Thomas Tellefsen
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Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen (November 26, 1823–October 6, 1874) was a Norwegian pianist and composer. As a composer Tellefsen wrote 44 opuses:[1] solo piano works, two piano concertos, and chamber music. He dedicated many of his compositions to the Polish, Russian, and French aristocracy.
Life
Thomas Tellefsen, the youngest of six siblings,[1] was born in Trondheim, Norway, where he studied with his father, the organist Johan Christian Tellefsen (1774–1857), and with Ole Andreas Lindeman.[2] Thomas gave his first public concert in his home town in the spring of 1842. Shortly after, he went to Paris, where he became the pupil of his compatriot Charlotte Thygeson, and later attended some of Friedrich Kalkbrenner's classes. During the years 1844 to 1847, he was taught periodically by Frédéric Chopin, who also became his personal friend and had considerable influence on his musical taste, style of playing, and compositions.
Duchess Marcelina Czartoryska took him to the Hôtel Lambert in Paris, where he made his debut as a pianist with great success on 29 April 1851.[3] Soon after that, Tellefsen became regarded as one of the outstanding pianists of his time, and was especially admired as an interpreter of Chopin's music. When Chopin died in 1849, Tellefsen took over some of his teacher's pupils, including Jane Stirling.[3] In the 1850s and 1860s, Tellefsen was regarded as a very successful pianist, and he toured several times in England, Sweden, and Norway. He died in Paris, and is buried at the Cimetière d´Auteuil.
Compositions
Among his published works, Tellefsen wrote sixteen mazurkas, five chamber music works (two sonatas for violin and piano, a sonata for cello and piano, a sonata for two pianos, and a trio for piano, violin and cello), composed between 1854 and 1867. He also wrote two piano concertos, the first in 1848 and the second in 1853, six waltzes, four nocturnes, three études, and a number of larger works and salon pieces, which were written for the teaching of his pupils.
Works with opus number
Title | Opus | Number | Key | Tempo markings | Genre | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quatre Mazurkas | 1 | No. 1 | A major | Allegro | Piano solo | 1849 | [n 1] |
No. 2 | A minor | Allegro | |||||
No. 3 | E minor | Moderato | |||||
No. 4 | A major | Moderato | |||||
1re. Nocturne | 2 | — | F major | Andante cantabile | Piano solo | 1849 | [n 2] |
Quatre Mazurkas | 3 | No. 1 | G minor | Moderato | Piano solo | 1849 | [n 3] |
No. 2 | G major | Vivace | |||||
No. 3 | B-flat major | Allegro vivace | |||||
No. 4 | F-sharp minor | Mesto | |||||
Ave Maria | 4 | — | G major | Pas trop lent | Vocal music | 1850 ca. | [n 4] |
Trois Valses Brillantes | 5 | No. 1 | A-flat major | — | Piano solo | 1853 ca. | [n 5] |
No. 2 | G major | Vivace | |||||
No. 3 | E major | Allegro moderato | |||||
Tarentelle | 6 | — | E-flat major | Molto vivace | Piano solo | 1853 | [n 6] |
Élégie | 7 | — | F minor | Molto adagio | Piano solo | 1853 | [n 7] |
Concerto pour Piano | 8 | First movement | G minor | Allegro moderato | Orchestral | 1848 | [n 8] |
Second movement | E-flat major | Andante | |||||
Third movement | G minor | Allegro | |||||
Huldredandsen | 9 | — | G minor | Allegro moderato | Piano solo | 1853 | [n 9] |
Adagio et Rondo | 10 | — | B minor | Adagio | Piano solo | 1853 | [n 10] |
2me. Nocturne | 11 | — | E major | Andante cantabile | Piano solo | 1853 | [n 11] |
Thème Original et Fantaisie | 12 | First movement | B-flat minor | Andante | Piano solo | 1855 ca. | [n 12] |
Second movement | B-flat major | Adagio | |||||
Piano Sonate | 13 | First movement | C minor | Allegro moderato | Piano solo | 1853 | [n 13] |
Second movement | A-flat major | Adagio | |||||
Third movement | C major | Vivace | |||||
Six Mazurkas | 14 | No. 1 | D minor | Allegro | Piano solo | 1853 | [n 14] |
No. 2 | G major | Leggiero | |||||
No. 3 | F minor | Leggiero | |||||
No. 4 | F major | Moderato | |||||
No. 5 | D major | Allegro vivace | |||||
No. 6 | C minor | Lento simplice | |||||
2me. Concerto pour Piano | 15 | First movement | F minor | Allegro moderato | Orchestral | 1853 | [n 15] |
Second movement | E major | Adagio | |||||
Third movement | F minor | Tarrentelle | |||||
3 Feuillets d'album | 16 | No. 1 | B-flat major | Allegro moderato | Piano solo | 1855 | [n 16] |
No. 2 | A-flat major | Lento | |||||
No. 3 | C minor | Marche funèbre | |||||
3me. Nocturne | 17 | — | B-flat major | Adagio ma non tropo | Piano solo | 1855 | [n 17] |
Grande Polonaise | 18 | — | C-sharp minor | Moderato | Piano solo | 1858 ca. | [n 18] |
Sonate No. 1 pour piano et violin | 19 | First movement | G major | Allegro moderato | Chamber music | 1856 | [n 19] |
Second movement | E-flat major | Adagio con molto espressione | |||||
Third movement | B-flat major | Scherzo Presto | |||||
Finale | G major | Allegro vivace | |||||
Allegretto | 20 | — | A major | Simplice | Piano solo | 1856 | [n 20] |
Sonate for Piano et Violoncelle | 21 | First movement | E-flat major | Allegro | Chamber music | 1857 | [n 21] |
Second movement | B-flat major | Allegretto | |||||
Finale | E-flat major | Allegro | |||||
Toccata | 22 | — | F major | Allegro | Piano solo | 1857 | [n 22] |
La petite mendiante | 23 | — | E minor | Allegro ma non tropo | Piano solo | 1858 | [n 23] |
Grande Mazurka | 24 | — | B-flat major | – | Piano solo | 1858 | [n 24] |
Grande Étude | 25 | — | E major | Allegro | Piano solo | 1858 | [n 25] |
Bruraslaatten | 26 | — | D major | Maestoso | Piano solo | 1858 | [n 26] |
Valse | 27 | — | D-flat major | Moderato | Piano solo | 1863 | [n 27] |
Ballade | 28 | — | C minor | Allegretto | Piano solo | 1860 | [n 28] |
Marche Triomphale | 29 | — | D major | Allegro moderato | Piano solo | 1861 | [n 29] |
5me. Grande Valse & 6me. Grande Valse | 30 | No. 1 | F major | Moderato | Piano solo | 1861 | [n 30] |
No. 2 | F minor | – | |||||
Trio pour Piano, Violon et Violoncelle | 31 | No. 1 | B-flat major | Allegro maestoso | Chamber music | 1862 | [n 31] |
Scherzo | D minor & D major | Moderato | |||||
No. 3 | E-flat major | Adagio | |||||
Finale | B-flat major | Allegro | |||||
— | 32 | Berceuse | G major | Andante | Piano solo | 1862 | [n 32] |
Joyeux Refrain | D major | Allegro | 1863 | ||||
Dans la Vallée | A major | Andante ma non troppo | 1863 ca. | ||||
Mazurka (Polskdans) | 33 | — | A major | Cantabile | Piano solo | 1864 | [n 33] |
Au travers d´un Songe | 34 | — | A-flat major | Andante | Piano solo | 1868 | [n 34] |
Air de Ballet pour Violoncelle | 35 | — | D minor & D major | Allegretto | Chamber music | 1865 | [n 35] |
Capriccio appasionato | 36 | — | B minor | Allegro non troppo | Piano solo | 1865 | [n 36] |
Sonate No. 2 pour piano et violin | 37 | First movement | G major | Allegro | Chamber music | 1872 | [n 37] |
Interlude | E major | Andante | |||||
Theme Varié | E major | Andante | |||||
Impromptu pour Piano | 38 | — | G minor | Allegro | Piano solo | 1872 | [n 38] |
4me. Nocturne | 39 | — | G-flat major | Andante | Piano solo | 1872 | [n 39] |
Walhallafesten | 40 | — | G minor & G major | Moderato | Piano solo | 1870 | [n 40] |
Sonate pour Deux Pianos | 41 | — | D major | Allegro maestoso | Piano solo | 1872 | [n 41] |
Melodies écossaises | 42 | — | A major | Andante con motto | Piano solo | 1868 ca. | [n 42] |
Exercise en sixtes | 43 | — | E major | Allegro | Piano solo | 1867 ca. | [n 43] |
Pavane de la Reine Elisabeth | 44 | — | E major & D-flat major | Andante noblement | Piano solo | 1870 ca. | [n 44] |
Works without opus number
Tellefsen's works without opus number are either piano studies or liturgical pieces. His Moderato, written in 1842, is one of his first attempts in composition. Another collection of works consists of twenty-one short fughettas, versetti and cantabile pieces, suitable in length in Roman Catholic and Lutheran services during the time they were written. The versetti are organ verses played in alternation with sung verses of hymns. The preludes were played for organ or piano with pedal. They were used as preludes and postludes, while a cantabile piece might also appear after the sermon as an introduction to the next hymn. Variations on hymn tunes are a much-used form in church services as well.
