Tellefsen: Complete Piano Works

 

If Thomas Tellefsen is known at all, it is as a devotee of Chopin. Born in 1823, Tellefsen left Norway for Paris in 1842, spending much of the remainder of his life there. His contact with Chopin started with lessons, but soon became his copyist and the two became close friends.

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3

Published: April 10, 2013 at 3:27 pm

COMPOSERS: Thomas Tellefsen
LABELS: 2L
ALBUM TITLE: Tellefsen: Complete Piano Works
WORKS: Complete Piano Works
PERFORMER: Jørgen Larsen (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: 2L080PABD

If Thomas Tellefsen is known at all, it is as a devotee of Chopin. Born in 1823, Tellefsen left Norway for Paris in 1842, spending much of the remainder of his life there. His contact with Chopin started with lessons, but soon became his copyist and the two became close friends.

Tellefsen’s output follows Chopin’s in being centred around the piano. It is also dominated by Mazurkas, Polonaises and Nocturnes. All that time spent copying his master’s music clearly left its mark, for many of Tellefsen’s pieces, such as the Grande Polonaise in C sharp minor, could be mistaken for lesser-known Chopin.

Jørgen Larsen presents them all on a single blu-ray disc. 2L’s surround-sound recording is typically stunning, and pieces such as the Nocturne in G flat are sublime. However, quite a few of the other pieces have distinct longueurs. Larsen has a fine touch, but he is periodically pedestrian in phrasing, which is not ideal for sustaining a three-hour marathon, no matter how good the sound.

Christopher Dingle

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