Tcherepnin, Alexander Nikolaevich 1899 - 1977
Author: Saitoh, Noriko
Last updated：December 1, 2008
Author: Saitoh, Noriko
1. Life
Born as the son of Nikolai, who was active as a composer, pianist, and conductor. Due to his father's profession, he interacted with prominent musicians and artists who visited their home from his early childhood, which greatly stimulated him. Before the outbreak of World War I, he accompanied his father on a trip to Europe. In 1918, to escape the turmoil of the Russian Revolution, he left his hometown of Saint Petersburg and moved to Tbilisi. He attended the conservatory there. In 1921, due to the further deterioration of the political situation, his family moved to Paris. Here, he engaged with the compositions of Vidal, Philipp, Martinu, Mihalovici, and Conrad Beck, among others. Starting from Paris, he began his international activities as both a composer and a pianist, making his Western European debut in London. He also traveled to the United States and the Far East. Among these, his exposure to Chinese and Japanese musical thought influenced his compositional style to the extent of transforming it. To provide music instruction in Eastern countries and actively support younger generations, he established a publishing company in Tokyo. He obtained United States citizenship in 1858.
2. Style
As if reflecting his life, his music is characterized by a cosmopolitan orientation. It exhibits a truly wide variety of aspects, including:
- polytonal works,
- those seemingly influenced by Prokofiev and modern French composers,
- the use of new scales named after himself, integrating the theories of Riemann and Slonimsky,
- unique applications of counterpoint,
- and works incorporating Georgian folk songs and Chinese scales.
3. Teaching Career
In later years, he was invited to DePaul University in Chicago along with his wife, a Chinese pianist.
※Tcherepnin Scale
Theoretically, a scale consisting of nine notes formed by the combination of three tetrachords. Each tetrachord contains one whole tone and two semitones.
※Interpoint
A technique of inserting two voices from one independent contrapuntal pair into the gaps of another pair, under the condition that no overlap occurs. This second contrapuntal pair can, furthermore, be inserted into a third contrapuntal pair under similar conditions. And this technique can be extended further by following the same procedure.
Works(41)
Concerto (1)
concerto (6)
Concerto pour piano et orchestre No.4(Fantaisie) Op.78
Composed in: 1947 Playing time: 28 min 30 sec
Piano Solo (12)
sonata (2)
pieces (8)
etude (7)
Etude sur la gamme pentatonique, Bagatelles Chinoises Op.51 No.3
Composed in: 1935 Playing time: 10 min 00 sec
toccata (2)
prelude (4)
Various works (6)