Mimi Ezust wrote about:

>...a VoxBox Twofer called new World Composers from the Old World, and I've
>...  just "discovered" the String Quartet No. 2 Opus 40 (1927) and as I
>write this, the second movement, a wild thing with folklike melodies, is on
>for the second time.

Mine was on again and again for weeks after I got it; every quartet in that
collection is worth the ticket, even the Korngold.

>It seems to me that it's a good introduction into slightly more modern
>chambermusic ...Does anyone else know this composer? Have any favorites?
>This is the first piece of his that I have encountered.

I believe he had some contacts with Martinu and Roussel in Paris in the
20s/30s.  He travelled extensively in the Orient, set up a music school in
Shanghai, I believe, where he settled for a while, and married a Chinese
woman.  I gather he's highly respected there still.

There are 3 Olympia CDs wi Alexandre Tcherepnin's music: his six piano
concerti are on two, and the other has assorted orchestral works.  There's
also a short duo for violin and cello on Chandos, played by the Turovskys.
To my tastes, none of this quite matches the fireworks of the string
quartet.  I did learn, though, that he also composed 3 sonatas for piano &
cello, a string trio, a piano quintet (Op 44, while the 2nd SQ is op. 40),
several sonatas for unaccompanied piano, some for violin and piano, etc.

In short, there's much more than that quartet you have, and I'm hoping that
it's just a case of no-one's ventured to look, or to try it out.  Do you
suppose ...or is that not likely?

>And who is Ivan?  A relative?  [An uncle I think.  -Dave]

Nicolai was the eldest (an opera is on Marco Polo) ...father or uncle,
I don't know.  Ivan I think is younger than Alexandre, maybe his son.

>Oh, yes.  Almost forgot...  also in this collection are quartets by
>Surinach (1975), Hindemith (# 6), Bloch (# 3), Stravinsky (Three pieces),
>Rozsa (OP.22), and Korngold (#2).  Sound is a bit muffled

And yet good enough, I'd say.  Along with the Tcherepnin, I find the
Surinach sparkling.  That same quartet was recast as a Concerto for
String Orchestra (the weakest, yet OK, item in a brilliant collection
of 4 Surinach works by the Bronx Arts Ensemble, on New World Records
CD 80428-2).  No recording of Surinach has yet disappointed me.

In that list of overlooked composers that you and I know, El Schwartzo
reports that de Larrocha recorded Surinach's stellar piano concerto.  To
answer my own question about Tcherepnin -- whether composers who've been
recorded are likely to be poorly mined for further gems -- why the hell
has no one put that on CD, for the rest of us to enjoy?

And then that Rozsa SQ ain't chopped liver either, is it?

Bert Bailey