Information
Composer: Alexander Tcherepnin
Giorgio Koukl, piano
Date: 2014
Label: Grand Piano
https://grandpianorecords.com/Album/AlbumDetails/GP659
- (01) Pour petits et grands, Op. 65
- (13) Histoire de Ia petite Thérèse de l'enfant-Jésus, Op. 36b
- (26) Episodes (Priskaski)
- (38) Piano Study on the Pentatonic Scale - 1st Suite, Op. 51 No. 1
- (45) Piano Study on the Pentatonic Scale - 2nd Suite, Op. 51 No. 2
- (52) Piano Study on the Pentatonic Scale - Chinese Bagatelles, Op. 51 No. 3
- (64) 17 Piano Pieces for Beginners
- (81) Two Pieces for Children
- (83) Sunny Day 'Forgotten Bagatelle'
Giorgio Koukl, piano
Date: 2014
Label: Grand Piano
https://grandpianorecords.com/Album/AlbumDetails/GP659
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Over the eight discs there are 309 different pieces from 62 works, 33 of them recorded for the first time. The series is a true voyage of musical discovery. Moving on to the eighth and final disc in the series Koukl has chosen to turn his attention to music written with children in mind. It will come as no surprise to learn that the master of the miniature could pen the most genuinely delightful and charming music — works that children could both enjoy listening to as well as playing. There are 83 pieces here and all but one, Sunny Day ‘Forgotten Bagatelle’ are world première recordings.
The first set is diplomatically entitled For Young and Old so as not to marginalise the older listener or pianist. Each of the twelve pieces has a separate title. It is unclear as to whether these pieces were meant to be attempted by children or just to be enjoyed by them. They sound pretty difficult to play though there are a number of videos posted on YouTube that show plenty of talented young pianists who could no doubt manage them. Certainly there is a great deal to enjoy here for adults and I’d be over the moon if I could play them as they are played here.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, born Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, (2 January 1873 – 30 September 1897), or Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, O.C.D. was the inspiration behind the next set which was written in 1925, the year she was canonized. These pieces seek to illustrate in music episodes in her life from birth through her first communion to the taking of orders and beyond. While it is true that they are reverential their charm comes through even where they are also introspective.
Episodes (Priskaski) were written at various times from the age of 13 to 21. Since they have been arranged in a random order you cannot tell which was written at which age. The earliest, Scherzando, belies the young age of its composer. All of these pieces Tcherepnin brought to Paris with him in his suitcase. Fortunately his teacher Isidor Phillip encouraged him to seek their publication. They are all charming as well as inventive and Tcherepnin’s preferred title for the collection Priskaski which translates as 'short stories' is a much more accurate description than Episodes which had been suggested by Phillip. As mentioned in relation to some of his wartime compositions on Volume 7 there were pieces that Tcherepnin suppressed considering that these were part of his juvenilia. We are lucky he did not destroy them. Papillon in particular is such a perfect musical representation of a butterfly and is typical of his thoroughly original way of thinking.
The next 26 pieces are collected in three suites that have an overall title of Piano Study on the Pentatonique Scale. Although particularly associated with music from the Orient including the folk melodies of China, Korea, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and Vietnam the pentatonic scale is also found throughout the world: from Celtic to West African music, from Bluegrass to Albanian folk and Jazz. Debussy among others found that its use in Indonesian gamelan inspirational and deployed it in several of his compositions to great effect. I’m aware that I keep emphasising Tcherepnin’s incredible facility for creating miniatures but it is simply astonishing that he can endow something that lasts a mere 11 seconds (Chanson des Marins) with such personality. Every one of these 26 pieces that in total last a little over 16 minutes is beguilingly attractive. Budding young pianists would love to play them I’m quite sure. Their childlike innocence would win anyone over. Anyone who has heard traditional Chinese instruments played will recognise imitations of them here. The first ten of these were dedicated to the ten young pianists who performed his Bagatelles, Op.5 (1918) at a concert in Peking (see Volume 1 GP608) the eleventh to their teacher and the last to his pipa teacher all of which sums up his enjoyment of his time spent in China.
The 17 piano pieces for beginners of 1957 again exude a charm that is quite magical and the titles match each piece perfectly. Tcherepnin wrote music that educated as well as enchanted children throughout his life from the Episodes (Priskaski) from 1912 to the Two pieces for Children of 1976. You can appreciate how much children must have meant to him as well as his desire to help them appreciate music as much as he did. It is a measure of the man as much as the musician. The last pieces on the disc are equally lovely and it is extremely poignant to read that Sunny Day ‘Forgotten Bagatelle’ (1915), the only piece that is not a world première recording, was one that he found and copied out on the very day he died. It makes a telling full stop to the whole 8 CD journey through the music of this singularly irresistible and compelling composer. His music is deservedly finding new devotees today but will doubtless draw new admirers for decades to come. Taking us through this musical journey Giorgio Koukl has demonstrated his prowess as a pianist from the most demanding pieces to the most delicately tiny fragment. He also brings with him a total commitment to the project, together with obvious love for the music and determination to propagate new audiences. I have been privileged to see this journey through from beginning to end and have learned so much including discovering Tcherepnin's four symphonies and six piano concertos. As I said at the start I feel somewhat bereft now it is over but I shall be revisiting this wondrous music often.
