The Gift that keeps on Giving: Cyprien Katsaris shares thoughts about p... https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving...

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The Gift that keeps on Giving: Cyprien Katsaris

shares thoughts about pianist, Gyorgy Cziffra and
his ‘Bumblebee’ transcription

November 14, 2011November 14, 2011 arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

In a compelling and somewhat controversial radio broadcast beamed from Boston, Katsaris takes the
reigns and regales Georgy Cziffra, a celebrated pianist whose career never reached the summit that
Horowi a ained. Katsaris is brutally honest about his own displeasure with this state of musical affairs
and harps on the “transcriptions” that Cziffra composed and realized with unparalleled virtuosity.
“Purely pianistically, Cziffra was superior to Horowi ,” Katsaris insisted. And then he more clearly
focused on the transcriptions and their performances by the Hungarian pianist.

As example, here’s the artist/transcriber’s own reading of ‘Bumblebee’ that is ear sha ering! (Everything
Katsaris fleshed out about Cziffra’s phrasing, imagination and musicianship is realized in this
performance)

Ironically, an anonymous You Tuber managed to catch Katsaris playing the same Cziffra transcription
back when, and posted it. Re-played on the air in Boston, it put Katsaris in the hot seat as coyly noted by
the interviewer, Cathy Fuller.

Here’s the second version for comparison. It’s certainly a far be er recording environment, but I can see
why Katsaris took the time to praise Cziffra on this score and others. (pun intended)

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In the course of Katsaris’s interview, he revealed himself as an impeccable music historian, recounting
fascinating stories about Eugene Ormandy and Rachmaninoff. For this generous and colorful serving of
pianorama, I’d recommend a hasty visit to:

h p://www.cyprienkatsaris.net/en/videos/audio-radio-interviews/170-lart-du-piano.html (h p://
www.cyprienkatsaris.net/en/videos/audio-radio-interviews/170-lart-du-piano.html)

You won’t be disappointed.

(Station Name: 99.5, Boston’s All Classical Station, a service of WGBH

Host: Cathy • Producer: Alan McLellan • Engineer: Jane Pipik)

By the way, here’s Yuja Wang adding her bedazzling ‘Bumblebee’ to the mix.

The crescendi in Cziffra and Katsaris’s readings seem more convincing. One can feel the bumbleebee’s

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buzzing at close range, then circling around.

***

Biography: (excerpted from h p://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Cziffra-Gyorgy.htm (h p://www.bach-

cantatas.com/Bio/Cziffra-Gyorgy.htm))
György Cziffra (Piano)

Born: November 5, 1921 Budapest – Hungary

Died: January 15, 1994 – Morsang-sur-Orge (Senlis), France

“The noted Hungarian-born French pianist, Georges [originally György] Cziffra, was a son of
Hungarian Romas (his father, György Cziffra Sr., a cembalo player who played in cabaret halls and
restaurants in Paris in the 1910’s).

“Cziffra was noticed at the age of 5, as he improvised on popular tunes in bars and circuses. His teachers
at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest included Ernő Dohnányi.

“His education was interrupted by World War II, when he served in the Hungarian army. After the war
he continued his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy with Ferenczi, but was once more distracted from
music when he was arrested in 1950 for his rebellious political views. Held under forced labor, he was
eleased from jail in 1953, but was again endangered by the abortive Hungarian revolt in 1956.

“In 1956, convinced that he could have no peace under Communist rule, on the eve of the Hungarian
insurrection and after a stunning account of Béla Bartók’s second piano concerto (EMI References),
György Cziffra escaped with his wife (Soleilka – of Egyptian origin) and son to Vienna where his recital
at the Brahmsaal caused a sensation. News of this event reached The New Yorker. His Paris debut the
following year caused a similar furor – and his London debut at the Royal Festival Hall playing Franz
Liszt’s first concerto and Hungarian Fantasy was equally regaled.

“His meteoric career continued with concerts throughout Europe and debuts at the Ravinia Festival
(Grieg and F. Liszt concertos with Carl Schuricht) and Carnegie Hall New York with Thomas Schippers.

