Alexander Tcherepnin: Piano Music 1913-61
This unusual album begins with archival recordings, in excellent sound, of the Russian-born composer-pianist Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977) playing some of his most memorable piano music. The early Sonata No. 1 (1918-19) is a brilliant, virtuosic study in dramatic Slavic romanticism; the atmospheric late Sonata No. 2 (1961), never commercially recorded by the composer, stands as a paragon of elegant modernism in continuous thematic evolution. The second part of the CD, performed by the Russian pianist Mikhail Shilyaev, presents a selection of attractive, rarely heard works from various periods in Tcherepnin's career, further illustrating his Prokofiev-like fondness for spiky humour, pungent harmony and crisp melody.
Alexander Tcherepnin, piano
Mikhail Shilyaev, piano
Listen To This Recording:
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Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 22 (1918–19)
- I. Allegro commodo
- II. Andante
- III. Allegro
- IV. Grave
- I. Lento; Animato; Lento; Animato; Lento
- II. Andantino
- III. Animato
- I. Lento
- II. Allegretto
- III. Tempestuoso
- IV. Con dolore, molto sostenuto
- Prelude, Op. 85, No. 9 (1953)
- Moment Musical (1913)
- No. 1 March
- No. 2 Song without Words
- No. 3 Berceuse
- No. 4 Scherzo
- No. 5 Badinage
- No. 6 Humoresque
- Rondo à la Russe (c. 1946)
- No. 1 Lento
- No. 2 Animato
- No. 3 Moderato
- No. 4 Allegretto
- No. 5 Recitando
- No. 6 Animato
- No. 7 Moderato
- No. 8 Animato
- No. 9 Grave
- No. 10 Allegretto
- Polka (1944)
- Scherzo, Op. 3 (1917)
- No. 1 Entrance
- No. 2 The Hour of Death
- No. 3 Caprice
- No. 4 The Silly Story of the White Oxen
- No. 5 Thief in the Night
- No. 6 At the Fair
- No. 7 Barcarolle
- No. 8 Blind Man’s Bluff
- No. 9 At Dawn
- No. 10 Exit
- La Quatrième (1948–49)
Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 94 (1961)
Quatre Préludes Nostalgiques, Op. 23 (1922)
Petite Suite, Op. 6 (1918–19)
Entretiens, Op. 46 (1920–30)
Expressions, Op. 81 (1951)
International Record Review :
‘… Shilyaev renders both these miniatures and the larger sets of pieces with a fluency and panache that makes for diverting and also pleasurable listening, thus ensuring that these predominantly first recordings will not easily be surpassed, and is abetted by detailed and realistic piano sound. … the disc can be warmly recommended as a showcase for a composer who seemed to – or, more to the point, should have had it all.’
—Richard Whitehouse, International Record Review
MusicWeb International :
‘As the only composer to have done significant work in all 5 UN Security Council nations – Russia, Britain, France, China and the USA – it is unsurprising that Willi Reich, in his biography called Alexander Tcherepnin a ‘musical citizen of the world’.… If you have discovered the wonderful world of Tcherepnin’s piano —music then this disc is a must for you and, if not, it is a perfect place to start to get to know this fascinating composer.’
—Steve Arloff, MusicWeb International
International Piano :
‘The Toccata Classics disc opens with archival recordings made by the composer in New York in March 1965 (produced by the composer Philip Ramey, a former Tcherepnin pupil and subject of an earlier Toccata Classics release) of the two sonatas, Préludes nostalgiques and the ninth of his Op. 85 Preludes. The performances are the most exciting of any under review here and have been remastered very finely under the auspices of the Tcherepnin Society. The greater part of the disc is made up of a deliciously varied selection of his smaller pieces (the earliest, the Moment musical of 1913, dating from his mid-teens) and sets of miniatures – the early Petite Suite (1918–19), Entretiens (1920–30) and 10 Expressions (1951) – all played with compelling assurance by Mikhail Shilyaev.’
—Guy Rickards, International Piano January/February 2013
Fanfare Magazine :
‘Although the 45-year-old master tapes [of composer’s own perfromance] required much restorative work, which was executed meticulously by Allen Tucker, the result sounds remarkably free of obvious technical deficiencies. In fact, the transition to the remainder of this Toccata release, featuring an assortment of pieces recorded in London in 2012 by the young Russian pianist Mikhail Shilyaev, is barely noticeable. […]
Russian pianist Mikhail Shilyaev is especially effective in embracing Tcherepnin’s own approach to his keyboard music. Program notes by Tcherepnin-specialist Benjamin Folkman are brilliantly informative, and offer penetrating insights.’
—Walter Simmons, Fanfare Magazine May/June 2013