Repertoire: The BEST Beethoven Symphony Cycle--On Piano!

Franz Liszt's piano transcriptions of the nine Beethoven symphonies are remarkable works of art in and of themselves. Listening to them illuminates countless details of Beethoven's musical thought below the surface of what one normally hears in the orchestra. It's a kind of musical x-ray view, and the best recording of the completely cycle remains the first: Cyprien Katsaris on Teldec (Warner).

[@GICM]

i'm so happy you're doing this review! Katsaris really does justice to these transcriptions in that you don't really hear them as transcriptions anymore, rather as an unique experience of their own

[@smileydts]

What I love about Katsaris is that the often transcriptions sound complete, but not sound overly virtuosic (although of course they are). That 4th was a revelation!

[@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz]

These recordings are soo good that some parts are even better than the original symphonies

[@michaelwinby5854]

Thank you!! I've been saying that for years, and no one seemed to get it!

[@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz]

@@michaelwinby5854 yea lmao, i think some fugues simply work better sometimes, or like a lot of parts in the 4th are really really nice on these recordings

[@michaelwinby5854]

​@@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz Yeah, that one especially and the 2nd!

[@KrisKeyes]

A while ago I gave Katsaris' performance of the piano version of THE NINTH , and was quite impressed.

[@JG_1998]

Thank you for highlight Maestro Katsari's recording of all the Liszt/Beethoven Symphonies. Both the composition and the recordings are easily one of the greatest pianistic achievements in history. Katsaris replicates the sound of the orchestra perfectly, while still making it clear that this music is hand crafted for the piano. I haven't heard anyone come remotely close to his interpretations. It may be sacrilegious to say, but in some ways I prefer the Liszt transcriptions to the original symphonies! They're almost like sonatas when transcribed for piano. I've gotten countless hours of enjoyment from listening to Katsaris play them, especially the 9th and 7th. He is one of the only people who has both the super virtuoso technical ability and musical intelligence to bring these transcriptions to life.

[@richardallen3810]

You are so right. I just now listened to his playing the 7th and it’s ear opening. It can stand alone and actually I really like it as I can hear the difference in contrast for the first time. I’ll listen to 1 a day as I don’t want to overload.

[@GICM]

i highly recommend his eroica! the last movement has some really blood pumping stuff

[@richardallen3810]

@@GICM Thanks, I just want to savor each one individually a day. I never new this existed. So exciting, it’s like hearing it for first time all over again.

[@ysteingrov6232]

Thanks Dave. I realy enjoy these transcriptions. When I hear this transcriptions I have the "vision" that the maestro Beethoven him self sitting by his keaboard, and give "birth" to ideas, harmonics and structure long before the final score of his symphonies. Like a crazy idea that keaboard version of the symphonies probably is the most original version of the hole thing? A lot of composers use keaboard in the creative prosess, I guess Beethoven did too.

[@DustyOldCowTown]

Thank for talking about this. Cyprien Katsaris’ recording is absolutely legendary.

[@matthewbbenton]

I remember reading how Liszt told the publisher they’d have to omit the finale of the 9th because it was impossible to transcribe with only one piano. Ultimately, of course, he agreed to add a second piano part when necessary, and everyone was happy - but can you imagine the publisher’s horror when they got that letter?

[@Plantagenet1956]

I have the Leslie Howard set. I’m glad you like it, as I do.

[@christossakellaridis9029]

Thank you Mr. Hurwitz for the wonderful review. Would you consider to make a review for the Liszt sonata? I would be very interested it our views. Thank you!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I did a "Dave's Faves" video about it already.

[@christossakellaridis9029]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Thank you I will check it out! I missed it somehow!

[@Misha.K23040]

What a unique talk! I’m looking forward to hearing this as usually piano ‘reductions’ seem to me to be exactly that- reductive. But just as you said, when it’s a transcription by a genius such as Liszt then it’s very worth hearing. I would really love to hear your thoughts on, in some ways, the reverse situation. Do you see any truth in the idea that some of the Beethoven piano sonatas are “unrealised” symphonies which other talented musicians should orchestrate? I read that Nietzsche regarded the Hammerklavier in this way. As far as I’m concerned, the fact that the piano sonata repertoire contains masterpieces of a symphonic scale and significance that are perfectly suited to the instrument just makes things more interesting and varied.

[@fulltongrace7899]

Very interesting idea. I wonder if it has been done not only with Beethoven piano sonatas but with Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, etc.

[@petterw5318]

I have the Konstantin Scherbakov cycle, and what you say at the end also happened to me: I started listening to stuff in the original version that I never noticed. The most astonishing Liszt transcription is, obviously, the Symphonie fantastique, and his Am stillen Herd from Meistersinger is probably even better than the version with a tenor!

[@GICM]

yes, a bit of a shame that Katsaris didn't play that one as well

[@Dodecatone]

Liszt also wrote a reduction of the Ninth for two pianos, it contains a bit more detail than the solo edition. There's an good recording on Naxos as Liszt vol. 28.

[@joosroets5533]

I'm surprised that the excellent (and still readily available) Yury Martynov cycle (Alpha/zig-zag) wasn't mentioned (instead of the respectable Scherbakov cycle, which is inferior to it). The more so, since Martynov plays on a 1867 Blüthner concert grand, which has a beautiful sound.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I'm not surprised at all.

[@kinggeorge7696]

Jed Distler gave Martynov's 9th a very favourable review on ClassicsToday

[@davidmblumenstein]

Do listen to the Contiguglia brothers performance of “The NINTH!” for two pianos.

[@chuckdorr97]

Brilliant idea! I am sold, as I am on almost all of your recommendations! Thanks!

[@kinggeorge7696]

Katsaris and Howard. Both are great and both have some indivudual advantages over the second one. Although if I was to pick one, it would also be Katsaris.

[@zenonorth1193]

I'm glad you covered these. For some reason I thought you might not care for these transcriptions. Pleased to know I was wrong. They are brilliant. That said, much though I enjoy Katsaris (in a variety of music - yeah, he can make some odd choices, but he's rarely dull), I still prefer Leslie Howard's version. In the Katsaris' it's the added stuff I don't care for so much. Not because I'm a purist, but because (if my memory serves me correctly) many of the things he adds (obviously not the dubbing in #9) require just a fraction of a second added to certain beats here and there. I guess I prefer the steady pulse of my Beethoven to be unimpeded until one gets to "traditional" places where rubato would be used. To me, they just sound more like "hiccups" in Katsaris' version than rubato. But no question - he's a brilliant player. Just a matter of taste.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

He only tinkers in the 6th, but of course you are right--it's just a question of taste, and Howard is very good also.

[@Sulsfort]

Glenn Gould's 5th still might be the recording, I heard most often in my life. I got the Katsaris 1 to 6. Perhaps I should get the whole bunch.

[@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz]

katsaris 5 is pretty much better than the gould one, you can also listen to it on yt

[@Sulsfort]

@@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz I'm not quite sure, if Katsaris is better. But "the recording, I heard most often in my whole lifetime" is the acme of imprint.

[@theoryjoe1451]

For me, the Beethoven/Liszt cycle is one of those pieces that no one plays well enough. Nothing against anyone who has attempted it, they are impossible.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Too bad for you, I guess.

[@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz]

Have you listened to the said recordings

[@theoryjoe1451]

@@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz I have. I just look at the score and hear it a certain way, and no one quite gets there. Also, some of the piano figures that are meant to mimic an orchestral effect (like a tremolo) create sort of an uncanny valley for me, it's not quite right. As awesome as Liszt is and these transcriptions are, they are not piano pieces.