Alexander Nikolayevich Tcherepnin (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Черепни́н, link=no; 21 January 1899 – 29 September 1977) was a

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...

n-born composer and

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

. His father,

Nikolai Tcherepnin Nikolai Nikolayevich Tcherepnin (Russian: Николай Николаевич Черепнин; – 26 June 1945) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. He was born in Saint Petersburg and studied under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at t ...

(pupil of

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...

), and his sons, Serge Tcherepnin and

Ivan Tcherepnin Ivan Alexandrovich Tcherepnin (Russian: ''Иван Александрович Черепнин'') (February 5, 1943 in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France – April 11, 1998 in Boston, USA) was an experimental, then later modernist/postmodernist, composer ...

, as well as two of his grandsons (sons of Ivan), Sergei and Stefan, were composers. His son Serge was involved in the earliest development of

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means (electroac ...

and instruments. His mother was a member of the artistic

Benois family The Benois family was a family of prominent 19th- and 20th-century Russian artists, musicians and architects, descended from French confectioner Louis Jules (Leonty Nikolaevich) Benois (1770/1772?-1822), cook-confectioner to the Duke of Montmorenc ...

, a niece of

Alexandre Benois Alexandre Nikolayevich Benois (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Бенуа́, also spelled Alexander Benois; ,Salmina-Haskell, Larissa. ''Russian Paintings and Drawings in the Ashmolean Museum''. pp. 15, 23-24. Published by ...

Biography

He was born in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia, and played the piano and composed prolifically from a very early age. He was stimulated in this activity by the atmosphere at home, which—thanks to his family's Benois-Diaghilev connection—was a meeting place for many well-known musicians and artists of the day. By the time he began formal theory and composition studies in his late teens, he had already composed hundreds of pieces, including more than a dozen piano sonatas. Among his teachers in Russia were composer Victor Belyayev (pupil of

Anatoly Lyadov Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov (russian: Анато́лий Константи́нович Ля́дов; ) was a Russian composer, teacher, and conductor. Biography Lyadov was born in 1855 in St. Petersburg, into a family of eminent Russian ...

and

Alexander Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...

), who prepared Tcherepnin for Saint Petersburg Conservatory; Leokadiya Kashperova (renowned pianist, protégée of

Anton Rubinstein Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein ( rus, Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, r=Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; ) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Sai ...

); and his professor at the Conservatory Nikolay Sokolov (pupil of

). Notably at that time Tcherepnin's mentor was famous musicologist

Alexander Ossovsky Alexander Vyacheslavovich Ossovsky (russian: link=no, Александр Вячеславович Оссовский, July 31, 1957) was a renowned Russian musical writer, critic and musicologist, professor at Saint Petersburg Conservatory, pupi ...

, who also was a friend of his

father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fath ...

. His works were influenced by composer Alexander Spendiarov. After the 1917

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

, the family fled Saint Petersburg and settled for some time in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. In young Tcherepnin's luggage were some two hundred short piano pieces, quite a number of which eventually reached print (notably in his Bagatelles, Op. 5). In Tbilisi he continued his studies at the conservatory, gave concerts as both pianist and conductor and wrote music for the

Kamerny Theatre The Kamerny Theatre was a chamber theatre in Moscow, founded in 1914 by director Alexander Tairov (1885–1950). Over the next 35 years, this small, intimate theater became "recognized as a major force in Russian theater". Considered among the bet ...

. Because of the political environment in Tbilisi after Georgia was

sovietized Sovietization (russian: Советизация) is the adoption of a political system based on the model of soviets (workers' councils) or the adoption of a way of life, mentality, and culture modelled after the Soviet Union. This often included ...

, the Tcherepnins chose to leave Russia permanently in 1921. They settled in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, where Alexander completed his studies with

Paul Vidal Paul Antonin Vidal (16 June 1863 – 9 April 1931) was a French composer, conductor and music teacher mainly active in Paris.Charlton D. Paul Vidal. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and New York, 1997. Life and caree ...

and

Isidor Philipp Isidor Edmond Philipp (first name sometimes spelled Isidore) (2 September 1863 – 20 February 1958) was a French pianist, composer, and pedagogue of Jewish Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris. Biography Isidor Philipp ...

