About this Release
“At the heart of Volume 4 of Tcherepnin’s complete works for piano lie the Chinese concert études. Having fallen in love with the country and with his future wife, the composer writes some of his most vibrant and intimate pieces, full of splendid melodies that occupy a wide emotional range. Now immersed in the Chinese culture and in full command of its delicate scales and tunes, this is Tcherepnin at his best.” — Giorgio Koukl
TCHEREPNIN, ALEXANDER (1899–1977)
Complete Piano Music • 4
- Giorgio Koukl, piano
Drawn from different parts of Tcherepnin’s life, the Entretiens display distinct cinematic qualities. With their exhaustive range of expression the Twelve Preludes vividly demonstrate the multi-faceted genius of their composer. The Romances contrast tenderness and warmth with unsettling moods and the Five Concert Etudes show an infatuation with all things Chinese.
This recording was made on a modern instrument: Steinway, Model D
Tracklist
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Entretiens, Op. 46 (1930) (00:12:12 )
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1
No. 1. Lento (00:01:30)
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2
No. 2. Animato (00:00:31)
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3
No. 3. Moderato (00:01:45)
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4
No. 4. Allegretto (00:01:15)
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5
No. 5. Recitando (00:00:26)
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6
No. 6. Animato (00:00:49)
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7
No. 7. Moderato (00:01:11)
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8
No. 8. Animato (00:00:58)
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9
No. 9. Grave (00:02:29)
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10
No. 10. Allegretto (00:01:07)
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12 Preludes, Op. 85 (1953) (00:25:00 )
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11
No. 1. Adagio (00:02:56)
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12
No. 2. Animato (00:02:05)
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13
No. 3. Lento (00:02:09)
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14
No. 4. Allegro (00:01:25)
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15
No. 5. Allegretto (00:01:29)
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16
No. 6. Lento recitando (00:01:23)
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17
No. 7. Animato (00:01:05)
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18
No. 8. Mesto (00:03:20)
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19
No. 9. Allegro (00:01:22)
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20
No. 10. Lento marciale (00:01:23)
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21
No. 11. Agitato (00:01:52)
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22
No. 12. Lento (00:01:40)
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4 Romances, Op. 31 (1924) (00:08:00 )
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23
No. 1. Lento * (00:01:47)
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24
No. 2. Tempo risoluto * (00:01:49)
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25
No. 3. Allegro * (00:02:06)
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26
No. 4. Andantino * (00:01:56)
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5 Concert Études, Op. 52, "Chinese" (1936) (00:16:00 )
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27
No. 1. Shadow Play (00:03:09)
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28
No. 2. The Lute (00:03:35)
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29
No. 3. Homage to China (00:02:32)
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30
No. 4. Punch and Judy (00:02:04)
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31
No. 5. Chant (00:04:53)
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The Artist(s)
Giorgio Koukl is a Czech pianist/harpsichordist and composer. He studied at both the Conservatories of Zürich and Milan, where he took part in the masterclasses of Nikita Magaloff, Jacques Février and Stanislas Neuhaus, and with Rudolf Firkušný, friend and advocate of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů. It was through Firkušný that Koukl first encountered Martinů’s music, prompting him to search out his compatriot’s solo piano works. Since then he has developed these into an important part of his concert repertoire and is now considered one of the world’s leading interpreters of Martinů’s piano music. As a logical continuation of this work, Koukl has recorded the complete solo piano works of Paul Le Flem, Alexander Tcherepnin, Arthur Lourié, Vítězslava Kaprálová, Witold Lutosławski, and more recently, Alexandre Tansman, Vittorio Rieti and Tibor Harsányi. The Composer(s)
Alexander began playing piano and composing at an early age. By his late teens he had composed several hundred pieces, thirteen piano sonatas among them. For a more extensive biography of Alexander Tcherepnin, and information about his works and compositional techniques, visit the Tcherepnin Society website at www.tcherepnin.com. Reviews
“I look forward to completing this marvelous series and couldn’t ask for a more qualified pianist than Koukl.” – American Record Guide
“This is another adorable disc of scintillating music brilliantly played and cannot be praised highly enough.” – MusicWeb International
Also Available
Grand Piano has gained a reputation for producing high quality recordings of rare keyboard gems. Dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered piano repertoire, the label specialises in complete cycles of piano works by many lesser-known composers, whose output might otherwise have remained unknown and unrecorded.
- info@grandpianorecords.com
