Tansman, Alexandre : Four Impressions
Work Overview
Publication Year:1950
First Publisher:Leeds Music Corporation
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:pieces
Total Playing Time:6 min 00 sec
Copyright:Under Copyright Protection
Commentary (1)
Author : Nishihara, Masaki
Last Updated: June 16, 2024
[Open]
Author : Nishihara, Masaki
A work from his period in America, composed in April 1945 in Los Angeles. Both a piano version and a wind ensemble version were created simultaneously. It is dedicated to Lee and Dr. (Sam) Kestenbaum. Kestenbaum was a figure who, at the time, served as a patron and devoted supporter of composers and performers within the Jewish community in Los Angeles, particularly in the Hollywood area. He must have been a strong and reassuring friend to Tansman, who was experiencing hardships in America. The work consists of four short pieces, alternating between slow and fast tempos:
- Prélude (Andante cantabile, 4/4 time)
- Invention (Vivo, 4/4 time)
- Nocturne (Lento, 3/4 time)
- Burlesque (Vivo, 4/4 time)
Tansman's clear neoclassical approach remained consistent from his earliest works, but from the late 1930s, he sought to deepen and expand his polyphonic, chromatic, and atonal tendencies. Here too, while primarily employing a concise and clear style, modern and complex nuances emerge throughout.