Three Generations
Alexander TCHEREPNIN (1899-1977)
Romance for violin and piano, WoO (1922)* [2:06]
Élégie for violin and piano, Op.43 (1927) * [3:52]
Arabesque for violin and piano, Op.11, No.5* (1921) [2:28]
Sonata in F major for violin and piano, Op.14 (1921) [14:25]
Nikolai TCHEREPNIN (1873-1945)
Poème lyrique for violin and piano, Op.9 (1900)
Andante and Finale for violin and piano, Op. posth.*(1943) [13:35]
Ivan TCHEREPNIN (1943-98)
Pensiamiento for flute and piano (1996) [3:19]
Cadenzas in Transition for flute, clarinet and piano (1963)*[13:15]
Quan Yuan (violin), Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin (flute), Ian Greitzer (clarinet), David Witten, Donald Berman (piano)
rec. 1997-2019,
various locations
*First recordings
TOCCATA NEXT TOCN0012 [63:40]
I first encountered the name of Alexander Tcherepnin on an old vinyl disc, and the incredibly infectious nature of one particular piano work so struck a chord in me that I had it as an earworm for many months after. I knew nothing about the composer and for whatever reason did not explore further at the time. Fast forward to about five years ago, when Giorgio Koukl, that remarkably focussed and intrepid pianist/composer recorded Tcherepnin’s complete works for piano, a collection that firmly cemented his reputation for thoroughly innovative and finely wrought compositions. I read more about his fascinating life, of how he lived in China for decades and how that country exerted an influence over his work. I knew that his father Nikolai was a composer though I knew none of his works and learned that his son, Ivan also followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. It therefore goes without saying that when I spied this disc on the list of review discs, I jumped at the chance of writing a review and learning more about this mighty dynasty.
Alexander’s Romance for violin and piano without opus number is a charming little piece which reels in the listener then ends all too soon, whereas his Élégie for violin and piano, Op.43 written in 1927 could be taken as an example of his writing generally: effortless simplicity full of the most sumptuous melodies. It is also laced through with melancholy, adding to its bewitching character. It covers a great deal of ground in under four minutes. The opening of his fifth arabesque (the other four are for solo piano) gives us the first glimpse of Alexander’s playful nature and his use of his own invented six-note scale, displaying effervescent writing that beguiles and amuses in equal measure.
The Sonata in F major for violin and piano, Op.14 (1921) is a serious and interesting piece which sounds very like Shostakovich at various points, particularly in the first movement’s playful piano writing, yet it was written when the younger composer was only fifteen and could not have exerted any influence on Alexander, so it would seem that there is a specifically Russian character that many of that country’s composers share unbeknown to themselves.
The second movement is altogether more serious with the violin soaring sombrely, seeking a resolution which does not come until the end. The finale marked vivace restores the lightness and the syncopated nature of the first movement, the two instruments clowning around together and playing a joyful Russian dance before rushing together for the exit.
Alexander’s father was a pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov and the rich orchestration of his music is apparent even in Nikolai’s chamber work Poème lyrique from early in his career. The two instruments search for a key to settle in but even after exploring more than six, they cannot do so until he suddenly quotes from one of his songs, which brings the search to a conclusion. The lyricism is wholly Romantic in nature and the 27-year-old composer cemented his career with this piece which many great violinists of the day were keen to play.
For the other of Nikolai’s works, we move towards the end of his life when, possibly in 1943, he wrote the Andante and Finale. This posthumously published work divides into two contrasting sections: the first uses a great deal of impressionistic writing containing visions of rippling water which, along with other pieces like ‘The Lake’, ‘The Forest’ and other similar musical representations of nature, earned him the amusing yet pertinent nickname among his friends of ‘Debussy Ravelevich’. These interludes are highly accurate in their depictions and emotionally very satisfying. The finale is a total contrast, its marking Allegro risoluto marcato fully delivering on its promise and, as David Witten says in his informative booklet notes, should it ever be fully orchestrated would require at least ‘a harmonica, a squeeze-box-style bayan, a brass ensemble, a penny whistle and a piccolo’. Its spirited and breath-taking rush to a conclusion ends a hugely enjoyable demonstration of Nikolai’s compositional skills which passed on to his son and grandson. This is a first recording and fully deserves its place in the repertoire of any serious violin and piano duo.
We come then to the grandson with a sumptuous piece for flute and piano, written only two years before his untimely death. It is, in his words, ‘about uniting North and South. My love of the land of Ecuador and its people is reflected in its opening, which is a mini ‘Condor Song’. After an encounter with the Eagle and ensuing conflicts and dramas, the Condor peacefully soars away above the highest Andean peaks.’ The music truly describes this and knowing its inspiration contributes to a deeper appreciation of it.
Ivan Tcherepnin was only nineteen when he composed what Witten accurately describes as ‘the brilliant, virtuosic Cadenzas in Transition for flute, clarinet and piano in 1963’. Ivan’s explanation of the ideas behind the piece is that each instrument’s cadenza is intruded upon or interrupted by one of the others, until they each break away to perform their own chosen solo passages within the ensemble. This is another first recording that has been too long in the waiting and shows a highly individual composer in the making.
For anyone who has not come across any of these three generations of the Tcherepnin family, this disc is a valuable starting point from which to explore three highly talented and individual composers whose music is both fascinating and genuinely different. For me, Alexander is the most interesting of the three, but it is very rewarding to hear his father’s Romantic pieces and his son’s ground-breaking ideas concerning the connection between ear and mind and their vital role in the communication of ideas.
The musicians on the recording express their admiration for the music in their expert delivery; the flute-playing of Ivan’s widow, Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin, especially in Pensiamento, of which she is one of the dedicatees, demonstrates an especial beauty. The sound is excellent and the entire disc is a joy.
Steve Arloff
