Giorgio Koukl – Tansman: Piano Music (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Until shortly after the Second World War, Alexandre Tansman was one of the most played and most respected composers on the planet. Among his friends and colleagues during his time in Paris were Prokofiev, Stravinski and Ravel, then Einstein, Chaplin, Thomas Mann, and Gershwin once he settled in the United-States. However, Tansman was still able to forge his own personal style even in this melting pot of different cultures: music of devilish rhythmic and harmonic complexity but which was still light and easy on the ear. However, the post-war emergence of certain avant-garde styles sounded the death knell for this musician’s work, as for him freedom in no way meant anarchy, modernism and destroying the past.

Here, you can listen to the Toccata of the Homage to Arthur Rubinstein from 1973, both state-of-the-art and influenced by the work of Ravel. Also included is the Allegro meccanico from 1944 and the intriguing Visit to Israel from 1958, which is at times staid and at other times comical but superb throughout. Upon listening to Tansman’s works it will soon become apparent that he was so much more than an unclassifiable musician somewhere between traditional and modern, or between reasoned avant-garde and imaginative folklore. It is unfortunate that this remarkable composer couldn’t be classified as his works deserve the full attention of anyone interested in 20th century music. Here, some of the piano works are world premieres so there is still a long way to go before Tansman, who was largely overlooked by the time of his death in 1986, is rightfully recognised as one of the best.

Tracklist:
01. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 1, Moderato (01:45)
02. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 2, Allegro giusto (01:05)
03. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 3, Lento (01:23)
04. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 4, Andante (01:11)
05. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 5, Allegro con brio (01:18)
06. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 6, Moderato (01:13)
07. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 7, Allegro con moto (01:19)
08. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 8, Lento (01:51)
09. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 9, Andante sostenuto (00:48)
10. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 10, Moderato (00:47)
11. Giorgio Koukl – 11 Interludes : No. 11, Allegro moderato ma deciso (01:16)
12. Giorgio Koukl – Hommage à Arthur Rubinstein : I. Tempo di mazurka (02:01)
13. Giorgio Koukl – Hommage à Arthur Rubinstein : II. Toccata (02:26)
14. Giorgio Koukl – 2 Pièces hébraïques : No. 1, Invention (06:43)
15. Giorgio Koukl – 2 Pièces hébraïques : No. 2, Berceuse juive (02:32)
16. Giorgio Koukl – 4 Piano Moods : No. 1, Andante cantabile (01:00)
17. Giorgio Koukl – 4 Piano Moods : No. 2, Vivace (01:02)
18. Giorgio Koukl – 4 Piano Moods : No. 3, Lento (01:22)
19. Giorgio Koukl – 4 Piano Moods : No. 4, Allegro meccanico (01:15)
20. Giorgio Koukl – Prelude et Toccata : I. Prélude. Andante sostenuto (01:46)
21. Giorgio Koukl – Prelude et Toccata : II. Toccata. Allegro molto (03:23)
22. Giorgio Koukl – 6 Caprices : No. 1, Allegro ben ritmato (01:40)
23. Giorgio Koukl – 6 Caprices : No. 2, Moderato (01:48)
24. Giorgio Koukl – 6 Caprices : No. 3, Lento (02:34)
25. Giorgio Koukl – 6 Caprices : No. 4, Molto vivace (00:33)
26. Giorgio Koukl – 6 Caprices : No. 5, Andante cantabile (01:52)
27. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : I. Notturno. The Mysterious City of Safed (01:09)
28. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : II. The Kibbutz (01:01)
29. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : III. The Ruins of Capernaum (01:06)
30. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : IV. The Sources of the River Jordan (00:53)
31. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : V. The Holy City (The Seven-armed Candelabra) (01:53)
32. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : VI. The Desert of Negev (01:41)
33. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : VII. The Mosque of Saint Jean d’Acre (00:58)
34. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : VIII. The Lake of Tiberias (01:18)
35. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : IX. Yemenite Cradle Song (02:01)
36. Giorgio Koukl – Visit to Israel : X. Popular Dance (Hora) (01:21)
37. Giorgio Koukl – Étude (Studio per pianoforte) : Étude (Studio per pianoforte) (06:44)