Appassionata Katie Mahan

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126:
• 1 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 1, Andante con moto, cantabile e compiacevole 03:35
• 2 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 2, Allegro 02:34
• 3 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 3, Andante, cantabile e grazioso 03:08
• 4 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 4, Presto 04:22
• 5 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 5, Quasi allegretto 01:58
• 6 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 6, Presto 04:34
• Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109:
• 7 Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: I. Vivace ma non troppo, sempre legato - Adagio espressivo 04:10
• 8 Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: II. Prestissimo 02:25
• 9 Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung 14:47
• Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata":
• 10 Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata": I. Allegro assai 11:09
• 11 Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata": II. Andante con moto 08:21
• 12 Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata": III. Allegro ma non troppo - Presto 08:18
• Total Runtime 01:09:21

Info for Appassionata

Appassionata from pianist Katie Mahan. The album includes the Bagatelles, Op. 126, Sonata No. 30, Op. 109, and Sonata No. 23, Op. 57 “Appassionata”. In her liner notes, Mahan writes that it is only through the appreciation of the intensely visionary Appassionata that we can begin to grasp the mystical quality of Beethoven's late works. The profound depth and spirituality of Beethoven's last three piano sonatas pushes the limits of human understanding, and it is clear that in these works, Beethoven succeeds in triumphing over his tragedy and in so doing finds expression for the transcendental power and sublime inspiration that he knew existed in the depths of his soul.

Mahan says “I have chosen these pieces because for me they epitomize the essence of Beethoven's life journey. They speak not only of the turmoil that existed in his inner world but also to the acceptance into the prophecy of his vision of the future. It is a challenge for any musician to summarize the expressions of such a great composer in a short program of so few works, but it is my hope that the Beethoven spirit can be felt and seen on the musical journey I have prepared for my listeners on this recording.”

Katie Mahan, piano

Katie Mahan
American pianist Katie Mahan’s life has always been filled with music, and at the age of four, inspired by attending a performance of Gershwin’s An American in Paris given by the famous French piano duo, Katia & Marielle Labèque, she decided that she wanted to be a concert pianist. She subsequently began piano studies with her mother, Bobette Mahan, giving her first solo recital two years later at the age of six. An American in Paris opened the door to the vast world of classical music for Katie, and her love of Gershwin quickly led her to discover the music of Debussy and Ravel, the French composers that Gershwin idolized. Although Katie’s music now takes her all over the world, she never forgets her American heritage, and the great American composer who inspired her to become a pianist. Her programs often feature her own classical arrangements of her beloved countryman’s music, alongside works of Debussy and the Viennese classical repertoire.

Katie’s greatest pianistic influence came from her studies with the celebrated French pianist Pascal Rogé, with whom she studied the music of the French Impressionists. Rogé – who traces his musical heritage directly back to the great French tradition of Debussy and Ravel – was not only an important pianistic influence on Katie, but also inspired her to devote years of study to the search for understanding of French music, art and stylistic tradition.

Since making her orchestral debut in 1999 performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F with the Breckenridge Symphony, Katie has appeared in concert throughout the USA, Europe, Canada, the Middle East, Russia and Japan. She has performed with such celebrated conductors as Jiri Belohlavek, Marin Alsop, Grant Cooper, and Lawrence Leighton-Smith, among others, and in such famous halls as the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Prinzregenten Theatre in Munich, the great hall of the Moscow Conservatory in Moscow, and the Smetana Hall in Prague.

Booklet for Appassionata