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Alexandre Tansman – Complete Music for Solo Guitar Anything but simple, Tansman’s music requires an analysis ability to summarize
Performing these guitar works, to which I compare myself with great humility, I and control the aspects more tied to the guitar’s expressivity, requires an
almost feel able to get a great compositional lucidity spirit, and geniality without any interpretation often made of different layers of in-depth analysis, a technique which
kind of exhibitionism. can always be available to music. The interpretation of his work it’s always extremely
The great Polish compositor Alexandre Tansman seems to be expressing with his complex, both with counterpoint pieces and apparently more simple ones.
guitar work, his personality most deep sense, like if this instrument could allow him His music is written with semplicity and a spontaneity which preservation for the
to perform an expres-sion purified from any kind of expressive diaphragm. entire execution it’s of vital importance, this semplicity requires an action of sublimation
Tansman’s compositional guitar work is indissolubly tied to Andres Segovia, towards the interpretational difficulties that can be found at every single bar.
compositor’s great inspirator and unforgettable executor of his music. While choosing what to include in the repertoire presentation, I had to deal with
The strong connection between them goes back to 1924 and becomes almost some intervention, those one performed by Segovia, who is not always easy to live
immediately a human and personal bond, in addition to the musical side of it, a with and not possible to repeal bluntly.
strong connection, often able to influence the destiny of some of the Polish author Segovia interventions are usually agreed with Tansman and this condivision of
works. It’s not in doubt that Tansman considered “the guitar” as something choices clears any possible doubt. It’s not possible however to totally ignore which
indissolubly tied to Segovias figure, l’unique. the creative path of a work is, and in doing this analysis, it is necessary to have an
The Tansman who composes for guitar, is a very different composer than the one historical angle and to look at reality with attention, in an interpretative way, also
who does it for piano or orchestra: He uses a language more tied to a typical Segovian trying to consider the possibility of some choices about the repertoire execution.
aesthetic, although he never gets overwhelmed by it. The “Suite in Modo Polonico” represents the most significant example of this
The music Tansman composes for our instrument has the rare most absolut evaluation process. The gestation of this work took many years and deserves an in-
frankness, the most miraculous transparency and spontaneity virtues. depth study.
Music is a summary of cultural elements really distant from each other: we can The work was initially thought as a Suite made of 6 movements, in part uneven,
rediscover Ravel’s and Scriabin’s influences, as well as a French neoclassical mould, which were born from a nucleus composed by two elaborations of works thanks to
but most of all a deep love and inspiration coming from his Poland, of which he the XVI century: a Branle and a Gaillarde.
is one of the main composers; a love tied to a sense of nostalgia which manages to The remaining pieces should have been Kujawiak, Tempo di Polonaise, Kolysanka
express in total in his guitar works, often inspired by Polish inspiration music, often and Oberek, pieces inspired by Polish tradition.
with a gloomy background. To this corpus and with Tansman approval, Segovia added three pieces which
Alexandre Tansman music is almost never “virtuosistic” in the literal sense of extrapolated from a previous Suite, composed by Tansman in 1954: Kolysanka
this word. We won’t find any frenzied technical passage, really complex arpeggio n.1(Berceuse d’orient), Rêverie (Canzonetta) and Alla Polacca and, afterwords the
formulas, or pieces which require an exasperated technique in “Suite in Modo Mazurka too, first guitar work composed in 1925.
Polonico” or “Cavatina”. The other three pieces of the Suite composed in 1954, Notturno romantico,

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Invenzione and Segovia were simply put a side, to be then published, posthumous by Cristiano Poli Cappelli is one of the most
Corazon Otero. interesting guitarists of his generation,
My choice hasn’t been, as you can clearly see, not easy at all. On the one hand I’m winner of various international contests Please supply a better quality
firmly convinced that Segovia choices can’t be simply removed as they were approved and considered an elegant and sensible picture, it’s this big at the
by Tasman. On the other hand Tasman himself seems to make a definitive choice in musician, more interested in showing the moment!
1976, when preparing a harp accompaniment for the Suite in Polonico mode, initially works purely musical aspects that he faces
makes a clear selection which I decided to respect, selecting these movements: Entrée with intensity and sense of balance than
(Branle), Gaillarde, Kujawiak (Mazurka lente), Tempo di polonaise, Kolysanka No.2, the pure virtues of the guitar.
Oberek (Mazurke vive) He dedicated most of his career to
It’s logical that the three pieces extracted by Segovia from the Suite composed chamber music, collaborating with
in 1954 could flow into their “place of origin”: from here my choice to “recreate” important musician and being now active
the Suite in its original structure: Notturno romantico Alla polacca, Canzonetta, part of the Duo PacePoliCappelli with who
Invenzione, Berceuse d’Orient, Segovia. took an artistic path of great commitment.
© Cristiano Poli Cappelli Today the Duo is considered one of
the most important guitar Duo of the
world: their last Cd includes works for
Mario Catelnuovo-Tedesco two guitars,
attracted very quickly a great number
of extremely positive impressions and
collected enthusiastic reviews on the main
international maga-zines.
This is his first solo official Cd.

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 This work is dedicated to my children, Alessandro and Anita. Also available on Brilliant Classics

To Marianne Tansman for her generous and precious advices.

To Andrea Pace for his practical and moral support and his
precious friendship.
To Letizia Guerra, without her a good part of my life would
have gone in a completely different direction.
To Leonardo De Gregorio for making my great guitar
To Giorgio Mirto for his precious and rare friendship..
To Edoardo Pieri for involving me in his important work
about A. Tansman and the Suite
To Manfredo Dorindo di Crescenzo, a father, a brother and a
friend.
To Elvira Rigillo for being the foundation of anything Paul Dessau Edition Hanns Eisler Edition
wonderful which happens in my life. 9440 12CD 9430 10CD
To my mother, for her fierce and precious advices.
To my father

Thanks again to Mireille Tansman, Frederick Zigante, Angelo

Gilardino, Gianpaolo Maria Ruotolo
Thanks to Pyramid Saiten.

Recording: XXXX, Abbey Red Studio, Genzano, Rome, Italy

Sound engineer: Simone Durante www.abbeyredstudio.it
Guitar: Leonardo De Gregorio guitar
Distler: Die Weihnachtsgeschichte Zimmermann: Die Weiße Rose
Cover image: Juan Gris, Harlequin with guitar
94695 1CD 95125 1CD
- & © 2015 Brilliant Classics

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