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Thaddeus Kozuch - concert pianist, teacher, lecturer, scholar, composer ... a "Brilliant Piano Virtuoso"
Domenico Scarlatti
Thaddeus Kozuch's recitals were known for their variety, and often included a collection of Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas. These recordings include a few duplicates to allow comparison between Kozuch's historic 1947 studio 78 rpm discs with later recordings.
Franz Schubert
12 German Dances
This is deeply intimate music by Schubert, not often performed.
AUDIO NOTE: Unfortunately, the only recording we have was made by a DePaul University music school student technician who did not know how to manage the volume control. As such, Thaddeus Kozuch's exceptional 1969 faculty recital performance was captured entirely with too much tape distortion. We have edited the audio quality as best we can.
German Dances
Robert Schumann
Fantasy Opus 17
Here is the Thaddeus Kozuch performance of the Schumann Fantasy from a 1968 DePaul University Faculty Recital.
Fantasy Opus 17 is generally described as one of Schumann's greatest works for solo piano, and is one of the central works of the early Romantic period.
This is an imperfect performance with a few bad notes. We have only this one emotionally intense 1968 recording of the Schumann Fantasy.
Alexander Scriabin
In his early years before 1903, Russian composer Alexander Scriabin was greatly influenced by the music of Frédéric Chopin, and he composed in a relatively tonal, late-Romantic idiom, as is the case with this Opus 8 No. 10 Etude from 1895.
The Etude presents significant challenges with its heart pounding leaps to the lower register.
This is Thaddeus Kozuch's encore performance from his 1974 DePaul University recital.
Scriabin Etude in Bâ™ minor
Scriabin Sonata #5 in F Major Opus 53 (1907)
Scriabin's later music developed as a much more dissonant musical language that transcended usual tonality. This music exerted a prominent influence on the music world over time, and inspired composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, and Karol Szymanowski.
The 1907 Sonata #5 presents complex musical ideas and powerfully driven themes.
This is Thaddeus Kozuch's 1976 DePaul University recital performance of the Sonata #5.
Scriabin Sonata #5
Bedřich Smetana
The Polka (from 1877 Czech Dances, Book 1 No. 3) is a charming piece that requires more than a little finger dexterity.
Here is Thaddeus Kozuch's performance from a 1968 DePaul University Faculty Recital.
Smetana
Polka
Here is a link to the "Concert Miniature" 78rpm disc recordings from 1947. This same Smetana "Bohemian Dance and Polka" is a selection in that album.
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882–1971) was a Russian composer and conductor, widely considered the most important and influential composer of the 20th century and modernist music.
Petrushka was a ballet composed in 1911 based on the Russian folk tale featuring the puppet who falls in love with another, a ballerina. In 1921 Stravinsky completed a technically challenging transcription of excerpts from Petrushka for pianist Artur Rubinstein, his "Trois mouvements de Petrouchka".
AUDIO NOTE: This recording was made by a friend when Jon Kozuch was a Navy Officer serving overseas. Incorrect settings caused significant audio distortion on the original 1972 recital tape. The magnetic recording tape oxide has also aged over time, leaving sound distortions that required correction ... Nevertheless, this brilliant Thaddeus Kozuch performance can now be enjoyed by enthusiasts.
Here is Thaddeus Kozuch's performance of Petrushka in three movements from a 1972 DePaul University Faculty Recital.
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Petrushka
Karol Szymanowski
Szymanowski believed that the piano mazurka form was not an 'historic' concept forever tied with Chopin (and subject to mere imitations). Rather, it was a living and dynamic thing that developed just as well as other music forms.
Here is Szymanowski's Tantris le Bouffon from Masques Opus 34 No. 2 (1915-16).
This is a piece in which the hero masquerades as a jester to meet his sweetheart. (Most likely he is NOT the same Jester as in Ravel's 1905 Alborada del Gracioso).
This is Thaddeus Kozuch's performance from the 1978 DePaul University Faculty Recital.
Tantris le Bouffon (1978)
Here (again) is Szymanowski's Tantris le Bouffon from Masques Opus 34 No. 2 (1915-16).
Here is the 1963 recording in which the hero masquerades as a jester to meet his sweetheart. (Certainly NOT the same Jester as in Ravel's 1905 Alborada del Gracioso).
AUDIO NOTE: Thaddeus Kozuch recorded this in 1963 in his studio. This recently discovered and rare recording was made by a friend of the family. The audio tape required extensive audio editing including noise reduction, equalization changes, and a 4% pitch correction to the AUDIO. Under these circumstances, we are happy to have this rare Kozuch recording.
Tantris le Bouffon (1963)
Alexander Tcherepnin
The Czech Song was written in 1924.
Alexander Nikolayevich Tcherepnin (1899–1977) was a Russian composer and pianist. In 1948, he came to the United States, settled in Chicago in 1950, and later became a US citizen. Tcherepnin and his wife taught at DePaul University in Chicago, where he and Thaddeus Kozuch were colleagues. In 1964 he moved to New York and subsequently divided his time between the United States and Europe. His legacy of compositions includes music for piano, ensembles, and orchestra.
Here is Thaddeus Kozuch's 1986 studio recording of the Czech Song
Tcherepnin Czech Song
Russell Wood
Russell A. Wood (1913-1993) was a Chicago composer, voice teacher, pianist and a close friend of Thaddeus Kozuch. Wood's Sonata was written for, and given its first performance by Mr. Kozuch.
Two Kozuch performances of the Wood Sonata may be heard on this website, this one from a 1947 studio disc, and another from a 1960 French Radio-TV broadcast.
Russell Wood Sonata
Here is a link to the 1960 Radio-TV France recordings. The collection includes this Russell Wood Sonata.
Before this encore, Thaddeus Kozuch announced: "A little Waltz by a friend of mine, Russell Wood".
This is a little Waltz by Russell Wood that was played as an encore at Thaddeus Kozuch's final DePaul University faculty concert in 1979.
Russell Wood Waltz
After the music, if you listen very carefully, Mr. Kozuch can be heard saying "Isn't that pretty?"
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