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Alexandre Tansman

"Tansman - Prolific composer and virtuoso pianist..."

He was born in Lodz, Poland on the 11th of June 1897 (the year of Johannes Brahms death) and died in Paris, France on the 15th of November 1986.

Although Alexandre came from a Jewish family it has been said elsewhere that... "the degree and level of his family's involvement with Judaism and Jewish life has yet to be established". He did, however, leave France where he'd settled and spent time in America when the dark pall of Hitler's Reich descended upon Europe.

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Tansman was a pianist (a virtuoso at that) who also wrote brilliantly for the guitar. He initially trained at the Lodz conservatory and was by turns a pianist, composer and conductor of great merit. Indeed, he was a pianist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra no less!

He met the ubiquitous Segovia in Paris in 1921 where Segovia convinced him of the enduring charm and beauty of the guitar, subsequently convincing him to write many great pieces for it. His guitar works are: Cavatina (A work in 4 parts); Danza Pomposa; Mazurka; Suite in Modo Polonico; Variations sur un theme de Scriabine; Homage a Chopin; Pezzo in modo antivo; Hommage a Lech Walesa; Deux Chansons Populaires; Suite.

Tansman's scope of work includes opera, ballets, other solo instrumental work, chamber music, choral music and orchestral works. His Cavatina, mentioned above, even won the prestigious International Music Competition in Sienna, Italy in 1952.

Although he spent a great deal of his life in France and abroad, he remained internally loyal to his Polish roots. He moved among the musical elite and the "who's who of musicians" of his time and although had many outside musical influences, always retained a strong national "flavor" to his music, which was lyrical and seemed to incorporate a "neo-classical style".

Here's his Barcarolle played on youtube by OSBORNEGUITAR...

Surely, Tansman must be rated with Chopin as Poland's most cherished musical "treasures" of all time.

For some guitar music by Tansman, click here...

Alexandre With The Great Segovia

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