P21 035-N

Ce DVD a pour but d’illustrer l’universalité du langage musical. Profitant de sa renommée internationale dans son action pour la Paix, le pianiste franco-chypriote Cyprien Katsaris, Artiste de l’UNESCO pour la Paix, a donné un récital de musique latino-américaine (Pérou, Paraguay, Brésil, Cuba, Argentine, Uruguay et Mexique) à Shanghai, le 2 octobre 2007. Il avait commenté ce programme original depuis la scène, en français et en anglais, en compagnie d’une traductrice chinoise. De retour à Paris, Cyprien Katsaris, dans un souci de rapprochement entre les peuples, et plus particulièrement ceux en situation conflictuelle, a rajouté en audio 10 langues supplémentaires : hébreu/arabe, grec/turc, espagnol/portugais/italien, russe/allemand et japonais. En tout 12 langues parlées par Cyprien Katsaris en plus du chinois et du coréen parlés par les 2 traducteurs.

Première Partie

PERU

Pablo Chávez Aguilar (1899-1952)

4 Preludios Incaicos:

Prelude No. 1

Prelude No. 2

Prelude No. 3

Prelude No. 4

PARAGUAY

Augustín Barrios Mangore (1855-1944)

Chôro da Saudade

Arrangement: Karol A. Penson

BRAZIL

Héitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)

Coral

Aria

Alma Brasileira

Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934)

Odeon

Turbilhâo de Beijos

Nove de Julho

Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho!

Seconde Partie

CUBA

Ignacio Cervantes (1847-1905)

Soledad

Adiós a Cuba

ARGENTINA

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)

Danza Argentina No. 2

Astor Piazzola (1921-1992)

La Misma Pena

Milonga en Ay Menor

Guardia Nueva

Chiquilín de Bachín

Milonga del Ángel

URUGUAY

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez (1900-1948)

La Cumparsita

Free transcription: C. Katsaris

MEXICO

Ernesto Elorduy (1853-1913)

Tropicales

Alberto Flacchebba (1883-19?)

Danza Criolla

Manuel M. Ponce (1882-1948)

Intermezzo

Rubén M. Campos (1876-1945)

6 Popular Airs:

Cancion Mexicana (José López Alavez)

El Aguanieve

La Paloma

Cielito Lindo

Son Michoacano

Cancion Mexicana (Enrique Galaz)

José Antonio Gómez (1805-1870)

Variaciones sobre el Tema del Jarabe Mexicano

Arrangement: C. Katsaris

Bis

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Arabeske in C major, op. 18

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Valse in C sharp minor, op. 64 No. 2

CRITIQUES

In an age which appears obsessed with “safety first”, it is a real treat to watch the great Cyprien Katsaris in action (Shanghai Conservatory, October 2007) in a programme of Latin-American music that includes pieces by Aguilar, Mangore, Elorduy, Villa-Lobos, Nazareth, Cervantes, Ginastera, Piazzolla, Rodriguez, Flacchebba, Ponce and Gómez. Unbelievably he not only plays the whole programme (faultlessly) from memory – his only concession is a piece of paper postioned behind the lid, presumably as an aide-memoire to programme order – but he looks as though he is having a wonderful time doing it! Not since the glory days of Georges Cziffra has virtuosity looked this playful. Katsaris’s playing of the Gómez Variations which finishes the programme is quite frankly speaking amazing (he even has time to turn on the French charm to camera in mid-octave flurry), so much so that I had to check I was playing it back at the right speed (my player has a 1.4 setting that sustains the correct pitch). This is the kind of playing (is there anyone today with a left hand of such awesome agility and flexibility?) that can be described only as a superhuman. Astonishingly, Katsaris introduces the programme in 12 languages, including Japanese, Russian, Hebrew and Arabic. The picture is rather underlit, but I really can’t imagine anyone noticing given the unique artistry on display here. Unforgettable and cherishable.
International Record Review (United Kingdom)

This newly released DVD of music from Peru, Paraguay, Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay and Mexico, given live by the great French-Cypriot pianist Cyprien Katsaris - b. 1953, UNESCO Artist for Peace - is as enjoyable and life-enhancing a disc as you’ll likely encounter this year.
Little known in UK, he plays a vast repertoire by memory and is a captivating performer who makes his audience at the Shanghai Conservatory relish every phrase of this mostly unfamiliar music. A lot of it sounds at first simplistic and often repetitive, but Katsaris varies it cunningly and keeps you attentive to music much of which you might easily have passed by.
A fluent multi-linguist, Cyprien Katsaris introduces his selection in twelve languages; you have a choice of two or three of them... His Piazzola has a simplicity and focus which is completely disarming; we have played some of these pieces over several times and it is staying on our DVD player to introduce visitors to the special way of this very special musician.
There are marvellous views of this charismatic artist’s own enjoyment of the event, played entirely by memory with the music stand off the Steinway.
Only now and again does he give full rein to his consummate virtuosity, as in his own dazzling arrangement of Gómez’s Variaciones sobre el Tema del Jarabe Mexicano, and there is a wonderful moment after his Schumman Arabesque encore; Cyprien takes a bow twice then retreats and the audience begins to disperse.
Only after the applause had died down, does he return unexpectedly to give a wickedly idiosyncratic take on a Chopin waltz, to a tumultuous ovation from the not-large mainly student audience.
www.musicalpointers.co.uk (United Kingdom)

