Julius Katchen
Julius Katchen (August 15, 1926 – April 29, 1969) was an American concert pianist, possibly best known for his recordings of Johannes Brahms's solo piano compositions.
Early career
Katchen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and debuted at age 10, playing Mozart's D minor Concerto. Eugene Ormandy heard of his debut, and invited him to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra in New York. He studied music with his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Svet, immigrants from Europe who had taught at the Moscow and Warsaw conservatories, until he was 14. He attended Haverford College, completing a four-year degree in philosophy in three years, graduating first in his class in 1946.He went to Paris and was invited to represent the United States at the first International UNESCO Festival, where he played Beethoven's Emperor Concerto with the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française. He then toured Europe in the spring of 1947, playing recitals in Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London and Salzburg. After this, he decided to live in Paris permanently, saying "In France piano students come together constructively, and they can even become friends. They attend one another's concerts and applaud. In the US they go to hear a colleague play, but only in the hope of seeing him break his neck."[citation needed]
He married Arlette Patoux, of Le Vesinet, France in 1956.
In the late 1960s he recorded the Brahms trios for Decca with Josef Suk and János Starker.
Late career
In December 1968, Katchen played at a two-day show in London hosted by the Rolling Stones. Katchen played two works (one of them de Falla's Ritual Fire Dance). The DVD of the show is now available, called "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus." His last public appearance was with the London Symphony Orchestra on December 12, 1968, playing Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand. He succumbed to cancer the next spring and died at the age of 42 at his home in Paris.
Katchen and his wife Arlette were avid and astute collectors of netsuke; 195 pieces from their collection were sold at auction in 2005 and 2006 for £1.2 million ($2.2 million) (Sotheby's 2005 and 2006).
Notable recordings
A six-disc set of Johannes Brahms's Works for Solo Piano (Decca) is highly regarded and often cited as one of the best available recordings of Brahms's piano music.[citation needed]
References
- "Julius Katchen Weds", The New York Times, April 11, 1956.[1]
- "Julius Katchen, Concert Pianist and Brahms Specialist, Is Dead", The New York Times, April 30, 1969.[2]
- "The Katchen Collection of Netsuke - Part I", Sotheby's, 8 November 2005, London
- "The Katchen Collection of Netsuke - Part II", Sotheby's, 13 July 2006, London