Alexander Tcherepnin's

Abstract

The influence of traditional Chinese art permeates Alexander Tcherepnin's piano compositions, particularly his Five Concert Studies, Op. 52 . A survey of Tcherepnin's life, his musical achievements, and the impact various cultural influences exerted on his musical development reveals the depth of feeling Tcherepnin possessed for China and things Chinese. As a product of Tcherepnin's "Chinese Years" (1934--1937), the Five Concert Studies, Op. 52, show the direct influence of specific Chinese elements and original art forms that the composer imitated, including the Pi Ying Xi (Shadow Play), Mu Ou Xi (a traditional puppet show that Tcherepnin translated as Punch and Judy ), and the sound of the pipa (a guitar-like plucked instrument) and the qin (a zither-like stringed instrument or lute). Alexander Tcherepnin could not have written these pieces without firsthand knowledge of the Chinese culture to which he was deeply attracted. The Five Concert Studies are a culmination of his initial travels in China, his involvement with the development of an indigenous Chinese school of piano writing and his great love for the Chinese people.