, who was the head of the piano department at the

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, and became associated with a group of composers that included

Bohuslav Martinů Bohuslav Jan Martinů (; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He be ...

Marcel Mihalovici Marcel Mihalovici (Bucharest, 22 October 1898 – Paris, 12 August 1985) was a French composer born in Romania. He was discovered by George Enescu in Bucharest. He moved to Paris in 1919 (at age 21) to study under Vincent d'Indy. His works include ...

and

Conrad Beck Conrad Arthur Beck (16 June 1901, Lohn, Schaffhausen – 31 October 1989, Basel) was a Swiss composer. Life and works Beck was the son of a pastor. His stay in Paris between 1924 and 1933 proved crucial to his artistic development, where he ...

. Philipp secured the publication of several groups of short piano pieces that Tcherepnin had composed in Russia. From Paris Tcherepnin launched an international career as a pianist and composer. In 1925 he won the Schott Prize with his Concerto da Camera, Op. 33. He began yearly visits to the United States in 1926 and later went to the Far East, making several extended visits to China and Japan between 1934 and 1937. He promoted composers in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

(

Akira Ifukube was a Japanese classical and film music composer, best known for his works on the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Biography Early years in Hokkaido Akira Ifukube was born on 31 May 1914 in Kushiro, Japan as the third son of a police officer Toshim ...

Fumio Hayasaka Fumio Hayasaka (早坂文雄 ''Hayasaka Fumio''; August 19, 1914 – October 15, 1955) was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores. Early life Hayasaka was born in the city of Sendai on the main Japanese island of Honshū. In ...

, Bunya Koh, and others) and China (

He Luting He Luting (traditional: 賀綠汀; simplified: 贺绿汀; pinyin: Hè Lùtīng; July 20, 1903 – April 27, 1999) was a Chinese composer of the early 20th century. He composed songs for Chinese films beginning in the 1930s, some of which rem ...

and others), even founding his own publishing house in Tokyo for the purpose. While in China, he met the young Chinese pianist Lee Hsien Ming (1915–1991), and the two later married in Europe. They had three sons together: Peter,

Serge Serge may refer to: *Serge (fabric), a type of twill fabric *Serge (llama) (born 2005), a llama in the Cirque Franco-Italien and internet meme *Serge (name), a masculine given name (includes a list of people with this name) *Serge (post), a hitchi ...

and

Ivan Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

. During World War II, he lived in France. The war virtually stopped his musical activities. The immediate postwar period, however, brought a resurgence of creative energies; the result was a number of important works, beginning with Symphony No. 2 (composed 1947, not orchestrated until 1951). In 1948, he went to the United States, settling in Chicago in 1950 and in 1958 acquiring United States citizenship. He and his wife taught at

DePaul University DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Cat ...

in Chicago. His students there included Phillip Ramey, Robert Muczynski,

Gloria Coates Gloria Coates (born October 10, 1938, in Wausau, Wisconsin) is an American composer who has lived in Munich since 1969. She studied with Alexander Tcherepnin, Otto Luening, and Jack Beeson. Music Her music features canonic structures and promi ...

, and John Downey. Tcherepnin's Symphony No. 3 was written while in Chicago during this time, commissioned in 1951 by Patricia and M. Martin Gordon, who were the founders of Princess Pat, a Chicago-based cosmetic company. The work was dedicated to Patricia Gordon and premiered in 1955 with

Fabien Sevitzky Fabien Sevitzky (September 29, 1891 in Vyshny Volochyok – February 3, 1967 in Athens) was a Russian-born American conductor. He was the nephew of renowned double-bass virtuoso and longtime Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Serge Koussevi ...

conducting the

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Circl ...

. Meanwhile, his Symphony No. 2 had its world premiere with the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenur ...

in 1952 under the direction of

Rafael Kubelík Rafael Jeroným Kubelík, KBE (29 June 1914 – 11 August 1996) was a Czech conductor and composer. Son of a well-known violinist, Jan Kubelík, he was trained in Prague, and made his debut with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 1 ...