“It should be noted that he always performed with a large leather wristband, as a memento of his years
in labor. In 1968 he became a naturalized French citizen, and in 1973 he founded the St.-Frambourg
Royal Chapel Foundation in Senlis, France to assist young musicians and artists.

“He died in Senlis, 72 years old, from a heart a ack resulting from series of complications from lung
cancer due to smoking and alcohol.

“György Cziffra was best known for his interpretations of works of the Romantic repertoire. He is most
known for his brilliant and extravagant recordings of Franz Liszt’s virtuoso works. He also recorded
many of Frédéric Chopin’s compositions and those of Robert Schumann. His interpretation of “Carnaval
de Vienne” was admired by Alfred Cortot, and his famous transcription of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s
‘Flight of the Bumblebee,’ wri en in interlocking octaves was celebrated.

“Many of his recordings are controversial, claimed by some to be showy and unmusical. Others regard
these reactions as professional jealousy. In any case there is generally li le doubt that Cziffra had a
remarkable virtuoso technique and was a master at improvisation. He published “Des canons et des
Fleurs” (Paris, 1977).

“György Cziffra’s son, György Cziffra, Jr., was a professional conductor and participated in several

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concerts and recordings with his father. However, his promising career was cut short due to his death by
burning accident in 1981 – said to have been accompanied by a suicide note – an event that sparked a
progressively diminishing morale in Cziffra, Sr. Cziffra never again performed or recorded with an
orchestra, and some critics have commented that the severe emotional blow had an impact on his
playing quality as well. While many thought that his pianism deteriorated after the death of his son,
some felt that his playing was deeper than before.”

RELATED: (h ps://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/when-piano-playing-soars-to-spiritual-heights-
the-artistry-of-cyprien-katsaris/)

(h ps://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/when-piano-playing-soars-to-spiritual-heights-the-artistry-
of-cyprien-katsaris/)
h ps://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/when-piano-playing-soars-to-spiritual-heights-the-artistry-of-
cyprien-katsaris/ (h ps://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/when-piano-playing-soars-to-spiritual-
heights-the-artistry-of-cyprien-katsaris/)

Tagged Boston Radio broadcast Katsaris WGBH Boston, Classical Music with Cathy Fuller WGBH
Boston, Cyprien Katsaris, Eugene Ormandy, Flight of the Bumblee Cziffra transcription, Georgy Cziffra,
history of the piano and its performers, piano virtuosos, Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowi , Yuja Wang

Published by arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

International Online Piano Teacher, blogger, recording artist, composer, piano finder, freelance writer,
film maker, story teller: Grad of the NYC H.S. of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, NYU (Master
of Arts) Studies with Lillian Freundlich and Ena Bronstein; Master classes with Murray Perahia and
Oxana Yablonskaya. Studios in BERKELEY, California; Member, Music Teachers Assoc. of California,
MTAC; Distance learning by Skype and Face Time with supplementary videos: SKYPE ID: shirley
kirsten Contact me at: shirley_kirsten@yahoo.com OR h p://www.youtube.com/arioso7 or at
FACEBOOK: Shirley Smith Kirsten, h p://facebook.com /shirley.kirsten; h ps://www.facebook.com/
skirs.7/ TWITTER: h p://twi er.com/arioso7 Wordpress Blog: h ps://arioso7.wordpress.com Private
fundraising for non-profits as pianist--Public Speaking re: piano teaching and creative approaches View
all posts by arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

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2 thoughts on “The Gift that keeps on Giving: Cyprien

Katsaris shares thoughts about pianist, Gyorgy Cziffra and
his ‘Bumblebee’ transcription”
1.
TARYL says:
November 14, 2011 at 12:37 pm
I have heard of both Katsaris and Cziffra but not been exposed to their playing – thank you for
sharing these YouTube gems! They are both incredibly gifted performers to my admi edly amateur
ear.

1. Reply →
ARIOSO7: SHIRLEY KIRSTEN says:
November 15, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Yes, Katsaris is a throwback to the golden age of pianism.. very rare…
Same applied to Cziffra… There are so many incredible samples of both these artists’ playing at
You Tube.

Reply →

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