"Transcriptions are an act of love. With these wonderful recordings Alan Weiss, with his brilliant artistry as well as extraordinary pianism, reveals the genre's endless possibilities." Martha Argerich "I'm looking forward to the publication of your transcriptions. I'm sure this will be a hit." Nelson Freire "Transcriptions of Alan Weiss are results of high culture, sophisticated knowledge and deep understanding of the nature of the piano and unique vision of a great artist." Sergei Babayan "Bach's birthday is even more special because of your violin sonata transcription." David Dubal When we first heard the piano transcriptions of Alan Weiss we had the impression of listening to the purest representation of the "Golden Age" of the great pianists from the past. All the flexibility and freedom of phrasing heard in historic performances by masters such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Josef Lhevinne, Josef Hofmann, Alfred Cortot, Benno Moiseiwitsch, Rudolf Serkin and of course Vladimir Horowitz were alive right there in front of us. Not just because of the unique style and golden sonority of Weiss's playing, but especially due to the profound manner with which these transcriptions were conceived and written - a revival of the great tradition of those giants of the piano! Those of Liszt, Tausig, Busoni, Godowsky and Horowitz were not just mere virtuoso adaptations, but wonderful re-creations; in fact it was about a truly new set of compositions that brought into the piano's domain works originally written for guitar, violin, choir etc. The primordial essence of these originals was not only respected, but, we must say: it was honored and transcended! And we believe that Alan Weiss has joined this illustrious group in his own personal way: a real treasure from the beginning until the end that we feel as a duty to share with the world. The Uana - Association for the Arts
Author Biography:
Alan Weiss was born in New York City into a Jewish family of Polish/Argentinian birth. Hailed as "one of the outstanding pianists of his generation" by legendary Czech pianist Rudolf Firkusny, he is "a poet" in the words of Brussels' Le Soir, whose playing, as was noted by The Daily Telegraph of London, "penetrates to the very core of the music." "[He projected] a sense of line resembling in many respects the orchestral wizardry of Furtwangler," wrote Spectator Online. Mr. Weiss is indeed a throwback to an earlier age of free-thinking performing musicians. His background is unusually varied, having begun his studies on the classical guitar, receiving advice and encouragement, from the age of ten, of Andres Segovia. The genius of Maestro Segovia left its indelible mark on his musical character and artistic development. David Saperton, the illustrious teacher of Cherkassky, Katchen and Bolet; son-in-law of Godowsky and assistant at Curtis to the legendary Josef Hofmann, served at a crucial point in Alan's pianistic development. Under the guidance of Firkusny's deep musicianship he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Juilliard School. In 1974 Mr. Weiss was invited by Rudolf Serkin to participate in his Marlboro Music Festival. The following year he was a winner of the Naumburg Piano Competition in Carnegie Hall. In 1978 he was awarded a silver-medal in the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Competition, effectively marking the beginning of his international career. Chamber music concerts have included performances with such great musicians as Rudolf Firkusny, Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky, Ivry Gitlis, Pina Carmirelli, Dora Schwarzberg, Elmar Oliveira, Rafael Oleg, Alissa Margulis, Michael Flaksman and Mirel Iancovici. His recordings of solo and chamber music have appeared on the Pavane, Vox, Phonic, Deutsche Grammophon and Sony labels, and a cd of solo piano music by Alkan for Fidelio was greeted as one of the great recordings of that composer. More recent recordings of solo music by Alkan and Brahms have appeared on the Brilliant label. Mr. Weiss is piano professor at The Lemmens Institute in Leuven, Belgium and at Utrecht Conservatory, Holland. In recent years, Mr. Weiss has been invited by Martha Argerich to participate in her festivals, giving performances and masterclasses that have generated real excitement along with critical praise.
