Thaddeus Kozuch - concert pianist, teacher, lecturer, scholar, composer ... a "Brilliant Piano Virtuoso"
Isaac Albéniz
Thaddeus Kozuch performed the music of several Spanish and Latin American composers, including the complex and beautiful music of Isaac Albéniz.
Iberia is a suite of 12 pieces for piano composed between 1905 and 1909, arranged in four books of three pieces each. We are fortunate to have three of them from Kozuch's 1989 home studio videos.
VIDEO: Isaac Albéniz - El Puerto
El Puerto from Iberia Book One is performed here by pianist Thaddeus Kozuch in this home studio VIDEO from 1989 when he was 76 years old. Images of Port Saint Mary (El Puerto, Spain) also complement the music.
El Puerto
( book one )
Iberia is considered one of the most challenging works for the piano. From a New York Times article in 1988:
"There is really nothing in Isaac Albeniz's Iberia that a good three-handed pianist could not master, given unlimited years of practice and permission to play at half tempo. But there are few pianists thus endowed."
VIDEO: Isaac Albéniz - Evocación
Evocación from Iberia Book One was one of Thaddeus Kozuch's favorite works, performed here in his home studio on April 1st, 1989 when he was 76 years old.
This is an extended VIDEO, longer than the Youtube version. Without missing a note, Mr. Kozuch is joined by his Siamese cat SMOKEY (time @ 3:47), who adds a few meows to the music (it was indeed April Fools' Day). Afterwards, Kozuch asks "isn't this a beautiful work, this last one?" and comments that the work is "rarely done".
Evocación
( book one)
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Our website also has two recital AUDIO recordings of the gentle Evocación, including a performance given at Thaddeus Kozuch's final faculty recital at DePaul University in 1979 and another given a week earlier at Cullen Hall, University of St. Thomas in Houston.
Some recordings of the same music are provided to show differences in musical interpretation over the years, or when several recordings are available but it was just too difficult to pick only one.
Evocación
( 1979 recitals )
VIDEO: Isaac Albéniz - Triana
Triana from Iberia Book Two is performed here by pianist Thaddeus Kozuch in his home studio on April 1st, 1989 when he was 76 years old (video note: a minor VCR tape source glitch has been repaired).
Triana
( book two )
Listening to Triana reminds us:
Iberia is considered one of the most challenging works for the piano. From a New York Times article in 1988: "There is really nothing in Isaac Albeniz's Iberia that a good three-handed pianist could not master, given unlimited years of practice and permission to play at half tempo. But there are few pianists thus endowed."
Béla Bartók
Thaddeus Kozuch performed the music of a number of 20th century composers including this favorite, the challenging 1926 Bartók Piano Sonata. This 1969 powerful performance is preserved as a testament to Thaddeus Kozuch's musicality and brilliant technique.
AUDIO NOTE: Unfortunately, the only 1969 recordings we have were made by the DePaul University music school using inferior recording equipment, done by a student technician who did not know how to manage the volume control. As such, this exceptional Thaddeus Kozuch faculty recital performance was captured in its entirety with a great amount of tape distortion. We have edited the audio quality as best we can.
Sonata (1926)
Thaddeus Kozuch
would jokingly say the 1926
Bartók Sonata is a "knuckle buster"
Ludwig van Beethoven
Although Thaddeus Kozuch performed Beethoven's music often, we have only a limited number of Beethoven recordings.
This is a 1980 recital performance on behalf of the Chicago's Copernicus Foundation, made in the DePaul University Lincoln Park campus old auditorium - of Beethoven's Sonata #18 Opus 31 No. 3.
Sonata #18
Here is Thaddeus Kozuch's 1976 DePaul Faculty recital recording of Beethoven's 32 Variations in C minor of 1806.
This is a technically challenging work. Typically, performances of this piece last from 10 to 12 minutes. Kozuch uses a consistently steady and spritely tempo throughout, unlike performances by some pianists who take great liberties with individual variations played at a much slower tempo.
C minor
32 Variations
Here is Thaddeus Kozuch's 1969 DePaul Faculty recital recording of Beethoven's 24 variations on Righini's aria 'Vieni amore' in D Major (1791). It is an Italian phrase that translates to “Come, love” or “Come, beloved”.
AUDIO NOTE: Unfortunately, the only 1969 recordings we have were made by the DePaul University music school using inferior recording equipment, done by a student technician who did not know how to manage the volume control. As such, this exceptional Thaddeus Kozuch faculty recital performance was captured in its entirety with a great amount of tape distortion. We have edited the audio quality as best we can.
Righini
"Vieni amore"
24 Variations
The Brahms Paganini Variations are a fundamental staple of the piano repertoire, and another "knuckle buster" as Thaddeus Kozuch would jokingly say.
Johannes Brahms
This familiar music is preserved as another testament to Thaddeus Kozuch's graceful musicianship and brilliant technique.
This is Thaddeus Kozuch's 1978 DePaul University Faculty Recital performance of the Brahms Variations on a Theme by Paganini
Paganini
Variations
The Paganini Variations, individually ...
The Brahms Variations on a Theme of Paganini of 1863 are described as "a legend in the piano literature", "fiendish", and "one of the most subtly difficult works in the literature." Clara Schumann called it Hexenvariationen ("Witch's Variations") because of its difficulty.
This is a Thaddeus Kozuch's "tour de force" performance. This playlist presents the original theme followed by each of the individual variations.
Paganini Variations,
individually
Brahms Waltzes
"Ted" and "Jackie" Kozuch performed two-piano recitals ever since they met at the Chicago Musical College in the early 1930's. Our mother, Jacqueline (Frye) Kozuch, was a fine pianist, organist, music teacher, and choral director. Here are 78 RPM disc recordings of Brahms waltzes made in 1947.