Title | Number | Key | Tempo markings | Genre | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valse | — | A major | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Moderato | — | — | — | Piano solo | 1842 | — |
Choral variations on the hymn "Kimer, I klokker" | — | G major | — | Piano solo | — | [n 45] |
Prelude | — | G major | Allegro moderato | Piano solo | — | — |
Lento - Allegro moderato - Tempo primo | — | — | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Larghetto | — | — | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Prelude | — | G major | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Suite: Prelude, Versette, Prelude 2, Prelude da capo | — | G minor | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Fughetta'r, Versettes & Cantabilla | Fughetta I | C major | — | Piano solo | — | [n 46] |
Fughetta II | C major | — | ||||
Fughetta III | C major | — | ||||
Fughetta IV | A minor | — | ||||
Fughetta V | A minor | — | ||||
Fughetta VI | A minor | — | ||||
Fugheta VII | A minor | — | ||||
Versette | G minor | — | ||||
Fughetta VIII | G minor | — | ||||
Cantabille | G minor | — | ||||
Fughetta IX | G major | — | ||||
Fughetta X | G major | — | ||||
Fughetta XI | G major | — | ||||
Cantabille | C major | — | ||||
Cantabille | D major | — | ||||
Fughetta XII | D dorian | — | ||||
Interlude | D dorian | — | ||||
Fughetta XIII | D dorian | — | ||||
Versette | D minor | — | ||||
Fughetta XIV | D minor | — | ||||
Fughetta XV | E minor | — | ||||
Prelude to Fugue | — | — | — | Piano solo | — | — |
A Minor Variation | — | — | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Waltz | — | A minor | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Adagio | — | D major | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Prelude | — | G minor | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Preludio Andantino - mixolidian d - da capo al fine | — | E minor | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Preludio I | — | G major | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Prelude | — | D major | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Prelude (Picardian) | — | E | — | Piano solo | — | [n 47] |
Fuga | — | D | — | Piano solo | — | [n 48] |
Prelude II | — | G major | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Adagio | — | D minor | Alla breve | Piano solo | — | — |
Prelude III' | — | G major | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Interlude | — | C major | — | Piano solo | — | — |
Variations on the Hymn "Jesus styr du mine tanker" | — | G major | — | Piano solo | — | [n 49] |
Prelude on the Hymn "I Jesu Navn" | — | G minor | — | Piano solo | — | [n 50] |
Additional information
Notes
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References
- ^ a b "Thomas Tellefsen (1823-1874)" (in Norwegian). Trodnheim.no. Archived from the original on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
- ^ "Thomas Tellefsen". Norwegian biographical encyclopedia. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
- ^ a b "Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen". Arena. 2009. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
Bibliography
- Dalaker, Ingrid Loe (2005): Thomas Tellefsen i norsk og fransk musikkultur (eng. Thomas Tellefsen in Norwegian and French music culture). Doctor of Musical Arts at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
- Huldt-Nystrøm, Hampus (1959): Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen.
- (pl) Olszewski, Edward (2013): Fryderyk Chopin i Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen. Polsko - norweskie więzi muzyczne odkrywa pianistka Małgorzata Jaworska z Krakowa i norweskiego Arendal, Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, Toruń 2013, ISBN 978-83-7780-631-9.