Grand Piano is to be congratulated in its endeavours to put Tcherepnin firmly on the musical map and for its continued determination to explore and release music from composers that would rarely, if ever, otherwise see the light of day on disc.
-- Steve Arloff, MusicWeb International
The first set is diplomatically entitled For Young and Old so as not to marginalise the older listener or pianist. Each of the twelve pieces has a separate title. It is unclear as to whether these pieces were meant to be attempted by children or just to be enjoyed by them. They sound pretty difficult to play though there are a number of videos posted on YouTube that show plenty of talented young pianists who could no doubt manage them. Certainly there is a great deal to enjoy here for adults and I’d be over the moon if I could play them as they are played here.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, born Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, (2 January 1873 – 30 September 1897), or Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, O.C.D. was the inspiration behind the next set which was written in 1925, the year she was canonized. These pieces seek to illustrate in music episodes in her life from birth through her first communion to the taking of orders and beyond. While it is true that they are reverential their charm comes through even where they are also introspective.
Episodes (Priskaski) were written at various times from the age of 13 to 21. Since they have been arranged in a random order you cannot tell which was written at which age. The earliest, Scherzando, belies the young age of its composer. All of these pieces Tcherepnin brought to Paris with him in his suitcase. Fortunately his teacher Isidor Phillip encouraged him to seek their publication. They are all charming as well as inventive and Tcherepnin’s preferred title for the collection Priskaski which translates as 'short stories' is a much more accurate description than Episodes which had been suggested by Phillip. As mentioned in relation to some of his wartime compositions on Volume 7 there were pieces that Tcherepnin suppressed considering that these were part of his juvenilia. We are lucky he did not destroy them. Papillon in particular is such a perfect musical representation of a butterfly and is typical of his thoroughly original way of thinking.
The next 26 pieces are collected in three suites that have an overall title of Piano Study on the Pentatonique Scale. Although particularly associated with music from the Orient including the folk melodies of China, Korea, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and Vietnam the pentatonic scale is also found throughout the world: from Celtic to West African music, from Bluegrass to Albanian folk and Jazz. Debussy among others found that its use in Indonesian gamelan inspirational and deployed it in several of his compositions to great effect. I’m aware that I keep emphasising Tcherepnin’s incredible facility for creating miniatures but it is simply astonishing that he can endow something that lasts a mere 11 seconds (Chanson des Marins) with such personality. Every one of these 26 pieces that in total last a little over 16 minutes is beguilingly attractive. Budding young pianists would love to play them I’m quite sure. Their childlike innocence would win anyone over. Anyone who has heard traditional Chinese instruments played will recognise imitations of them here. The first ten of these were dedicated to the ten young pianists who performed his Bagatelles, Op.5 (1918) at a concert in Peking (see Volume 1 GP608) the eleventh to their teacher and the last to his pipa teacher all of which sums up his enjoyment of his time spent in China.
The 17 piano pieces for beginners of 1957 again exude a charm that is quite magical and the titles match each piece perfectly. Tcherepnin wrote music that educated as well as enchanted children throughout his life from the Episodes (Priskaski) from 1912 to the Two pieces for Children of 1976. You can appreciate how much children must have meant to him as well as his desire to help them appreciate music as much as he did. It is a measure of the man as much as the musician. The last pieces on the disc are equally lovely and it is extremely poignant to read that Sunny Day ‘Forgotten Bagatelle’ (1915), the only piece that is not a world première recording, was one that he found and copied out on the very day he died. It makes a telling full stop to the whole 8 CD journey through the music of this singularly irresistible and compelling composer. His music is deservedly finding new devotees today but will doubtless draw new admirers for decades to come. Taking us through this musical journey Giorgio Koukl has demonstrated his prowess as a pianist from the most demanding pieces to the most delicately tiny fragment. He also brings with him a total commitment to the project, together with obvious love for the music and determination to propagate new audiences. I have been privileged to see this journey through from beginning to end and have learned so much including discovering Tcherepnin's four symphonies and six piano concertos. As I said at the start I feel somewhat bereft now it is over but I shall be revisiting this wondrous music often.
Grand Piano is to be congratulated in its endeavours to put Tcherepnin firmly on the musical map and for its continued determination to explore and release music from composers that would rarely, if ever, otherwise see the light of day on disc.
-- Steve Arloff, MusicWeb International
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Tcherepnin
***
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Koukl
http://www.luxnova.com/~musicplay/koukl/
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