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Home > Tansman, Alexandre

Tansman, Alexandre 1897 - 1986

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  • Author: Saitoh, Noriko

  • Last updated:December 1, 2008
  • Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

    1. Education, Mentorship, and Awards

    Born in Poland, he was active mainly in France. He began playing the piano at the age of 8 and studied piano, harmony, and counterpoint at the conservatory in his hometown of Łódź. Subsequently, he studied counterpoint, musical forms, and composition under Piotr Rytel (1884-1970) while also studying law and philosophy at the University of Warsaw. In 1919, he submitted two works under different pseudonyms to the Polish National Music Competition, where his Fantasy for violin and piano won first prize, and his Piano Sonata won second prize. This award prompted his move to Paris, where he arrived in October of the same year as the competition. During World War II, he moved to the United States and worked on film scores. During this period, he received the Coolidge Medal in 1941. After the war, he returned to Paris.

    2. Musical Style

    His early works show connections to Chopin, Ravel, and Stravinsky. Characteristics of Tansman's works include:

    • the incorporation of national elements
    • unique instrumental sonorities
    • the combination of different styles

    These idioms create lyricism and melancholy.

    3. Activities Other Than Composition

    As a conductor and pianist, he also performed his own works. He toured Europe, Canada, Palestine, and the Far East with the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Koussevitzky. He also authored writings about Stravinsky.

    4. Associated Musicians

    In Paris, he became acquainted with Ravel, Roland-Manuel, Milhaud, Honegger, and Golschmann. In the United States, where he resided during World War II, he also met Stravinsky.

    Author: Saitoh, Noriko
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    Works(92)

    Concerto (1)

    concerto (2)

    Concerto pour piano et orchestre No.1

    Composed in: 1926  Playing time: 21 min 00 sec 

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    Concerto pour piano et orchestre No.2

    Composed in: 1927  Playing time: 26 min 40 sec 

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    Piano Solo (13)

    sonata (5)

    Piano Sonata No.1 'Lustica'

    Composed in: 1925  Playing time: 14 min 20 sec 

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    Piano Sonata No.2

    Composed in: 1929 

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    Piano Sonata No.3

    Composed in: 1932 

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    Piano Sonata No.4

    Composed in: 1941 

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    Piano Sonata No.5

    Composed in: 1955 

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    sonatina (3)

    Sonatine No.1

    Composed in: 1923  Playing time: 9 min 20 sec 

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    Sonatine Transatlantique

    Composed in: 1930  Playing time: 9 min 20 sec 

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    Sonatine No.3

    Composed in: 1933  Playing time: 8 min 30 sec 

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    ballade (1)

    Trois Ballades

    Composed in: 1941  Playing time: 29 min 10 sec 

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    pieces (26)

    Deuxième Recueil de mazurkas

    Composed in: 1932 

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    Troisième Recueil de mazurkas

    Composed in: 1941 

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    Quatrième Recueil de mazurkas

    Composed in: 1941 

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    Quatre Danses miniatures

    Composed in: 1923  Playing time: 5 min 20 sec 

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    Le Tour du monde en miniature

    Composed in: 1933 

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    Cinq Impressions

    Composed in: 1944  Playing time: 6 min 30 sec 

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    Intermezzi

    Composed in: 1939  Playing time: 46 min 40 sec 

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    For Piano Moods

    Composed in: 1944  Playing time: 4 min 30 sec 

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    Eight Cantilenas

    Composed in: 1949  Playing time: 18 min 10 sec 

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    Album d'amis

    Composed in: 1980  Playing time: 16 min 40 sec 

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    Les Jeunes au piano

    Composed in: 1939 

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    Deux Pièce

    Composed in: 1929 

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    Quatre Danses polonaises

    Composed in: 1931 

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    Onze Interludes

    Composed in: 1955  Playing time: 14 min 00 sec 

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    Nous jouons pour maman

    Playing time: 13 min 00 sec 

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    Je joue pour papa

    Playing time: 13 min 00 sec 

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    Recreations (6 pieces for piano)