Throughout the recital, Katsaris plays music of contrasting textures and colors, from Nazareth’s rhythmic and sparkling Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho! to Villa-Lobos’s jazzy Coral to Campos’s more sentimental setting of the popular song La Paloma. The program has a wonderful sense of flow because of all of the different styles, textures, harmonic patterns, and characters that this music offers. […].
[Concerning the encore Valse in C sharp minor, op. 64 no. 2 by Chopin:] The Chopin, in particular, is interesting in terms of voicings: if one enjoys the type of interest in the inner parts which Godowsky, Cherkassky, Horowitz, or Gould often highlighted in their playing, then this interpretation will surely satisfy. […].
The DVD is highly enjoyable to watch […]. The music is so engaging, though, that even with all the commentary, there is so much good music that one might never get the chance to hear, in performances that will in some cases knock your socks off, that this little quibble shouldn’t stop you from going out and grabbing this DVD. You won’t be disappointed!
Fanfare (USA)

Selten gab es auf einer Musik-DVD so viel zu entdecken wie auf dieser. Katsaris’ Auffassung der vom Tanz geprägten Stücke ist eher französisch-raffiniert als südländisch-temperamentvoll. So charmant, so klangschön und technisch makellos dargeboten wie hier verfehlen sie jedoch nie ihre Wirkung. Zumal Katsaris zaubert, wo er nur kann, und seine Bearbeitung des berühmten Tangos „La Cumparsita“ von Gerardo Rodriguez ist eines Godowsky würdig. Katsaris spielt aber nicht nur Klavier, er führt auch – auf Englisch und Französisch – in die Musik ein, was von einer Übersetzerin gleich ins Chinesische übersetzt wird. Man kann noch zwischen mehreren anderen Sprachen wählen, die nach Wunsch eingeblendet werden. Wem das alles zu umständlich ist, der kann auch über die Titel direkt zur Musik gehen. So oder so wird die Wiedergabe dieses ungewöhnlichen Konzertes den musikalischen Horizont des Hörers immens erweitern.
Piano News (Germany), www.pianonews.de

Cyprien Katsaris has the looks of Dan Leno and the ingratiating charm of a boulevardier. He also possesses digital brilliance, and demonstrates the fact in this Latin-American programme filmed in recital at Shanghai Conservatory of Music on 2 October 2007.
What panache, what bravura! […]. This recital combines drama, virtuosity, poetry and a highly personalised sense of barnstorming. […]. I also find the playing spectacular, and often breathtaking.
[…] there is a dazzler of a recital here.
www.musicweb-international.com (United Kingdom)

Artistiquement, Cyprien Katsaris fait partie de ces interprètes hors norme pour qui rien ne doit se faire de manière traditionnelle. Il remet en cause toutes nos certitudes, bouleverse nos habitudes et transporte nos oreilles dans les terres de mondes musicaux où tout reste à découvrir.
Après un Live in Shanghai consacré à Liszt, Wagner et Schubert, le programme de ce Volume 2 choisit une nouvelle fois d’exposer le non-conformisme de l’interprète. Soit un récital de courtes pièces de musiciens regroupés par origine, compositeurs dont nous ignorons pratiquement tout, jusqu’à l’existence même. Seuls quelques noms - Villa-Lobos, Ginastera et Piazzola - ont trouvé écho dans nos salles européennes.
Dès lors, l’interprétation défie la critique, faute de points de repères auditifs. Mais l’instinct musical ne s’y trompe guère : toucher et sonorité sont au service d’une virtuosité elle-même à la disposition du texte musical qui trouve dans le pianiste franco-chypriote un intermédiaire engagé et génial. Même si tous ne sont pas d’égale inspiration, Cyprien Katsaris défend ces morceaux avec la même ardeur et la même conviction.
Formellement, face à l’inconnue du contenu, Katsaris prend le temps de nous présenter chaque compositeur par le biais d’une intervention en anglais et en français, simultanément traduite en chinois. Le pianiste a le verbe facile, émaillant son discours d’anecdotes censées le rendre plus léger.
www.tutti-magazine.fr (France)