. In 1957, Tcherepnin completed two major American orchestral commissions: the Divertimento, Op. 90 (for

Fritz Reiner Frederick Martin "Fritz" Reiner (December 19, 1888 – November 15, 1963) was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century. Hungarian born and trained, he emigrated to the United States in 1922, where he rose to ...

and the

) and his Symphony No. 4, Op. 91 (for Charles Munch and the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881 ...

). In 1964 he moved to New York and subsequently divided his time between the United States and Europe. He died in Paris in 1977. The

Singapore Symphony Orchestra The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Singapore. Its principal concert venue is the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. The orchestra also gives concerts at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and performs about ...

was the first to record his complete symphony cycle, conducted by Lan Shui. In 2008, these recordings were reissued together with Singapore Symphony performances of his six piano concertos ( Noriko Ogawa, pianist), along with the Symphonic Prayer, Op. 93, Magna Mater, Op. 41 and other orchestral works. He was a National Patron of

Delta Omicron Delta Omicron () is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship. History Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity was founded on September 6, 1909 at ...

, an international professional music fraternity.

Style and techniques

His output includes three

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

s, four

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning co ...

, a divertimento (which is a symphony in all but name), six

piano concerto A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpi ...

s, works for

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

choral music A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

, alto saxophone solo, and a large amount of solo piano music. His Symphony No. 1 (1927) is remarkable for including the first symphonic movement ever written completely for

unpitched percussion An unpitched percussion instrument is a percussion instrument played in such a way as to produce sounds of indeterminate pitch, or an instrument normally played in this fashion. Unpitched percussion is typically used to maintain a rhythm or to ...

; this preceded by four years

Edgard Varèse Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse (; also spelled Edgar; December 22, 1883 – November 6, 1965) was a French-born composer who spent the greater part of his career in the United States. Varèse's music emphasizes timbre and rhythm; he coined ...

's ''

Ionisation Ionization, or Ionisation is the process by which an atom or a molecule acquires a negative or positive charge by gaining or losing electrons, often in conjunction with other chemical changes. The resulting electrically charged atom or molecule i ...

'' of 1931.Benjamin Folkman, cited in One of two symphonies left incomplete at his death would have been for percussion alone. Tcherepnin invented his own harmonic languages. The most famous of his synthetic scales, derived by combining minor and major

hexachord In music, a hexachord (also hexachordon) is a six-note series, as exhibited in a scale ( hexatonic or hexad) or tone row. The term was adopted in this sense during the Middle Ages and adapted in the 20th century in Milton Babbitt's serial the ...

s, has nine notes and consists of three conjunct semitone-tone-semitone tetrachords. This came to be known as the "Tcherepnin scale", and may be classified with Messiaen's

modes of limited transposition Modes of limited transposition are musical modes or scales that fulfill specific criteria relating to their symmetry and the repetition of their interval groups. These scales may be transposed to all twelve notes of the chromatic scale, but at leas ...

He also worked with

pentatonic scale A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the heptatonic scale, which has seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale). Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many anc ...

s, old Russian modal tunes, Georgian harmonies, and a nine-note "chromatic perfect" scale built upon half-step and step-and-a-half intervals. Tcherepnin discussed these techniques in his monograph "Basic Elements of My Musical Language".

Works

List of compositions by Alexander Tcherepnin. Works with and without

opus number In musicology, the opus number is the "work number" that is assigned to a musical composition, or to a set of compositions, to indicate the chronological order of the composer's production. Opus numbers are used to distinguish among composition ...

