Cyprien Katsaris: The Sony Recordings

Drawn from the worldwide holdings of Sony Classical Music and re-mastered in 24bit High Resolution Audio, these smart, desirable and collectible EU (Germany) pressed import multi-disc editions, replete with legendary artists, offer many of the finest, most sought-after recordings in the classical discography. The slender, shelf-friendly box frontages feature large, prominently displayed photos of the edition's featured artist, work listings at the back, with the CDs themselves housed in protective sleeves that divulge the recording specifics for each performance.
Another exceptional, but utterly contrasting keyboard artist is the French virtuoso Cyprien Katsaris. The authoritative Piano magazine has called him "one of the greatest and most charismatic musicians of his time". This new 7-CD release of Katsaris's Sony Classical recordings from the early 1990s ranges from Bach concertos and Beethoven variations to transcriptions of Wagner and Mozart operas, played "with such graceful fluency, it's easy to take his skill for granted" (BBC Music Magazine). But the main focus is on Chopin: "thrilling" Polonaises (Penguin Guide), "challenging and thought-provoking readings" (Penguin Guide) of all three Sonatas, and performances of the complete Préludes that "benefit from this pianist's sharp attention to detail and character" (ClassicsToday).