Brahms: Transcriptions for Piano Christopher Williams

• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): Trio for Violin, Horn & Piano in E-Flat Major, Op. 40 (Arr. P. Klengel for Piano):
• 1 I. Andante - Poco più animato 08:47
• 2 II. Scherzo. Allegro 06:41
• 3 III. Adagio mesto 07:14
• 4 IV. Finale. Allegro con brio 06:06
• Clarinet Quintet in B Minor, Op. 115 (Arr. P. Klengel for Piano):
• 5 I. Allegro 13:03
• 6 II. Adagio 12:08
• 7 III. Andantino - Presto non assai, ma con sentimento 05:56
• 8 IV. Con moto 10:22
• Total Runtime 01:10:17

Info for Brahms: Transcriptions for Piano

The 19th century witnessed an almost insatiable demand for arrangements and transcriptions to be played on domestic pianos. Brahms himself wrote such works under the names GW Marks and Karl Würth but friends and colleagues also contributed. The violinist, pianist and conductor Paul Klengel, brother of the eminent cellist Julius, made solo piano versions of the Horn Trio and the Clarinet Quintet, transcribing with remarkable fidelity and sensitivity Brahms myriad expressive and technical demands.

Christopher Williams, piano

Christopher Williams
Born in Wales, Christopher Williams is a music graduate of Cardiff University and now leads a busy and varied professional life as a pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and arranger. He is currently assistant director of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and is a pianist for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with whom he has performed at the BBC Proms and recorded for the Chandos and Hyperion labels. A staff accompanist at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama since 1997, Christopher has taught piano at Cardiff University since 2001 where his own teachers included Richard McMahon, Simon Shewring and Martin Jones.

Influenced by his first teacher and mentor, Walter Ryan, Christopher developed a keen interest in the study and performance of works by undeservedly neglected composers and has since gone on to perform the rarely-heard piano concertos of Carl Reineke and Anton Rubinstein.

In addition to his work as a soloist, Christopher is in great demand as an accompanist and chamber musician, and has partnered many of the prominent instrumentalists of his generation including Philippe Schartz, with whom he has recorded music by André Jolivet for Chandos, Tim Thorpe, David Childs, David Pyatt and Tine Thing Helseth. He has also appeared on BBC TV and been broadcast on BBC Radio and Radio Luxembourg.

His most recent recording of Brahms transcriptions for solo piano for the Naxos Grand Piano label is due to be released in October 2017.

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