Nikolai tcherepnin biography of albert

96 Before we begin I be obliged avow my ignorance on well-organized key point. How do give orders pronounce Tcherepnin? Where is ethics accent?

DW The proper Russian modulation is on the last syllable, but I’ve heard it conspicuous every possible way. I being tend to alternate. There junk also several different way make available spell his name in English.

96 Before we get into your recording, Nikolai Tcherepnin, Piano Music, could you give us come overview of Tcherepnin’s place coop up the history of Russian music?

DW He was born in 1873, and he was only sestet weeks younger than Rachmaninoff. Significant was a member of integrity generation following that of Composer and Rimsky-Korsakov—who in fact became one of Tcherepin’s composition teachers.

Nikolai Tcherepin grew up in Dear Petersburg. His father encouraged him to become a lawyer. Flair did go to law college, but studied music seriously discuss the same time, at depiction Saint Petersburg Conservatory. He lastly abandoned law and enrolled explain the Conservatory full-time.

His earliest lyrical style was late Romantic. Illustriousness first three cuts on loose recording, are Tcherepnin’s opus 24, which can be dated more or less to the 1890’s, when significant was in his late juvenescence or early twenties. The refrain could be mistaken for Composer or even Scriabin. Then bit his late twenties his reasoning evolves in the direction advance French Impressionism—his friends gave him the teasing nickname “Debussy Ravelovich.”

The second piece on the Annals, the 1908 Pictures from say publicly Russian Alphabet, has a kind-hearted mixture and alternation of Romance Impressionistic and Russian characteristics.

DW Importance for Tcherepnin’s place in rendering bigger picture of Russian air, we have to understand reliable as well as musical influences.

Russia is unusual in western lilting history because it doesn’t be endowed with a Baroque or a Classic period. Glinka [1804-1857] was blue blood the gentry first important Russian composer, countryside his work takes shape by this time well into the nineteenth century.

Nikolai Tcherepnin had kind of splendid three pronged career. He was a composer, a conductor, splendid professor—early on he had antique quite an accomplished pianist. Conj at the time that he was at the Venerate Petersburg Conservatory, he mainly limitless conducting, not composition. His falling star pupil was Prokofiev. When Profokiev wrote his graduation piece, rendering first piano concerto, the curb professors were very opposed make sure of its new, harsh style, enjoin Tcherepnin was one of justness few who championed Prokofiev.

96 Would it be fair to corruption Tcherepnin’s style Symbolist? He unaffectedly evolved beyond late Romantic, nevertheless he isn’t quite an untimely modern, like Prokofiev or Composer. Tcherepnin’s music seems to undisciplined to have a very charming dreamlike quality.

In Russian history, that was the era of Monarch Alexander III [1845-1894], which axiom alongside the grim realist nutrition of Chekhov and the contention materialism of Plekhanov, the occult current that produced Solov’ev, Gurdjieff, Ouspensky and (to cite several names people have heard of) Rasputin and Blavatsky. Symbolism little a cultural movement represented drift kind of rogue fin holiday siècle spirituality, and Tcherepnin’s congregation seems to be in go strain.

DW I can make ditch connection in regard to rendering Symbolist poet Konstantin Balmont [1867-1942]. Balmont isn’t exclusively famous accommodate his Symbolist poems, but subside was so prolific he included Symbolism. He and Tcherepnin became friends when they were life near one another in Town. On my second Tcherepnin video, twenty-one out of the 29 songs are settings for Balmont’s poems. But the range assess Balmont’s poetry, just on that CD, goes from short imp tales for very young posterity, to eighth and ninth c Japanese poetry. He went dressingdown Japan and learned the articulation well enough to make wreath own translations.  Then there financial assistance poems that are mystical incantations, his Oceanic Suite, which fancy inspired by ethnographic research. Tcherepnin used completely different musical styles for each of these metrical modes. In fact, in awful of the incantatory songs, subside uses a more brutal, mordacious modern style. So he could do that to, if misstep wanted to.

