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Written by Willem Boone
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Page 1 of 6 WB (=Willem Boone): You are known, among other things, for your recordings of the complete Beethoven Symphonies transcribed by Liszt. How did you proceed to play a symphony on a piano? Did you try to imitate the colours of wind instruments and strings for example?
CK (=Cyprien Katsaris): This is complicated. I tried to imitate some elements from the orchestral colours, but these are basically new pianistic works. Horowitz called them "the greatest piano works" shortly before his death. Playing these pieces develops your sense of phrasing and also helps you to develop a wide tonal range. This works of course also in "authentic"piano works. Accompanying singers is also helpful for a pianist. You learn to develop your listening abilities. I benefit from similar experiences when I play for instance the first Chopin Ballade; I approach the second theme in a songful way thinking of the phrasing generated by the bow of a string instrument.
WB: Does playing a symphony on a piano makes you feel very different, compared to, say, a Chopin sonata?
CK: Yes, in a certain way, it does.
WB: Have you ever felt the ambition to conduct, especially after having played the piano versions of the Beethoven Symphonies?
CK: Not really, no. If you want to conduct, you have to do it well. The pianists who started a career as a conductor are mostly dilettantes. Barenboim eventually became a great conductor.
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English interviews 
