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Tcherepnin: Piano Music (1913-61) / Shilyaev
Toccata

Tcherepnin: Piano Music (1913-61) / Shilyaev

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Details

Composer
TCHEREPNIN, TCHEREPNIN
Artist
Tcherepnin, Shilyaev
Format
CD
Label
Toccata
Released
Oct 30, 2012
Catalog #
TOCC0079
UPC
5060113440792

About

This unusual album begins with archival recordings, in excellent sound, of the Russian-born composer-pianist Tcherepnin (1899–1977) playing some of his most memorable piano music. The 2nd part of the CD, performed by the Russian pianist Shilyaev, presents a selection of attractive, rarely heard works from various periods in Tcherepnin's career.

REVIEW:

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’.

Piano Sonata No.1 began life as No. 14 but Tcherepnin destroyed vast amounts of his juvenilia; not that you’d ever guess that this sonata was written by someone so young it is so incredibly self assured, an assurance which will have come from all the works he had previously composed. It is a fabulously rich piece of writing with a theme that emerges in the first movement that would have been worthy of Liszt. This sonata and the Op. 85 piece are played by the composer himself showing his complete mastery of the instrument both technically and compositionally.

Incredible as it may seem for such a prolific composer his second sonata had to wait 42 years to be written. The first movement is fascinating, alternating between lento and animato while the second, marked andantino is wistfully beautiful. The final animato has the sonata finally disappear mid-phrase.

His Quatre Préludes Nostalgiques from 1922 come next, the first of which creates an air of mystery. The second is a quiet interlude before the third’s tempestuoso lives up to its name. The last one is a mixture of sadness and grandeur.

The final work on the disc played by the composer himself is a little 1½ minute cracker with almost all the notes coming from the piano’s lowest register. At this point pianist Mikhail Shilyaev takes over showing how gently he can caress the keys which is what is required with the first of his contributions Moment Musical from 1913, when the composer was only 14, and is its first recording.

From 1918 to 1919 we have another first recording, Tcherepnin’s Petite Suite. This is full of delights. Rondo à la Russe from 1946 is “Russian” as it is supposed to be but interestingly Tcherepnin otherwise rarely shows his origins in his music though sometimes he does remind one of Rachmaninoff or Prokofiev. Entretiens composed over a ten year period from 1920 to 1930 is in ten parts, all of them showing the composer’s inventive flair. One of the recurring ideas in his music is the evocation of bells as with the final piece from the set.

Tcherepnin enjoyed fun as much as being serious and this is amply demonstrated in the little Polka from 1944. Scherzo from 1917 has elements of both Prokofiev, Tcherepnin’s idol at the time, and Rachmaninoff, though much harsher in sound to his lushness, though it begins that way. The set of 10 little pieces that together form Expressions, dating from 1951, are the only ones played by Shilyaev that are not first recordings and each bears a title rather than a tempo marking. At the Fair brings some Russian elements into play and I was reminded of Stravinsky. Barcarolle is a beautiful and delightful sounding piece and one of the longest on the disc at 3 minutes long; Tcherepnin had an amazing ability to exploit ideas within a tiny time-frame. La Quatrième from 1948-9, the last offering, is another first recording. It’s full of grandeur and the title is a reference to the Fourth Republic in France which heralded its post-war era following liberation. It received its première only in 1959 since it was part of a project by the publisher to have several compositions from immigrant composers of the École de Paris group in a collection that never materialized.

The overall impression one is left with after hearing this disc and others of Tcherepnin’s music is the breadth of his inventiveness; there is never a dull moment and discovering his music has been one of the musical highlights for me this year. As one would expect the tracks recorded this year sound fresher and crisper than those recorded by the composer in March 1965, though to have his own interpretations of those works is so valuable. Tcherepnin showed what a considerable pianist he was while Shilyaev amply shows his interpretive skills with that full range of moods and touches. This is vital for music that can range from a mere whisper to almost cataclysmic thunder.

The booklet notes by Benjamin Folkman are extremely well written, highly informative and contribute towards making the whole experience both enjoyable and memorable. 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.

