Tawaststjerna, Erik (Werner)

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Tawaststjerna, Erik (Werner)

Tawaststjerna, Erik (Werner), eminent Finnish musicologist; b. Mikkeli, Oct. 10, 1916; d. Helsinki, Jan. 22, 1993. He studied piano with Hannikainen and Bernhard at the Helsinki Cons. (1934-44), with Leygraf in Stockholm, with Neuhaus in Moscow (1946), and with Cortot and Gentil in Paris (1947); later pursued musicological studies at the Univ. of Helsinki (Mag-.Phil., 1958; Ph.D., 1960). After a brief career as a concert pianist, he devoted himself to musicology; was a prof, at the Univ. of Helsinki (1960-83).

Writings

(all publ. in Helsinki unless otherwise given): Sibeliuksen pianosävellykset ja muita esseitä (Sibelius’s Piano Works; 1955; Eng. tr., 1957); Sergei Prokofjevin ooppera Sota ja rauha (Sergei Prokofiev’s War and Peace; 1960); Jean Sibelius (5 vols., 1965-88; Eng. tr. by R. Layton, 1976- ); Esseitä ja arvosteluja (Essays and Criticism; 1976); Voces intimae: Minnesbilder frân barndomen (1990); Scenes historiques: Kirjoituksia vuosilta 1945-58 (Helsingissä, 1992); Jean Sibelius: Aren 1865-1893 (1992).

Bibliography

E. Salmenhaara, ed., Juhlakirja E. Tile (Helsinki, 1976).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire