David A, Ferré BOX 3741 Syracuse, W13220 USA March 3, 1987 (315)458-1505 Mrs. Arthur Rubinstein Paris, 75116 FRANCE
Rubinstein
Tchaikovsky was u
Ion. Perhaps you have nothing many people gloss over his too
Saturday, in Paris at
ou need to telephone
Sincerely, . Interview Schedule
Interview Date Place
Judy and Hichael Arnold Arts Manager Neighbor Pat and Neville Allison Neighbor And rieJ Panufnlk (telephone)
Koraa Fisher Musician
Gerald Kingsley Music publisher MuatclAn 1985 Margaret Cable/John Fletcher Musicians 1985 Zaaira Bentha11 Friend Lara Crunch Stefan Askenaae Teacher/tnvon. Stepaother 1985 15 Sebastian Shaw/Roger Rees Haalet actors John Schofield 17 Friend/Media Ilans Keller/Hlleln Cosaan Muslclan/Art1st Frlend/Inven. *9
21. Evo Harrison Halinka Matewiak (telephone) Fortier, Charlea/Klchele Uncle/Cousln Shura Cherkassky Musician Musician Sylvia Rosenberg (telephone) Musician 27 (telephone) Gloria Coolidge (telephone) Marblehead
30 London 31 Terry Karrieon Friend/Manager Sept. Musician Sept. Uri Segal Conductor 1986
35 Musician Musician Witold Lutoslawskl (telephone) Conponcr
Stanislaw Kolodzlejczyk Sept.
Augustyn Bloch Zygsunt Myclelski Mualclan/Mcdla Sept. Cisele Jut tos Sept. 1986 Clnsbcrg brothers Cousins Sept. Ha Unica Malewtak Sept. □avid Zlmun (telephone) Katla Peyer (telephone) Cervase de Peyer (telephone) Musician JO John Browning Musician 12, 1986 50 Kochestor Librettist Sy recuso Sheldon and Alicia Rich Wendy Brennan Musician 54 Musician Rochester Janina Flalkowska A note on André Tchaikowsky THE MUSICAL TIMES (NOV. 19851 David A. Ferré
Had André Tchaikowsky. who died in challenge that said it was impossible, with 1982, lived on, we would have celebrated .the decline of tonality, to produce a sue his 5Dtb birthday on 1 November 1985 He cessful piece for piano and strings The is mostly remembered as a pianist. Musical premiere wa* scheduled when Tchsikow reference books treat him in such terms as sky was desperately ill; when it became these: 'Polish pianist. He was born in War clear that he could not be present the play saw m 1935 and studied in Lodz and in the ers mode a recording at the BBC studios Pans Conservatoire under Lazore Levy, which was rushed to an Oxford hospital for later he worked with Stefan Askenne. He the composer to hear He responded to the mode his debut in the Warsaw Chopin music, but lapsed into a coma and died in Competition m 1955, winning a prize, and s few hours, also won a prize the following year in rhe Tchaikowsky left a number of unfinished Queen Elisabeth competition in Brussels, compositions. Hi* opera was complete, ex when Artur Rubinstein said "I think André .4 a Jr? Ttkaihnaky a cept for a few final bar* that needed to be Tchaikowsky is one of the finest pianists [Jiotopop* of tke orchestrated. But of his Six Dances for of hn generation; he is even better than that wid-JSfith piano, commissioned by Stephen Bishop- - he is a wonderful musician" He made Kovucevich, only the Tango and Mazurka his USA debut with the NYPO in 1957. were completed. A viola concerto was left first recognized compositions, an extraor unfinished, as were pieces for the violinist His outstanding musicianship and pheno dinary quantity for a piano student - a stu menal technique nude him one of the most Kyung-Wha Chung. dent who graduated in 1950 with a premia Tchaikowsky never promoted his com sought-after ol pianists. He died in Oxford prix. on 26 June, 1982' positions and rarely even played his own After leaving Paris Tchaikowsky, now music. His Inventions of 1962 had their In fact, Tchaikowsky was not a pianist 15, entered the Warsaw Conservatory to who composed but a composer who played première only in 1983, when they were study piano and composition. Hrs piano played by Norma Fisher. The Clarinet the piano In remembering him. we should teacher was Stanislaw Szpinalski, a Pader rewrite his biography accordingly. Tchai- Sonata, the Tno Notturno, the Inventions ewski pupil whose own playing was enhan and the Song of Arid arc all being per kowsky's father, Karol, was Ausirian-bom ced by a particular vitality and a rare sense but brought up in Germany where he was formed m 1985, and the Piano Concerto of rhythmic nuance, qualities later noted will be given in 1986 The opera The Ater- trained as a lawver. His family emigrated m Tchaikowsky’s own playing. Hi* com to France and settled