s are listed in this section, together with their dates of composition. *Op. posth. Sunny Day (Forgotten Bagatelle) for piano (1915). *Op. 1 Toccata No. 1 for piano (1921). *Op. 2 No. 1 Nocturne No. 1 for piano (1919). *Op. 2 No. 2 Danse No. 1 for piano (1919). *Op. 3 Scherzo for piano (1917). *Op. 4 Sonatine romantique for piano (1918). *Op. 5 Bagatelles (10 pieces), original version for piano (1912–18). Revised and edited 1958. *Op. 5 Bagatelles, version for orchestra (1958). *Op. 5 Bagatelles, version for piano and orchestra (1960). *Op. 6 Petite Suite for piano (1918–19). *Op. 7 Pièces sans titres (8 Pieces Without Title) for piano (1915–17). *Op. 8 No. 1 Nocturne No. 2 for piano (1919). *Op. 8 No. 2 Danse No. 2 for piano (1919). *Op. 9 Eight Preludes for piano (1919–20). *Op. 10 Feuilles libres (Loose Pages) for piano (1920). *Op. 11 Arabesques for piano (1920–21). *Op. 11 No. 5 Arabesque for Violin and Piano (1920–21). *Op. 12 Piano Concerto No. 1 (1919–20). *Op. 12 Arrangement of Piano Concerto No. 1 for 2 pianos. *Op. 13 9 Inventions for piano (1920–21). *Op. 14 Sonata for Violin and Piano (1921–22). *Op. 15 6 Mélodies for soprano or tenor and piano (1921). *Op. 16 8 Mélodies for soprano or tenor and piano (1918–22). *Op. 17 Haltes (Stops) for soprano or tenor and piano (1918–22). * My Flowering Staff (''Цветущий Посох'') A volume of poems by Sergei Gorodetsky, set to music in a cycle of 36 Songs (incorporating Opp. 15, 16 and 17) (1918–22) *Op. 18 10 Etudes for piano (1915–20). *Op. 19 2 Novelettes for piano (1921–22). *Op. 20 Toccata No. 2 for piano (1922). *Op. 21 6 Études de travail (6 Practice Studies) for piano (1922–23). *Op. 22 Piano Sonata No. 1 (1918–19). *Op. 23 4 Nostalgic Preludes for piano (1922). *Op. 24 4 Preludes for piano (1922–23). *Op. 24 No. 3 Arrangement of Prelude No. 3 for two flutes and piano (1971). *Op. 25 Rhapsody georgienne (Georgian Rhapsody) for cello and orchestra (1922). *Op. 25 Rhapsody georgienne, arrangement for cello and piano. *Op. 26 Piano Concerto No. 2 (1922–23), original version for smaller orchestra. *Op. 26 Arrangement of Piano Concerto No. 2 for 2 pianos (1923). *Op. 26 Piano Concerto No. 2, reorchestrated for larger orchestra (1950). *Op. 27 Slavic Transcriptions for piano (1924). **1. Les Bateliers du Volga (The Volga Boatmen) **2. Chanson pour la cherie (Song for the Beloved) **3. Chanson: Grandrussienne (The Great Russian People) (later title: Russian Song) **4. Le Long du Volga (The Banks of the Volga) **5. Chanson tchèque (Czech Song) *Op. 28 Canzona for piano (1924). *Op. 29 Sonata No. 1 for cello and piano (1924). *Op. 30 No. 1 Sonata No. 2 for cello and piano (1924). *Op. posth. Canon (1922–23), transcription for piano of Canon for string trio, which is based on the second movement of the cello sonata *Op. 30 No. 2 Sonata No. 3 for cello and piano (1919–26). *Op. 31 4 Romances for piano (1924). *Op. 32 Ajanta's Frescoes, ballet in four scenes (1923). *Op. 33 Concerto da Camera for flute, violin and chamber orchestra (1924). *Op. 33a Intermezzo, arrangement for piano solo of the second movement of Concerto da Camera (1926). *Op. 33 Arrangement of Concerto da Camera for flute, violin and piano. *Op. 34 Trio for violin, cello and piano (1925). *Op. 35 Ol-Ol, opera in five scenes (1930). *Op. 36 String Quartet No. 1 (Love Offering of St. Theresa) (1922). *Op. 36a Musica Sacra (1973). Arrangement (with Kurt Redel) for string orchestra from String Quartet No. 1 (1922). *Op. 36b Histoire de la petite Thérèse de l'enfant Jésus (The Story of Little Therese of Infant Jesus), 13 short pieces