Peter Roy Katin ( ) (14 November 193019 March 2015) was a British classical pianist and teacher.

Biography

Katin was born in London; his father was sign-painter Jerrold Katin (who was born in Lithuania) and mother Gertrude. Katin was educated at private schools in Balham,

Caterham Caterham () is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is administratively divided into two: Caterham on the Hill, and Caterham Valley, which includes the main town centre in the middle of a dry valley but rises to equal ...

, and East Grinstead and the Henry Thornton School (then known as the South West London Emergency Secondary School) in

Clapham Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Early history ...

, and 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 Thomas Harold Hunt Craxton (30 April 188530 March 1971) was an English pianist, teacher and composer. Born in London, and growing up in Devizes, Craxton began studying piano with Tobias Matthay and Cuthbert Whitemore in 1907, and made a name for ...

. Katin made his debut at the

Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadi ...

on 13 December 1948 where the programme included works by Scarlatti, Mozart,

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (; russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин ; – ) was a Russian composer and virtuoso pianist. Before 1903, Scriabin was greatly influenced by the music of Frédéric Chopin and compos ...

and Chopin. He went on to give concerts in England, Europe, Africa, the US, and Japan. In 1952, Katin debuted at

The Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

and in 1953 was acclaimed for his performance there of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor. In 1958, he became the first British pianist to make a post-war solo tour of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. In 1961, the composer Bryan Kelly wrote ''Tango'' especially for Katin. Katin specialised in Romantic music, particularly Chopin, and

Impressionist music Impressionism in music was a movement among various composers in Western classical music (mainly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries) whose music focuses on mood and atmosphere, "conveying the moods and emotions aroused by the subject ...

. He was acclaimed for his technical command of the piano. He also directed concertos by Mozart and Beethoven from the keyboard. His final Wigmore Hall recital was in January 2004. Katin wrote many articles on piano technique and interpretation. He lectured at the Royal Academy of Music 1956–1959,

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames R ...

1978–1984, and in 1992 was appointed to the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...

. He also lectured at

Thames Valley University The University of West London (UWL) is a public research university in the United Kingdom with campuses in Ealing, Brentford, and in Reading, Berkshire. The university has roots in 1860, when the Lady Byron School was founded, later Ealing C ...

. He supported the Campaign for Homosexual Equality in the 1970s. In 1954, Katin married fellow pianist, Ewa Zweig, with whom he had two sons, Nicholas and Andrew. After a long separation, they divorced in 1988. He lived in Bexhill-on-Sea. His two sons survive him.

Recordings

Katin's recordings include: ;

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

* Violin Sonata in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2 (with

Alfredo Campoli Alfredo Campoli (20 October 1906 – 27 March 1991) was an Italian-born British violinist, often known simply as Campoli. He was noted for the beauty of the tone he produced from the violin. Campoli spent his childhood and much of his career in E ...

, violin) (with other works) Orchestral Concert CDs CD3/2009 ; Johannes Brahms * A Brahms Recital: :Fantasias Op. 116, Three Intermezzi Op. 117, Two Rhapsodies Op. 79, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel Op. 24 (Olympia OCD 263) * Peter Katin in Recital: Liszt and Brahms :

Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

: Sonata in B minor :Brahms: Variations and Fugue on a theme of Handel :Liszt: ''Sonetto 123 del Petrarca'' (''Années de Pélérinage'', Book 2) :Athene-Minerva ATHCD9 23009 * Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 (with

, violin) (with other works) Orchestral Concert CDs CD3/2009 * His playing of Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1 was used as background music to the film ''

The L-Shaped Room ''The L-Shaped Room'' is a 1962 British film directed by Bryan Forbes, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Lynne Reid Banks. It tells the story of Jane Fosset ( Leslie Caron), a young French woman, unmarried and pregnant, who moves in ...

