“Exceedingly satisfied with our musical collaboration on our Brahms/Schumann recording, I suggested to Hélène Mercier that we take on the complete cycles of Brahms’s 21 Hungarian Dances and 16 Waltzes, Op.39, which, unlike me, she had already played in concert. It was extremely important to both of us that the gypsy spirit was to the fore in the Hungarian Dances, likewise Viennese elegance in the Waltzes. I must humbly acknowledge how impressed I was by my Quebecoise partner’s level of understanding of this very distinctive music. All her musical suggestions that broke with the usual rules made sense, and we tried never to lose sight of the improvisatory character symbolising the freedom of the Gypsies.” - Cyprien Katsaris