for piano. *Op. 37 3 Stücke fur Kammerorchester (Three Pieces for Chamber Orchestra), 1921–25. **1. Overture **2. Mystère **3. Pour un entrainment de boxe (For a Boxer's Training) *Op. 37/2 Mystère for cello and chamber orchestra (1925). *Op. 37/2 Mystère, arrangement for cello and piano. *Op. 37/3 Training version for oboe and bassoon with chamber orchestra *Op. 37/3b Training, ballet in one scene (1922). *Op. 37/3c Training, piano reduction by Tcherepnin (1930). *Op. 38 12 Preludes (Violoncelle bien tempéré) (The Well-Tempered Cello) for cello and piano (1925–26). *Op. 38 No. 2 Arrangement for cello and percussion *Op. 38 No. 3 Arrangement for cello and strings *Op. 38 No. 4 Arrangement for cello and percussion *Op. 38 No. 9 Arrangement for cello and strings *Op. 38 No. 10 Arrangement for cello and strings *Op. 39 Message, piano solo (1926). *Op. 39b Voeux (Wishes), piano solo (1926). *Op. 40 String Quartet No. 2 (1926). *Op. 41 Magna Mater (1926–27). *Op. 42 Symphony No. 1 (1927). *(Op. 42) Scherzo for percussion ensemble, from Symphony No. 1. *Op. 43 Elegy for Violin and Piano (1929). *Op. 44 Quintet for piano and strings (1927). *Op. posth. Tanz (Dance), arrangement of second movement of the Quintet for piano (1928). *Op. 45 Die Hochzeit der Sobeide (The Wedding of Sobeide), opera in three scenes (1928–30). In German. *Op. 45a Festmusik (Celebration Music), suite from the opera Die Hochzeit der Sobeide (1930). *Op. 46 Entretiens (Conversations), piano solo (1930). *Op. 47 Concertino for violin, cello, piano and string orchestra (1930–31). *Op. 47 Concertino, original version for 12 solo strings and piano (1930). *Op. 47 Concertino, version for clarinet, bassoon, piano and strings (1944). *Op. 47 Trio Concertante, arrangement for violin, cello, piano and strings (1960). *Op. 47 Triple Concertino, definitive version for violin, cello, piano and orchestra (1965). *Op. 48 Piano Concerto No. 3 (1931–32). *Op. 48 Arrangement of Piano Concerto No. 3 for 2 pianos. *Op. 49 Duo for violin and cello (1932). *Op. 50 Dances russes (1933). *Op. 51 Étude du piano sur la gamme pentatonique (Piano Study on the Pentatonic Scale) (1934–35). **No. 1. Première suite (1934) **No. 2. Deuxième suite (1934) **No. 3. Bagatelles chinoises (Chinese Bagatelles) (1935) *Op. 52 Five Concert Etudes (1934–36). **No. 1 Shadow Play **No. 2 The Lute **No. 3 Homage to China **No. 4 Punch and Judy **No. 5 Chant *Op. 53 Technical Exercises on the Five Note Scale, piano studies (1934–36). *Op. 55 Trepak, ballet in three scenes (with Serge Sudeikin) (1937). *Op. 56 7 Etudes for piano (1938). *Op. 57 Suite georgienne (Georgian Suite) for piano and strings (1938). *Op. 57 Arrangement of Suite georgienne for 2 pianos. *Op. 57 Suite georgienne, version for 1 piano 4 hands. *Op. 57 / WoO Dialogue, arrangement of second movement of Georgian Suite for piano solo (1952). *Op. 58 Sonatina for timpani and piano (1939). *Op. 58 Sonatina, arranged for timpani and orchestra (1954). *Op. 58 Sonatina for timpani and band (1963). *Op. 59 Trio for 3 flutes (1939). *Op. 60 Quartet for 4 flutes (1939). *Op. 61 Trio for 3 trumpets or clarinets (1939). *Op. 62 March for 3 trumpets in B-flat (1939). *Op. 63 Sonatine sportive for alto saxophone or bassoon and piano (1939). *Op. 63 Sonatine sportive, version for cello and piano (1939). *Op. posth. Sonata in One Movement for clarinet and piano (1939). *Op. 64 Andante for tuba or bass trombone and piano (1939). *Op. 65 Pour Petits et Grands (For Young and Old), 12 piano pieces of medium difficulty (1940). *Op. 66 Chant et refrain (Song and Refrain), piano