    Playing time: 10 min 00 sec 

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    Suite Variée

    Playing time: 11 min 00 sec 

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    20 Pieces faciles polonaises

    Composed in: 1924  Playing time: 14 min 10 sec 

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    Arabesques

    Composed in: 1930  Playing time: 8 min 40 sec 

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    Premier Recueil de mazurkas

    Composed in: 1918  Playing time: 17 min 50 sec 

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    Four Impressions

    Composed in: 1945  Playing time: 6 min 00 sec 

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    suite (5)

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    Petite Suite

    Composed in: 1919  Playing time: 7 min 00 sec 

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    Suite dans le style ancien

    Composed in: 1929  Playing time: 12 min 40 sec 

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    Suite variée

    Composed in: 1953 

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    etude (7)

    Mini-étude

    Playing time: 3 min 00 sec 

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    Étude

    Composed in: 1918 

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    Étude-Scherzo

    Composed in: 1922  Playing time: 1 min 20 sec 

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    Étude-Scherzo

    Composed in: 1922  Playing time: 1 min 20 sec 

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    Trois Études transcendantes

    Composed in: 1922 

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    Six Études de Virtuosité

    Composed in: 1941 

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    Étude (Studio per pianoforte)

    Composed in: 1967  Playing time: 6 min 50 sec 

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    prelude (7)

    Prélude

    Composed in: 1915 

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    Prélude en ré bémol

    Composed in: 1917 

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    Preludium

    Key: H-Dur  Composed in: 1918 

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    Preludium

    Key: g-moll  Composed in: 1918 

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    Trois Préludes

    Composed in: 1921  Playing time: 6 min 00 sec 

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    Quatre Préludes

    Composed in: 1921  Playing time: 8 min 00 sec 

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    Trois Préludes en forme de blues

    Composed in: 1937  Playing time: 8 min 00 sec 

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    inpromptu (2)

    Cinq Impromptus

    Composed in: 1925  Playing time: 10 min 10 sec 

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    Valse-Impromptu

    Composed in: 1940  Playing time: 2 min 00 sec 

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    mazurka (2)

    3 Mazurkas from volume 1

    Playing time: 5 min 20 sec 

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    waltz (2)

    Valse et Berceuse

    Composed in: 1916 

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    Valse de concert

    Composed in: 1917 

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    nocturne (2)

    Huit nocturnes

    Composed in: 1922 

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    Quatre Nocturnes

    Playing time: 6 min 00 sec 

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    character pieces (1)

    Novelettes

    Playing time: 24 min 00 sec 

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    Various works (8)

    Chant sans parole

    Playing time: 3 min 00 sec 

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    Tempo americano

    Composed in: 1931 

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    Le Géant

    Playing time: 2 min 00 sec 

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    Visit to Israel

    Composed in: 1958  Playing time: 13 min 10 sec 

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    Hommage à Arthur Rubinstein

    Composed in: 1973  Playing time: 4 min 20 sec 

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    Piano Ensemble (10)

    sonata (1)

    Sonate pour deux pianos

    Composed in: 1940  Playing time: 17 min 20 sec 

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    sonatina (1)

    Sonatine Transatlantique

    Playing time: 9 min 40 sec 

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    rhapsody (1)

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    pieces (1)

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    suite (1)

    Suite Carnaval

    Playing time: 3 min 30 sec 

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    fantasy (1)

    Fantaisie sur des Valses de Johann Strauss

    Playing time: 9 min 00 sec 

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    fuga (6)

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    polonaise (1)

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    serenade (1)

    Sérénade No. 3

    Playing time: 10 min 40 sec 

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    Various works (5)

    Nous jouons pour maman

    Playing time: 9 min 00 sec 

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    Le Train de nuit (The Night Train)

    Playing time: 16 min 20 sec 

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    Danse de la sorcière

    Playing time: 5 min 00 sec 

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    La Grande Ville

    Playing time: 12 min 20 sec 

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