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Re: Julius Katchen?

205.188.196.33

Posted by Brian Cheney on March 12, 2000 at 20:41:14

In Reply to: Re: Julius Katchen? posted by Dr. T on March 12, 2000 at 20:19:21:

Katchen was being groomed as Curzon's successor, the new "great English pianist". His repertoire was huge, his technique solid, his musicianship on a high level. Decca/London recorded and promoted him to the hilt.

And yet I don't own one note of Katchen's work, although I have heard a great deal of it. He had the misfortune to live in the Century of Great Pianists. Katchen's straightforward approach to Brahms--what used to be
called "Brahms without the beard", was certainly welcome, but compare virtually any Katchen performance to the competition and the man of necessity fails to measure up. Brahms solo works have been done with far greater artistry by Rubinstein and Horowitz, not to mention Curzon and Solomon. No matter what Katchen tackled, he fell under the shadow of a titan--Serkin, Backhaus, Richter, Cliburn, Arrau, Gieseking, Lipatti, Kempff, you name it. The man died young, and it must have been from frustration.

I'm sure there are good Katchen albums out there but if I were you, I'd skip him entirely.

Big B

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