solo (1940). *Op. 67 Romantic Overture (1942). *Op. 68 2 Mélodies for soprano or tenor and piano (1946). *Op. 69 Evocation (Enfance do Saint-Nino) (The Childhood of Saint Nino) (1944). *Op. 70 Mouvement perpetuel for Violin and Piano (1944). *Op. 71 7 Songs on Chinese Poems for soprano or tenor and piano (1945). Text in Chinese, Russian and English. *Op. 72 The Nymph and the Farmer, opera in two scenes (1952). In French, German or English. *Op. 73 Les Douze (The Twelve) for narrator and small orchestra (1945). Text in Russian, French, German or English. *Op. 73 Les Douze, version for narrator and piano. *Op. 74 Nativity Play, cantata for 2 sopranos, tenor, bass, chorus (optional), string orchestra and percussion (1945). Text in English, French, German or Russian. *Op. 74 Nativity Play, version for soloists, chorus, string orchestra and percussion. *Op. 74 Nativity Play, version for voice and piano. *Op. 75 Le Monde en vitrine (Showcase), piano solo (1946). *Op. 76 Suite for cello solo (1946). *Op. 77 Symphony No. 2 (1946–51). *Op. 78 Piano Concerto No. 4 (Fantasy) (1947). *Op. 78 Arrangement of Piano Concerto No. 4 for 2 pianos. *Op. 79 La Femme et son ombre (The Woman and her Shadow), ballet (1948). *Op. 79a Japanese Suite, orchestral suite from the ballet The Woman and her Shadow (1948). *Op. 80 Symphonic March, original version for orchestra (1951). *Op. 80 Symphonic March, version for band (1954). *Op. 81 Expressions, piano solo (1951). *Op. 82 Songs Without Words, piano solo (1951). **No. 1 Elegy **No. 2 Rondel **No. 3 Enigma **No. 4 The Juggler **No. 5 Hymn to Our Lady *Op. 83 Symphony No. 3 (1951). **1. Incorporating music from the ballet ''Dionys'' (1940) **2. Incorporating music from the ballet ''Atlantide'' (1943) **3. Incorporating music from the ballet ''Le Vendeur des papillons'' (1945) **4. Incorporating music from the ballet ''Dionys'' (1940) *Op. 84 Songs and Dances for Cello and Piano (1953). *Op. 85 12 Preludes for piano (1952–53). *Op. 86 Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra (1953). *Op. 86 Arrangement of Concerto for harmonica and piano. *Op. 87 Suite for Orchestra (1953), suite for orchestra comprising first three movements from the ballet Le Gouffre. *Op. 87b Le Gouffre (The Abyss), ballet (1949). *Op. 87b Rondo, arrangement for 2 pianos of final movement of Suite for Orchestra (1952). *Op. 88 8 Pieces for Piano (1954–55) **No. 1 Meditation **No. 2 Intermezzo **No. 3 Reverie **No. 4 Impromptu **No. 5 Invocation **No. 6 The Chase **No. 7 Etude **No. 8 Burlesque *Op. 89 The Lost Flute, for narrator and orchestra (1954). *Op. 90 Divertimento (1955–57). *Op. 91 Symphony No. 4 (1957). *Op. 92 Georgiana (1958–59), suite for orchestra from the ballet Chota Rostaveli (1946). *Op. posth. Suite de ballet, arrangement after the second act of the ballet Chota Rostaveli for 2 pianos and percussion (1946). *Op. 93 Symphonisches Gebet (Symphonic Prayer) (1959). *Op. 94 Piano Sonata No. 2 (1961?). *Op. 95 Cycle of 7 Chinese Folksongs for bass or other voices and piano (1962). In Chinese and English. *Op. 96 Piano Concerto No. 5 (1963), original version for large orchestra. *Op. 96 Piano Concerto No. 5 (1963), version for piano and small orchestra. *Op. 96 Arrangement of Piano Concerto No. 5 for 2 pianos. *Op. 97 Serenade for Strings (1964). *Op. 98 Vom Spass und Ernst (Of Things Light and Earnest), folksong cantata for contralto or bass and string orchestra (1964). Text in Russian, German or English. *Op. 99 Piano Concerto No. 6 (1965). *Op. 99 Arrangement of Piano Concerto No. 6 for 2 pianos. *Op. 100 Suite for