'' (1962). ; 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 * 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 * 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 * Complete Polonaises and Waltzes Olympia OCD 289A/B * 4 Scherzos; Fantasy, Op. 49 Unicorn UKCD 2008* * Complete Nocturnes and Impromptus Olympia OCD 254A/B * 4 Waltzes (part of compilation album) Belart 450 000-2 * Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. 24; Sonata in B minor, Op. 58; Nocturne in D flat, Op. 27, No. 2; Fantasy, Op. 49 (live recording from the Snape Maltings Hallmark 350142 * Complete Nocturnes (different version to the Olympia issue) Hallmark IMP 30367 02357 (2CD) * Peter Katin: A Chopin Recital :Four Songs from Seventeen Polish Songs (transcribed by Liszt), Op. posth. 74; Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58; Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54; Mazurka No. 14 in G minor, Op. 24 No. 1; Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E flat major, Op. 22; Nocturne in F sharp major, Op. 15 No. 2; Waltz in C sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2 :(Recording issued in 2010 to mark Katin's 80th birthday and Chopin's 200th anniversary) Orchestral Concert CDs CD11/2010 ;

Muzio Clementi Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi (23 January 1752 – 10 March 1832) was an Italian composer, virtuoso pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer, who was mostly active in England. Encourag ...

* 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 Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

* Ballade, Op. 24; 5 Klavierstücke nach Eigenen Lieren; Sonata in E minor, Op. 7; 4 Lyric Pieces Olympia OCD 197 * Complete Lyric Pieces Unicorn UKCD 2033-5* * Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 Classics for Pleasure CFP 160 (1971) ;

Aram Khachaturian Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; rus, Арам Ильич Хачатурян, , ɐˈram ɨˈlʲjitɕ xətɕɪtʊˈrʲan, Ru-Aram Ilyich Khachaturian.ogg; hy, Արամ Խաչատրյան, ''Aram Xačʿatryan''; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet and Armenia ...

; * Piano Concerto in D-flat major ( LSO/

Hugo Rignold Hugo Henry Rignold (15 May 1905 – 30 May 1976) was an English conductor and violinist, who is best remembered as musical director of the Royal Ballet (1957–1960) and conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1960–1968). Aft ...

);

César Franck César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in modern-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of his birth was pa ...

: '' Symphonic Variations'' (LSO/ Eugene Goossens) Everest EVC 9060 ; Franz 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 and Fugue on a theme of Handel :Liszt: ''Sonetto 123 del Petrarca'' (''Années de Pélérinage'', Book 2) :Athene-Minerva ATHCD9 23009 ;

William Mathias William James Mathias CBE (1 November 1934 – 29 July 1992) was a Welsh composer noted for choral works. Biography Mathias was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire. A child prodigy, he started playing the piano at the age of three and began co ...

* Piano Concerto No. 3 ( LSO/Atherton) (with other works) Lyrita SRCD 325 ; Felix 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 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

* Complete Piano Sonatas Olympia OCD 230-4 (boxed set OCD5003) * Piano Sonatas (Altara ALT 1026, 5 CDs) * Violin Sonata in A major, K526 (with

, violin) (with other works) Orchestral Concert CDs CD3/2009 ;

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, ...

; * Piano Concerto No. 3 (

Prague Symphony Orchestra The Prague Symphony Orchestra (Prague, Czech Republic, cs, Symfonický orchestr hlavního města Prahy ''FOK'') is a Czech orchestra based in Prague. The orchestra has traditionally been known by the acronym 'FOK', standing for 'Film-Opera-Koncert' ...

/Košler) (with other works) Orchestral Concert CDs CD2/2008This recording is of the last time Katin played this work in public. He vowed never to play it again after this performance, pe
this audio recollection
by Peter Katin. ; Sergei Rachmaninoff * Piano Concerto No. 1 ( LPO/Boult) Belart 461 3482 * Piano Concerto No. 2 The New Symphony Orchestra of London/Colin Davis London ffrr STS 15225 * Complete Preludes Hallmark IMP PCD2052 ; Domenico Scarlatti * 14 Sonatas Claudio CR35102-2 ;