-- MusicWeb International

Tracklist 43 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro comodo 07:19
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro comodo
    Duration
    07:19
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  2. 2 II. Andante 02:54
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  3. 3 III. Allegro 02:01
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  4. 4 IV. Grave 02:33
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Grave
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  5. 5 I. Lento 04:27
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Lento
    Duration
    04:27
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  6. 6 II. Andantino 02:02
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Andantino
    Duration
    02:02
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  7. 7 III. Animato 03:21
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Animato
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  8. 8 No. 1. Lento 02:34
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 1. Lento
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  9. 9 No. 2. Allegretto 00:35
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 2. Allegretto
    Duration
    00:35
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  10. 10 No. 3. Tempestoso 00:44
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 3. Tempestoso
    Duration
    00:44
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  11. 11 No. 4. Con dolore 02:48
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 4. Con dolore
    Duration
    02:48
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  12. 12 12 Preludes, Op. 85: No. 9. Allegro 01:27
    Track
    12
    Title
    12 Preludes, Op. 85: No. 9. Allegro
    Duration
    01:27
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
  13. 13 Moment Musical 01:59
    Track
    13
    Title
    Moment Musical
    Duration
    01:59
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  14. 14 I. Marche 01:13
    Track
    14
    Title
    I. Marche
    Duration
    01:13
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  15. 15 II. Chant sans paroles 01:42
    Track
    15
    Title
    II. Chant sans paroles
    Duration
    01:42
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  16. 16 III. Berceuse 01:33
    Track
    16
    Title
    III. Berceuse
    Duration
    01:33
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  17. 17 IV. Scherzo 01:53
    Track
    17
    Title
    IV. Scherzo
    Duration
    01:53
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  18. 18 V. Badinage 00:54
    Track
    18
    Title
    V. Badinage
    Duration
    00:54
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  19. 19 VI. Humoresque 01:16
    Track
    19
    Title
    VI. Humoresque
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  20. 20 Rondo a la Russe 02:38
    Track
    20
    Title
    Rondo a la Russe
    Duration
    02:38
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  21. 21 No. 1. Lento 01:42
    Track
    21
    Title
    No. 1. Lento
    Duration
    01:42
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  22. 22 No. 2. Animato 00:26
    Track
    22
    Title
    No. 2. Animato
    Duration
    00:26
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  23. 23 No. 3. Moderato 01:36
    Track
    23
    Title
    No. 3. Moderato
    Duration
    01:36
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  24. 24 No. 4. Allegretto 01:13
    Track
    24
    Title
    No. 4. Allegretto
    Duration
    01:13
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  25. 25 No. 5. Recitando 00:45
    Track
    25
    Title
    No. 5. Recitando
    Duration
    00:45
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  26. 26 No. 6. Animato 00:50
    Track
    26
    Title
    No. 6. Animato
    Duration
    00:50
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  27. 27 No. 7. Moderato 00:57
    Track
    27
    Title
    No. 7. Moderato
    Duration
    00:57
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  28. 28 No. 8. Animato 00:49
    Track
    28
    Title
    No. 8. Animato
    Duration
    00:49
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  29. 29 No. 9. Grave 02:59
    Track
    29
    Title
    No. 9. Grave
    Duration
    02:59
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  30. 30 No. 10. Allegretto 00:55
    Track
    30
    Title
    No. 10. Allegretto
    Duration
    00:55
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  31. 31 Polka (version for piano) 01:59
    Track
    31
    Title
    Polka (version for piano)
    Duration
    01:59
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  32. 32 Scherzo, Op. 3 03:28
    Track
    32
    Title
    Scherzo, Op. 3
    Duration
    03:28
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  33. 33 I. Entrance 00:46
    Track
    33
    Title
    I. Entrance
    Duration
    00:46
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  34. 34 II. The Hour of Death 02:12
    Track
    34
    Title
    II. The Hour of Death
    Duration
    02:12
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  35. 35 III. Caprice 01:07
    Track
    35
    Title
    III. Caprice
    Duration
    01:07
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  36. 36 IV. Silly Story of the White Oxen 00:56
    Track
    36
    Title
    IV. Silly Story of the White Oxen
    Duration
    00:56
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  37. 37 V. Thief in the Night 00:45
    Track
    37
    Title
    V. Thief in the Night
    Duration
    00:45
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  38. 38 VI. At the Fair 01:08
    Track
    38
    Title
    VI. At the Fair
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  39. 39 VII. Barcarole 03:02
    Track
    39
    Title
    VII. Barcarole
    Duration
    03:02
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  40. 40 VIII. Blind Man's Buff 00:46
    Track
    40
    Title
    VIII. Blind Man's Buff
    Duration
    00:46
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  41. 41 IX. At Dawn 01:43
    Track
    41
    Title
    IX. At Dawn
    Duration
    01:43
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  42. 42 X. Exit 00:56
    Track
    42
    Title
    X. Exit
    Duration
    00:56
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev
  43. 43 La Quatrieme 02:30
    Track
    43
    Title
    La Quatrieme
    Duration
    02:30
    Composer
    Alexander Tcherepnin
    Performer
    Mikhail Shilyaev