of the orginal score, overcoming with absolute masterly the amplified difficulties implied in this choice. And last, it was a significant coincidence that I could witness Franz Liszt's immesurable talent, craftmanship, generosity and devotion to Beethoven's music in countless hours of hard work. An unbeatable talent-trinity: Beethoven-LIszt-Katsaris. Need something more?

I will preface this by saying that I am not a Beethoven scholar and do not claim to be. I am not incredibly familiar with Katsaris' other performances.

I'll start by saying that I am a fan of both Beethoven and Liszt, so I was anxious about finally hearing this rendition of the complete symphonies. Liszt's transcription, and Katsaris' rendition, comes off as methodical and precise (just what you would expect from Liszt). The "stand-out" performances are most of Symphony No.3, and all of Symphony No.4. Symphony No.5 feels like it has a little limp. Symphony No.6 is about as melodious as it should be. Symphonies 2, 7, and 8 are on par with what you might expect. Symphony No.9 is a revelation.

All-in-all, this is a good complete recording, but definitely not imaginative (but that could be a good thing). Liszt himself was very methodical, but always lent a strong amount of passion to his transcriptions and that comes through in this recording. Katsaris seems competent, but not quite amazing.

This recording will probably sit well with most listeners because it is a good quality recording and is transcribed by a master of interpretation (Liszt). Even to the well-versed, though, this performance comes off as satisfying overall. If you are looking for a quality recording of the symphonies performed on piano, you will not be disappointed.