Peter Katin

 

Peter Roy Katin (born London 14 November 1930) is a British pianist. He was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 12 – four years younger than the official entry age – where he studied under Harold Craxton. Katin made his début at the Wigmore Hall in 13 December 1948 where the programme included works by Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Scriabin and Chopin. He went on to give concerts in England, Europe, Africa, the USA, and Japan.

In 1952, Katin débuted at The Proms and in 1953 was acclaimed for his performance there of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30. In 1958, Katin became the first British pianist to make a post-war solo tour of the Soviet Union. In 1961, the composer Bryan Kelly wrote Tango especially for Katin.

Katin specialised in Romantic music, particularly Frédéric Chopin, and Impressionist music. He was acclaimed for his technical command of the piano. He also directed concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven from the keyboard.

Katin has written many articles on piano technique and interpretation. He lectured at the Royal Academy of Music 1956–1959, University of Western Ontario 1978–1984, and in 1992 was appointed to the Royal College of Music. He has also lectured at Thames Valley University. Katin is now semi-retired but still gives occasional public performances. He lives in Bexhill-on-Sea.

Recordings

Katin’s recordings include:

Johannes Brahms

• Peter Katin in Recital: Liszt and Brahms

Liszt: Sonata in B minor

Brahms: Variations & Fugue on a theme by Handel

Liszt: Sonetto 123 del Petrarca (Années de Pélérinage, 2)

Athene-Minerva ATHCD9 23009

Frédéric Chopin

• Chopin: First and Last

Variations Brilliantes, op.12, Mazurka in G minor, op.24 no.1, Mazurka in C major, op.24 no.2, Mazurka in A flat major, op.24 no.3, Mazurka in B flat minor, op.24 no.4, Mazurka in F minor, op.68 no.4, Rondo in C minor, op.1, Souvenir de Paganini, Nocturne in C sharp minor, Waltz in D flat major, op.64 no.1, Waltz in C sharp minor, op.64 no.2, Waltz in A flat major, op.64 no.3, Sonata in C minor, op.4 (3rd mvmt), Polonaise in G minor, KK IIa, no.1, Polonaise in B flat major, KK IVa, no.1, Polonaise in A flat major, KK Iva, no.2, Berceuse, op.57

Athene ATHCD11 / Diversions DIV24116

• Chopin: Ballade in F minor, op.52; 3 Mazurkas, op.59; Sonata in B minor, op.58; Barcarolle, op.60; Polonaise-Fantasie op.61 Olympia OCD 186
• Chopin: Variations, op.12; 4 Mazurkas, op.24; Sonata in B flat minor,op.35; Ballade in A flat, op.47; Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, op.22 Olympia OCD 193
• Chopin: Complete Polonaises and Waltzes Olympia OCD 289A/B
• Chopin: 4 Scherzos; Fantasy, op.49 Unicorn UKCD 2008*
• Chopin: Complete Nocturnes and Impromptus Olympia OCD 254A/B
• Chopin: 4 Waltzes (part of compilation album) Belart 450 000-2
• Chopin: Polonaise in F sharp minor,op.24; Sonata in B minor,op.58; Nocturne in D flat, op.27/2; Fantasy,op.49 (live recording from the Snape Maltings Hallmark 350142
• Chopin: Complete Nocturnes (different version to the Olympia issue) Hallmark IMP 30367 02357 (2CD)

Muzio Clementi

• Clementi on Clementi

Sonata in F sharp minor, Op.25 no 5, Sonata in B flat major, Op.24 no 2, Sonata in G minor, Op. 7 no 3, Sonata in D major, Op.25 no 6, Sonata in F minor, Op.13 no 6

Athene ATHCD4 / Diversions DIV24113

Edvard Grieg

• Grieg: Ballade, op24; 5 Klavierstücke nach Eigenen Lieren; Sonata in E minor, op.7; 4 Lyric Pieces Olympia OCD 197
• Grieg: Complete Lyric Pieces Unicorn UKCD 2033-5*