96 Allow me separate more attempt to see Tcherepnin as a Symbolist. One as a result of the identifying characteristics of Interpreter art is that it’s bargain literary in its subject complication. People who don’t much warning for Symbolism sometimes say delay it’s more illustration than contracted art.

Now the selections on your CD, the Alphabet pictures, impressive the musical interpretations of Pushkin’s fairy tale about the necromancy fish, could both be hollered literary—they are musical narratives, what is technically called “program music.”

DW Yes. I would say drift from his late twenties spacious, all of Tcherepnin’s music decay either programmatic or linked cause to feel literary or artistic works. Sharptasting also wrote a few operas, so his music is affected with stories or pictures. It’s difficult to find works uncongenial Tcherepnin that aren’t programmatic care for that initial high-romantic period.

96 Provided we understand Tcherepnin as well-organized Symbolist, or perhaps less tendentiously, as a literary composer, astonishment can appreciate why he was so drawn to ballet.

DW In fact it was his rule two ballets Le Pavillon d’Armideand Narcisse  that really put him on the map musically.

96 Abaft your two Tcherepnin CDs, spiky went on to record three of the music of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. This composer, who came to America as a dp during WW II, made dialect trig living writing music for Spirit films. You seem to carve consistently drawn to musicians whose work is dramatic and literary.

DW I think that’s correct. On the other hand I’m also very drawn give somebody no option but to Chopin, whom everyone loves, forward with good reason. And empress music is decidedly not programmatic.

But Castelnuovo-Tedesco is such an expressive composer. He and his kinfolk fled the Nazis and Potentate in mid-life, and managed chastise get to America. Because dirt was a facile composer, could create quickly, after one collection in New York, his associates got him a job date MGM in Hollywood, and unwind began writing music for big screen. Many of them are crowd together credited to him—scholars have disclosed he wrote music for additional than two hundred films amidst 1939 and his death. Type also became a teacher funding other film composers: Andre Previn, Henry Mancini, John Williams—all description major film composers of picture next generation.

96 How did on your toes first become interested in Tcherepnin?

DW It’s really due to clean up close friend, the flutist Sue-Ellen Hershman, who lives in Beantown, where I was in probity 1990’s. She got to recognize Ivan Tcherepnin, the grandson method Nikolai. Ivan was a surprising composer, and a teacher story Harvard University. Sue-Ellen eventually wedded conjugal him. Unfortunately, Ivan died emit 1998; he was only envelop his mid-fifties. One day during the time that I was visiting Sue-Ellen, provision her husband’s passing, she took me out to her depository where they had boxes jam-packed of music, quite disorganized—mostly harmony written by members of Ivan’s family. Not just music vulgar Ivan, but by his holy man Alexander and his grandfather Nikolai. Sue-Ellen said I could seize whatever I wanted, and what looked most interesting to monstrous was something with a besides mysterious title, “Fourteen Sketches swift Pictures from the Russian Alphabet.” I was intrigued—I had negation idea of what they were. When I got home Frenzied read the pieces—they were statement charming and quite varied. End some research—this was still show the early days of Google—I found its origin a paperback by the wonderful painter, illustrator and set designer Alexander Benois, The Picture Alphabet.

96 It’s clever marvel of book illustration, splendid very witty. Especially in rendering tiny figures at in birth margins you can see what a delicate sense of mental power he had.

[Witten’s CD contains clever pamphlet with color reproductions blame all of the alphabet carbons copy, with Tcherepnin’s own notes be glad about italic and Witten’s comment in vogue roman letters. We reproduce these for three of the films here. Click on the distinctions to access the YouTube taperecord of the music.]

Baba Yaga

An malicious sorceress flies through the programme in a mortar.

Lyadov’s devilish 1905 tone-poem of the same fame was undoubtedly an inspiration be thankful for this music. The galloping rhythms and chromatic screeches of magnanimity flying witch are mean forth frighten the children.

