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I have visited the concerts on Jan. 19 and 20 of this schedule. As for me since the NHK TV program, I also became a fan of Katsaris. And it was accelerated with the fact that a certain gentleman acquainted with me on business has relation with Katsaris. Katsaris is a virtuoso who has been accomplished transcendent playing Beethoven's all the symphonies with piano alone in 1980s, which were already recorded onto CDs. Katsaris gave me another impressive memories on the TV program, "How to play Chopin". In that program he taught his young students with encouraging manner how important it is to have rich imaginations on the melody and the music. This is showing his deep love with music. And I also heard that he asks above mentioned Japanese friend, "Did you enjoy today's concert?" every time after his performaces. He wants to know how audience are satisfied with the concert. This is an outpouring of his hospitality mind for fans.

In this concert tour, Katsaris showed us another hidden charming aspect not observed on the usual solo play.
Haydon's piano trio is not so difficult to play but a light-hearted tune, and it was an appropriate choice for the first stage of this concert tour. Katsaris sometimes turned his face to the string members to confirm the tempo. And at the part where piano acting major role, he manipulated the piano so nicely. Quite freely as like swimming in the flow of the tunes. I was deeply impressed with this maneuver, with imagination that Mozart would have exhibited his genius skills of piano at palace court like this. However, ironically, this impression had come to my mind more with Haydon's trio than with Mozart's quartet.

The most impressive performance for the two concerts I attended was Brahms' quintet. With the members' spirits gradually harmonized, I was deeply impressed with the beauty of the tune. In the second movement the first violin and the viola made a delicate but beautiful harmony, and into this tune coming the second violin and cello, forming sweet notes. The fine beauty of each strings and precise tune made my mind as if I were touching genuine fine silk textiles. This is real art of experts in Europe. And this might be a merely a preliminary play, I also suspected. However, indeed, it was, splendid. As for Kastaris, there were not so a lot of brilliant roles for the piano as Haydon's, however, at the background he kept the total tone of Brahms' work with reliable manner. He glanced at the members every phrases, and seemed like a conductor in a full orchestra. Perhaps the quintet might have satisfied with their performance of the first day, the encore on the second day became the third movement of Brahms', which was also as nice as the second movement.
As for other numbers, Mahler's fragment was a uncompleted tune, as like Schubert's symphony. This tune gave me an aftertaste of willing to listen much further part of its melody, if it exists.
Franck's quintet was a kind of tune representing human's mind inside, which might require precise control of players. At the stage in Osaka, it seemed to me there was a slight moment of spiritual stagnation on the performance, which was recovered by the correct lead of Katsaris'. However, this might be my illusion.

As a whole this concert tour gave me magnificence of chamber musics. Precise sound of tunes, gleaming, articulation, every point was on high level. I hope as early realization of next arrival of the Katsaris piano quintet. Of course I wish to buy their CD as soon as it is published. However, the beauty of the sounds of those live performances might be hard to replay via electrical equipment.

Here I remember certain fan came to the concert explained her mind to me that it was a little bit regrettable for Katsaris not playing solo. However, we could discover new attractive Katsaris. I wish to recommend the readers the magnificence of the Katsaris piano quintet.

This time many female fans came to the concert in Kusatsu and Osaka. They ceaselessly visted and acquired Katsaris' autograph and gave him flowers and gifts after the concert. Some of them came both concerts of Kusatsu and Osaka as like me. At that time it was said that Katsaris himself had fatigue due to the tight concert tours around Salzburg and some Europe cities playing all piano concerto of Mozart's. However, he responded each fan with smile, giving them autograph, shaking hands. Seeing such attitude, I realized his humanity as wonderful as his splendid skills of piano. The hand of Katsaris' was such warm but a small hand which I could not imagine from such virtuoso performance of music.

Sincere thanks to your splendid performance, Katsaris, Sebestyen, Brem, Strehle, and Henkel.

Katsaris again visits Japan this July. ( in 1997 )

This time he plays solo of Schubert's and Chopin's, touring Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Sendai, and Tokyo.

( 1997.06.17 rev1, 1998.04.28 rev2 )

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