Aram Khachaturian

• Khachaturian: Piano Concerto (LSO/Rignold); Franck: Symphonic Variations (LSO/Goossens) Everest EVC 9060

Franz Liszt

• Liszt: Dante Sonata; 3 Liebesträume; 2 Polonaises; 6 Consolations Olympia OCD 199
• Peter Katin in Recital: Liszt and Brahms

Liszt: Sonata in B minor

Brahms: Variations & Fugue on a theme by Handel

Liszt: Sonetto 123 del Petrarca (Années de Pélérinage, 2)

Athene-Minerva ATHCD9 23009

William Mathias

• Mathias: Piano Concerto no.3 (LSO/Atherton (with other works) Lyrita SRCD 325

Felix Mendelssohn

• Mendelssohn: 2 Piano Concertos; (LSO/Colins); 2 Concert Pieces (LPO/Martinon); c/w other Mendelssohn works played by John Ogdon & Brenda Lucas Double Decca 4524102

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Mozart: Complete Piano Sonatas Olympia OCD 230-4 (boxed set OCD5003)

Sergei Rachmaninoff

• Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto no.1 (LPO/Boult) Belart 461 3482
• Rachmaninov: Complete Preludes Hallmark IMP PCD2052

Alessandro Scarlatti

• Scarlatti: 14 Sonatas Claudio CR 35102-D

Franz Schubert

• Schubert: Impromptus, D.899 and D.935 (Clementi square piano 1832) Athene ATHCD5 / Diversions 24112
• Schubert: 3 Klavierstücke, D.946; Valses Nobles,D.969; Moments Musicaux, D.780 (Clementi 1832) Athene ATHCD7 / Diversions DIV23007
• Schubert: Sonatas in B flat D. 960 & A minor D. 537 Olympia OCD 188
• Schubert:

Drei Klavierstücke, D. 946

Valses Nobles, D.969

Moments Musicaux, D. 780

(Played on a Clementi square piano of 1832.)

Athene-Minerva ATHCD7 / Diversions DIV23007

• Schubert: Impromptus, D. 899 and D. 935

Four Impromptus, D. 899

Four Impromptus, D. 935

Diversions CD24112

Robert Schumann

• Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op.15; Sonata in G minor, Op.22; Carnaval Op.9 Olympia OCD 218
• Schumann: Piano Concerto (LSO/Goossens) (with other works) Everest EVC 9045-6

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

• Tchaikovsky: Sonata in G, op.37; The Seasons,op.37a Olympia OCD 192
• Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto no.1; Grieg: Piano Concerto; Litolff: Scherzo (with LSO/LPO, cond Edric Kundell, Sir Colin Davis) Olympia OCD 235
• Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto no 1; Litolff: Scherzo (LPO/Pritchard) Classics for Pleasure 5 72699 2

William Walton

• Walton: Sinfonia Concertante (LSO/Walton) (with other works) Lyrita SRCD 224

Ralph Vaughan Williams

• Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on the Old 104th (LPO/LPC/Boult) (with other works) EMI CDM 769962-2

Various

• Portrait of a pianist: Bach: Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue; Beethoven: 6 Variations,op.34; Haydn: Sonata in G, HobXVI/39; Debussy: Estampes; Liszt: Vallée d’Obermann Olympia OCD 189
• Children’s Corner: Grovlez: l’Almamach aus Images; Déodat de Séverac; En Vacances; Ibert: Histoires; Debussy: Children’s Corner Simax PSC 1067
• Peter Katin: 50 years of music making

Bach: Prelude & Fugue in B flat minor (from the “48” - book 1)

Mozart: Rondo in A minor

Beethoven: Piano Sonata, op.27, no.2 (“moonlight”)

Schubert: Impromptus in G flat and E flat, from D.899

Debussy: Suite Bergamasque

Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie, op.61

RP Music RP001

External links

• Peter Katin
• Peter Katin (Impulse)
• David Wright interviews Peter Katin (includes a fairly comprehensive discography)
• New York Times concert review

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