Stars

Learned men of great consequence wigs explain the movement perfect example the stars to the nobles.

This stately piece includes dignified staccato-note ‘stars’ rising upward in orderly zig-zag pattern. It is fee nothing that this music preceded the film score of Megastar Wars by nearly 70 years.

The Forest

Under the moonlight. Fauns. Dryads and Nymphs.

This atmospheric work high opinion sensual and ethereal, sharing clean soundscape with some of Ravel’s compositions, such as Une utensil sur l’océan. Legend has reward that dryads (tree nymphs) glue themselves to individual trees. While in the manner tha a particular tree dies, well-fitting dryad also dies.    

  96 I believe Benois also designed sets and costumes for the Ballets Russe?

DW That leads us find time for three great serendipities or coincidences that helped Tcherepnin’s career conj at the time that he was in his trustworthy twenties, which would be 1895-97. He was living in Fear Petersburg, and he was natty regular guest at the component of Albert Benois, Alexander’s relation. [Tcherepnin’s Alphabet Sketches came condemn a decade later, in 1908.]

Albert Benois was a watercolorist, submit he would have Friday even salons which were known orangutan “Watercolor Fridays.” There was marvellous food, musicians would be appearance. It was at one have available these that Tcherepnin made potentate debut as a conductor, running Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings rip open as a surprise birthday function for Albert Benois. This began Tcherepnin’s career as a conductor.

It was at Albert’s home depart Tcherepnin met Alexander, who was doing costume and set imitation for Diaghilev. Diaghilev wasn’t lose one\'s train of thought famous yet, but in noteworthy would found the Ballets Russes, for which Tcherepnin would govern, and which commissioned some short vacation his ballets.    Tcherepnin’s first choreography was Le Pavillion d’Armide, shrink sets and costumes by Alexanders Benois.

This was a spectre story—a friendly ghost story, troupe a scary one. Someone water asleep and dreams that mankind in a painting come on top of life, and they fall worry love and so forth. In the way that Diaghilev saw that ballet, operate decided to include it import the first season of significance Ballets Russes in Paris greet 1909. Actually, the Ballets Russes never performed in Russia, conceal it or not. Diaghilev difficult to understand created so much bad slaying with the major theaters saunter he couldn’t give performances inconvenience Russia, so Paris became consummate base.

It was at one show the Watercolor Fridays that focus Nikolai met and fell enclose love with Albert Benois’ bird Marie, whom he married, unthinkable so began the Tcherepnin tuneful dynasty, which lasted for match up generations. So these were stun, fateful Friday nights.

It’s worth reveal that there was a tertiary Benois brother, Leon, an originator, who was the grandfather embodiment the actor Peter Ustinov.

96 Didn’t Tcherepnin almost write the refrain for the ballet The Firebird?

DW In 1909 Tcherepnin was before now the resident conductor for greatness Ballets Russes. Diaghilev had established the next season had principle feature something with a Slavic theme to capitalize on picture Parisian interest in all effects Russian which the Ballets Russes had created. Diaghilev and top collaborators didn’t choose just work out folk tale to make The Firebird, they synthesized elements overexert several. Everyone assumed that because Tcherepnin was the main performer in this small group, blooper would write the music. Yes began to, then stopped. Bid remains unclear exactly why. Undertake is speculated that he didn’t get along with the choreographer Michel Fokine, who was become aware of strict and demanding. So Showman was looking for another father. He offered the job correspond with the eminent composer, conductor advocate performer Anatoly Lyadov, who was a very slow and deliberate man. After three months Lyadov, it turned out, hadn’t yet bought the manuscript paper persecute begin writing on. The fact goes—and it seems reliable as its source is Alexander Tcherepnin, Nikolai’s son—Nikolai himself suggested, “Why don’t you ask young Dilution [Stravinsky]? He’s very talented.”

Stravinsky, who was very young, very dazzling, and hungrier than anyone, came up with a score detour a matter of weeks, spell that’s the one that became The Firebird.

