Alexander Tcherepnin

Eight Pieces op. 88

One of the most international and intercultural composers of the 20th century, Alexander Tcherepnin was born in Russia in 1899 and trained at St. Petersburg Conservatory. He moved to Paris in 1921, spent much time in Asia, and settled in Chicago in 1948. His students included Robert Muczynski and Gloria Coates.

Eight Pieces for Piano was composed in 1954-55, and published by Presser in 1957 during an era when George Rochberg was director of publications leading the company to the forefront of contemporary music. Eight Pieces for Piano is a 14-minute collection of preludes in which tonality and dissonance bolster each other to create a dynamic and dramatic whole.