in Pans whei ekam of Mhuçr, his most significant work, position teacher was Kazimierz Sikorski, wa* written over a 12-year period to a libret established a successful fiir business, whose own music followed a conservative kowskv's mother, Felicia. came from a Pol to by John O'Brien. A portion of rhe Andri style When he moved to the West in 1957, Tchaikowsky Memorial Fund will be used ish family that owned a successful cosmet where he continued hn composition studies ics business in Warsaw. His parents met to finance a promotional tape of the work with Nadia Boulanger, his works of the which he regarded as his masterpiece. and married in Paris m 1932, they settled 1950s were left behind tn Warsaw except in Warsaw but the mamage broke down for the beginnings of a symphony (which and Karol returned to Paris in summer he completed in 1958). WORKS 1935. In 1938, Felicia manied a Polish After winning prizes in the Chopin and phvsician The next vear Germany took Orcb Ft «ec .. tWOj Vaamc,. 195ft Pt coat.. 1933; Queen Elisabeth competitions in ¡955 and Cl rone . IMF. 5ra no 1. 10%5. Pi.on. op 4. 1071 control of Poland and 350.000 Warsaw 1956, Tchaikowsky was launched on his Jews, including Andre and hi» family, were career as a pianist bv no less a figure than Chanter Sonata, vs, cl, 19M; Cl sonara, of I. «93«; m the ghetto From July 1942, 10,000 Jews Arthur Rubinstein. Rubinstein, a jury were taken each day to the Trcblinka death member in the Queen Elisabeth, gave camp, 35 miles outside Warsaw. Tchai Tchaikowsky the use ofhis Pons apartment kowsky lost most of his family, including and arranged for international tours. In I’iarw Sonatina, G. I»*«. Vaiuimtn oa « Tbrmc oí his mother, but he and his grandmother cs- 1957 - 60, Tchaikowsky gave almost 500 Harner Cohen. 1950. Prelude and Pup»». l«*J. -ped by bribing a guard at the gate to concent ail ovex die world, but this was ‘Aryan’ Warsaw to look the other way, they also i period of frustration as his hectic hid at the home of a Catholic family for schedule prevented him composing as he the next three years. wished, and he wrote only one new work, At the end of rhe war, Tchaikowsky a clarinet sonata I entered the Lodz State Music School, dur In 1960. he turned his back on his career ing the next two years, he had his first for as a pianist, reducing his appearance* io mal piano instruction ond began to com about 60 per year, tust enough to earn a pose. His progress at the keyboard was such living For the next 22 yean, until his that he was sent to the Warsaw Conserva death, he composed for pan of the year ar.d tory to study with Emma Tekhi Altberg. gave concerts the other pan. He continued a pupil of Landowska. In Warsaw, at the his composition studies, with Thea Mus age of 12, he applied for membership of grave and then Hans Keller - probably the the Polish Composers’ Union. Andrzei influence on his compositions, Panufmk, a member of the union at the oving from London to Oxford m time, remembers the shock of his applica the mid-1970s, he began to compose with tion. After j year he went to Paris for ad greater ease and hn musical voice seemed vanced piano study with the well-known to clarify. String Quartet no,2, written for pedagogue Lszare Levy (1882- 1964) - the Lindsay String Quartet and first per an excellent choice as he was also a recog formed ui St John's, Smith Square, on 23 nized composer. He had succeeded Cortot January, is a fluent work, of intense pas as professor at the Conservatoire in 1920 sion. Trio N'otturno, written for Peter During the period (1948 - 50) that Tchai- Frank), Gydrgy Pauk and Ralph Kirsh- 669 kowskv studied with Levy he produced his baum, wa» a response to « Hans Keller MUSIC AND MUSICIANS (DEC. 1985) André Tchaikowsky
DAVID A FERRÉ looks al the compositional achievement of a musician who was better known during his lifetime as a pianist
THE pan»« Andri Tchaikowsky died <1 Ju-e t$82 Me * as (us:-46 years oid km ne:r.ed. on i November '985 re would nave celebrated ha 5Qtn birthday. A though Andri never achieved the international reputation enioyed by many fine pianists, he was. nevorthoioss, ono 0* the most original pianists in many decades, tn fact, he was a musicians- musician and greatly edmred by virtually allot the cunent-day keyboard So how should we remember Andri Tchaikowsky the parisl7 Th* answer 3. when you thrk o> And