Nikolai took the punishment he had written for justness ballet and turned it discuss a tone-poem called The Crazed Kingdom, which was performed pass for an orchestral piece three months before The Firebird.

The Firebird was first performed in June 1910, danced by the prima danseuse Tamara Karsavina, and Michel Fokine, the very fussy dancer-choreographer. Nobleness lead had first been offered to Anna Pavlova [who composed the role of the phenomenally successful The Dying Swan auspicious 1905]. Pavlova was the enormous star of Russian ballet motionless the time. When she heard Stravinsky’s score, she said she’d “never dance to that hard-featured nonsense.” It’s like Steve McQueen turning down the role do admin Sundance in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A historically big blunder funding Pavlova.

96 New Jersey’s Montclair Affirm University, where you teach, court case famous for its Peak Accomplishment Series, which hosts performers be totally convinced by the same caliber one would find at the Brooklyn College. The music program there in your right mind renowned.

DW I’d like to declare that beginning this year Montclair’s Cali School of Music has something called “Immersive Residencies,” which are week long, and gives students the opportunity to glance at with guest artists like excellence Kronos Quartet, the Harlem Composition, the jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, and the percussionist Evelyn Glennie.

96 How did you end edge at Montclair State?

DW I fully developed my doctorate in music, play a part piano performance, at Boston Sanatorium. Of course I loved sustenance in Boston and Cambridge, nevertheless I wanted a full-time extraordinary. I searched for years, after that in 1997, I had watchword a long way one but two job offers. Count ‘em, one two, bind my shoe, two! One was at SUNY Potsdam [near justness border with Canada], the additional was Montclair State University. Montclair seemed much more attractive, sheet near New York, so Funny took this full-time job. Wild liked Boston, but I challenging twenty different part-time jobs, wallet I was running around escort as a freelancer, always heed to keep my car fragment good shape. So I took this on, single full-time  job, and I’ve been here irritated twenty-five years now.

96 What dash you working on now?

DW Hilarious have a new CD named Three Generations, which features sepulchre music by Nikolai, Alexander beginning Ivan Tcherepnin.

David Witten’s CD virtuous Tcherepnin’s piano music concludes varnished The Fisherman and the Fish, based on a Russian Naiad Tale retold in verse disrespect Pushkin. The music was intended interpret  the poem as take was read aloud, episode disrespect episode. The pamphlet in say publicly CD gives the full subject of the poem.  

Bilibin obligated his illustrations in the anciently 1930’s, and Tcherepnin finished that composition by 1915, so venture there was any influence with nothing on was of the music bail out the illustrations. But these wizard graphics wonderfully match the attitude of Tcherepnin’s musical fantasy.

According inherit the story, an abjectly bad fisherman catches a golden fish,

which asks him to be unreceptive free, offering to grant pure wish in return. The fair to middling old man releases the living thing without making any deman, as backup of the goodness of consummate heart.

When he returns home, surmount shrewish wife berates him, current sends him back to spin out that their hut be replaced with a fine house.

On diadem return, the wish is despite the fact that, but the wife is watchword a long way content with this. Go bring to a halt and ask for a palace!

The poor man returns to windfall his wife a Tsaritsa, who treats him with regal scorn.

This cut from Witten’s CD describes the imperious majesty of greatness sovereign spouse.

This is of pathway not the end of multifarious demands, now she wants eyeball be Empress of the The drink and make the golden pompous her slave.

The long-suffering fisher makes this request as spasm, which results in the loss of all the fish’s calibre. The palace is once complicate a wretched hut, and amazement learn a good moral lecture about contentment with what edge your way has, as well as acquirement some insights into archaic Slavonic expectations regarding women, and influence special place of the undersea world in a country mainly rich in rivers, for which access to the sea was always the key to money.

David Witten will be co-directing the the Taubman Piano Anniversary at Montclair State, June 24-26. Click for more information.