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

(1966). *Op. 101 Sonata da Chiesa for

viola da gamba The viol (), viola da gamba (), or informally gamba, is any one of a family of bowed, fretted, and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitch ...

and organ (1966). *Op. 101 Sonata da Chiesa, version for viola da gamba, string quintet, flute and cembalo. *Op. 102 Mass for 3 Equal Voices (2 sopranos and alto, a cappella) (1966). *Op. 103 6 Liturgical Chants for Mixed Chorus a cappella (1967). **1. Cherubim song **2. O My God **3. Light So Tender **4. Prayer to the Holy Spirit **5. Transfiguration **6. Alleluia *Op. 104 4 Russian Folksongs for Mixed Chorus a cappella (1967). **1. Hills **2. Shali-Vali **3. Complaint **4. Nonsense Song *Op. 105 Brass quintet (1970). *Op. 106 Russian Sketches, for youth orchestra (1971). *Op. 106 Russian Sketches, version for band (1977). *Op. 107 Woodwind quintet (1976). *Op. 108 (posth.) Duo for 2 Flutes (1977). *Op. 109 Opivochki (Little Dregs), 39 miscellaneous short pieces for piano in various styles (1975–77). *WoO Old Saint Petersburg, waltz for piano (1917). *WoO Ballade for piano (1917). *WoO A Contented Man, song for bass and piano (1918). *WoO Ode for cello and piano (1919). *WoO Episodes – Priskaski (Fleas), 12 simple pieces for piano (1912–20). *WoO Étude de concert (Concert Etude) for piano (1920). *WoO Romance for violin and small orchestra (1922). *WoO Romance for violin and piano (1922). *WoO Pour la paix en Orient (For Peace in the Orient), piano solo (1926). Originally intended as one movement of Voeux. *WoO / Op. posth. Study for soprano or tenor and piano (1927). Former title: Vocalise-Étude for voice. *WoO Die Heirate (The Marriage), opera in two scenes; music of first scene by Modest Moussorgsky (1863); music of second scene by Tcherepnin (1934–35). Orchestrations by Tcherepnin. In German or Russian. *WoO Autour des montagnes russes (Riding the Roller Coaster), piano solo (1937). *WoO La Legende de Razin (The Legend of Razin), ballet in three scenes (1940–41). Original title

Stenka Razin Stepan Timofeyevich Razin (russian: Степа́н Тимофе́евич Ра́зин, ; 1630 – ), known as Stenka Razin ( ), was a Cossack leader who led a major uprising against the nobility and tsarist bureaucracy in southern Russia in 1 ...

. *WoO La Foire do Sorotchinski (Sorochinsky Fair), ballet with music by Modest Moussorgsky, completed and orchestrated by Tcherepnin (1940). *WoO Dionys, Ballet mythologique (1940). Incorporated into Symphony No. 3, movements 1 and 4. *WoO Suite populaire russe for small orchestra (1941). *WoO Badinage, piano solo (1941). *WoO Vivre d'amour (Hymn of Love), lyric cantata for soloists, chorus and orchestra (1942). Text in English and French. *WoO Atlantide, ballet (1943). Incorporated into Symphony No. 3, movement 2. *WoO Valse orientale for piano, flute,

xylophone The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in th ...