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

* Impromptus, D.899 and D.935 (Clementi square piano 1832) Athene ATHCD5 / Diversions 24112 * 3 Klavierstücke, D.946; Valses Nobles, D.969; Moments Musicaux, D.780 (Clementi 1832) Athene ATHCD7 / Diversions DIV23007 * Sonatas in B-flat, D.960 & A minor, D.537 Olympia OCD 188 * 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 * Impromptus, D.899 and D.935 : Four Impromptus, D.899 : Four Impromptus, D.935 :Diversions CD24112 ; Robert Schumann * ''

Kinderszenen ' (, "Scenes from Childhood"), Op. 15, by Robert Schumann, is a set of thirteen pieces of music for piano written in 1838. History and description Schumann wrote 30 movements for this work but chose 13 for the final version. The unused mo ...

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

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most pop ...

* Sonata in G, Op. 37; ''The Seasons'', Op. 37a Olympia OCD 192 * Piano Concerto No. 1; Grieg: Piano Concerto; Litolff: Scherzo (with LSO/ LPO, cond Edric Kundell, Sir Colin Davis) Olympia OCD 235 * Piano Concerto No. 1; Litolff: Scherzo ( LPO/Pritchard) Classics for Pleasure 5 72699 2 Tchaikovsky: Concert Fantasia in G major, Op.56; Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor Op.1 (LPO/Boult) Decca SXL 2034 ;

William Walton Sir William Turner Walton (29 March 19028 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include ''Façade'', the cantat ...

* Sinfonia Concertante ( LSO/Walton) (with other works) Lyrita SRCD 224 ; Ralph Vaughan Williams * ''Fantasia on the Old 104th'' ( LPO/LPC/Boult) (with other works) EMI CDM 769962-2 ; Others * ''Portrait of a pianist'': Bach: Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue; Beethoven: 6 Variations, Op. 34; Haydn: Sonata in G, HobXVI/39; Debussy: ''Estampes''; Liszt: ''Vallée d’Obermann'' Olympia OCD 189 * Claude Debussy, ''

Children's Corner ''Children's Corner'', L. 113, is a six-movement suite for solo piano by Claude Debussy. It was published by Durand in 1908, and was first performed by Harold Bauer in Paris on 18 December that year. In 1911, an orchestration by André Caple ...

'':

Gabriel Grovlez Gabriel Marie Grovlez (4 April 1879 – 20 October 1944) was a French composer, conductor, pianist, and music critic. Early life and education Grovlez was born in Lille in 1879. His mother – the child of one of Chopin's students – was his fi ...

, ''L'Almamach aus Images'';

Déodat de Séverac Marie-Joseph Alexandre Déodat de Séverac (; 20 July 1872 – 24 March 1921) was a French composer. Life Séverac was born in Saint-Félix-de-Caraman, Haute-Garonne. He descended from a noble family, profoundly influenced by the musical trad ...

, ''En Vacances'';

Jacques Ibert Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (15 August 1890 – 5 February 1962) was a French composer of classical music. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won its top prize, the Prix de Rome at his firs ...

, ''Histoires''; Simax PSC 1067 * ''Peter Katin: 50 years of music making'' :

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

: Prelude and Fugue in B flat minor (from the ''

Well Tempered Clavier ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', BWV 846–893, consists of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the composer's time, ''clavier'', meaning keyboard, referred to a variety of in ...

'' – 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 (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

: '' Suite bergamasque'' :Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61 :RP Music RP001

References

External links

Peter Katin Scarlatti Review & Track listing

Peter Katin

David Wright interviews Peter Katin
(includes a fairly comprehensive discography)

* , WNCN-FM, 24 September 1982 {{DEFAULTSORT:Katin, Peter 1930 births 2015 deaths British Jews Musicians from London British classical pianists Male classical pianists 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century English musicians Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Academics of the University of West London Piano pedagogues People from Bexhill-on-Sea Academics of the Royal Academy of Music Academics of the Royal College of Music Academic staff of the University of Western Ontario 20th-century British male musicians