Polish by birth, Alexandre Tansman settled in France, a major influence on his composition. He was a close associate of Stravinsky, particularly during his war-time exile in America. Tansman favoured the clarinet, in particular, among wind instruments. The works included here date principally from the later period of his life, with the clarinet sometimes recalling Polish elements in compositions of some variety. His more familiar Triptyque for string quartet is an earlier work, written in 1930.
"...An excellent disc then—well played and well engineered and with good notes. A feather in the cap for Tansman admirers."
Jonathan Woolf - MusicWeb-International.com - January 2008
"...a greatly enjoyable disc, well-recorded and performed. I certainly am looking forward to further recordings of works by this composer. For those who enjoy Stravinsky and Ravel, as well as the work of Milhaud, they certainly wouldn’t go wrong in giving this disc a listen. More please!" David Blomenberg - MusicWeb-International.com - August 2007
"With Jean-Marc Fessard the central performer in this collection, playing on bass clarinet as well as the regular instrument, this gives an attractive survey of Tansman’s music, most of it written when he was in wartime exile in the United States. There is an obvious influence from Stravinsky, both in these works and in the much earlier Triptyque for String Quartet of 1930. First-rate sound." *** The Penguin Guide - January 2009
"...Great cast, excellent sound, exciting performance!" David L. Kirk - Fanfare - July 2008