and strings (1943). *WoO Polka, original version for piano solo (1944). *WoO Le Vendeur des papillons (The Butterfly Salesman), ballet (1945). Incorporated into Symphony No. 3, movement 3. *WoO 2 Songs for soprano or tenor and piano (1945). *WoO Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe (Picnic on the Grass), ballet based on the music of Joseph Lanner (1945–46). *WoO Rondo à la russe, piano solo (1946). *WoO L'Écolier paresseux (The Lazy Scholar), folksong for voice and piano (1947). *WoO J'avais mal ... (I Was Sick ... ), folksong for voice and piano (1947). *WoO La Quatrième (The Fourth Republic), piano solo (1948–49). *WoO La Colline des phantômes (The Hill of Phantoms) ballet (1953). *WoO Pastoral, arrangement for piano solo from The Lost Flute (1955). *WoO Polka, version for orchestra (1956) after original for piano (1944). *WoO 17 Piano Pieces for Beginners (1954–57). *WoO Exploring the Piano: 12 duets for beginner and teacher–pianist (1958). *WoO Trio for flute, violin and cello (1960). *WoO Fanfare for brass ensemble and percussion (1961). *WoO Partita for accordion (1961). *WoO Processional and Recessional for organ (1962). *WoO Tzigane for

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

(1966). *WoO Invention for accordion (1967). *WoO The Story of Ivan the Fool (1968), music for a radio play, for narrator, vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra and electronic sound. *WoO Ascension, piano solo (1969). *WoO Ein Kleines Lied (A Little Song) for soprano or tenor and piano (1970). *WoO Baptism Cantata for children's chorus, solo voice, recorders, flutes, strings, organ, and optional participation of the congregation (1972). *WoO 4 Caprices diatoniques for

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orch ...

Celtic harp The Celtic harp is a triangular frame harp traditional to the Celtic nations of northwest Europe. It is known as in Irish, in Scottish Gaelic, in Breton and in Welsh. In Ireland and Scotland, it was a wire-strung instrument requiring gre ...

(1973). *WoO Two Pieces for Children, piano solo (1976). **No. 1 Indian Trail **No. 2 Celebration *Transcription for piano of 19th Century Russian church choir music by Bortniansky, Degtiareff and Berezovsky (1920). *Arrangement for piano of

Domenico Zipoli Domenico Zipoli (1688-1726) was a composer from the Baroque period. He worked and died in Córdoba, in the Viceroyalty of Peru, Spanish Empire, (presently in Argentina). He became a Jesuit in order to work in the Reductions of Paraguay where ...

's organ piece All'Offertorio (1920). *Free adaptation of

's Nocturne in F major, Op. 44 No. 5, piano solo (1920). *Arrangement for piano of Chant hindou (Hindu Song) from

's opera ''

Sadko Sadko (russian: Садко) is the principal character in a Russian medieval epic '' bylina''. He was an adventurer, merchant, and ''gusli'' musician from Novgorod. Textual notes "Sadko" is a version of the tale translated by Arthur Ransome i ...

'' (1922). *Music for the TV film The Unknown India (1936). *12 Favorite Pieces for Children from the Russian Masters, arranged for piano (1937). *Music for a TV production of ''

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

'' (1948). *Music for the TV film ''The Cadets' Ball'' (1948). *Music for the play ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'' (1950). *Music for the play ''

Blood Wedding ''Blood Wedding'' ( es, link=no, Bodas de sangre) is a tragedy by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1932 and first performed at Teatro Beatriz in Madrid in March 1933, then later that year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

'' (1951). *Music for the play ''Fenelon'' (1951). *Music for the TV film ''Crisis in Suez'' (1961). *Music for the TV film ''Catch the Graf Spee'' (1962). *Music for the TV film ''Retreat from

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...

'' (1962). *Music for the TV film ''Attack on

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borderin ...

'' (1963).

Recordings

Recordings of compositions by Alexander Tcherepni

Documents

Letters by Alexander Tcherepnin held by the , company archives of the music publishing house C. F. Peters (Leipzig).

References

Sources * * * * * * *

External links

Biography of Alexander Tcherepnin
– The Tcherepnin Society
Alexander Tcherepnin: The Saga of a Russian Emigré Composer
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tcherepnin, Alexander 1899 births 1977 deaths 20th-century classical composers Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States DePaul University faculty American male classical composers American classical composers Russian classical composers Russian male classical composers American people of Russian descent Benois family Musicians from Saint Petersburg

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

Pupils of Isidor Philipp 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians