Cornel Taranu
Composer


(b. June 20, 1934, Cluj-Napoca). Distinguished Romanian composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and vocal works that have been performed throughout Europe; he is also active as a conductor.

Prof. Taranu studied composition with Sigismund Toduta at the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca from 1951-57, where he later earned a DMus in musicology in 1974. He also studied analysis with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatoire in 1966-67 and attended Darmstadt in 1968-69 and 1972, where he studied analysis with György Ligeti, conducting with Bruno Maderna and percussion with Christoph Caskel.

Among his many honors are the Order IV of Cultural Merit (1969), five prizes from the Romanian Composers Union (1972, 1978, 1981, 1982, 2001), the Prize of the Academy of the SR of Romania (1973), and the International Koussevitzky Award (1982, for a recording of Garlands). He has been a member of the Romanian Academy since 1993 and was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2002.
Prof. Taranu is also active in other positions. He founded the small orchestra Ars Nova in Cluj-Napoca in 1968 and has since served as its artistic director and conductor. He has also served as the vice-president of the Romanian Composers Union since 1990 and as director of the Cluj Modern festival since 1995. He has also published much musicological work, as well as the book Enescu in constiinta prezentului (1969, Editura pentru literatura; French translation as Enesco dans la conscience du présent, 1981, Editura stiintifica si enciclopedica).
He has taught at the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca since 1957, where he was an assistant professor from 1970-90 and where he has been Professor of Composition since 1990. He has also given lectures in Germany, Israel, Switzerland, and the USA.

Éditions Leduc, Éditions Salabert and Editura Muzicala publish his works.
In addition to the works listed below, Prof. Taranu has composed much incidental music for stage productions.

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

STAGE: The Secret of Don Giovanni (3 act opera, libretto by Ilie Balea), 1969-70; Oreste-Oedipe (4 act opera, libretto by Olivier Apert), 3 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass-baritone, small mixed chorus, small orchestra, 1999-2001

ORCHESTRAL: Sequences, string orchestra, 1960; Sinfonia brevis, 1962; Symmetries, 1965; Incantations, 1965; Concerto, piano, orchestra, 1966; Intercalations, piano, orchestra, 1967; Sinfonietta giocosa, string orchestra, 1968; Alternances, 1968; Raccords, small orchestra, 1971; Long Song, clarinet, piano, string orchestra, 1974; Symphony II, 'Aulodica', 1975-76; Garlands, 1979 (also version for small orchestra, 1979); Prolegomenes II, piano, string orchestra, 1982; Sinfonietta, 'Pro Juventute', string orchestra, 1984; Symphony III, 'Signes', 1984; Symphony IV, 'Ritornele', 1987; Sonata rubato II, oboe, piano, string orchestra, 1988; Miroirs, soprano saxophone (+ tenor saxophone), small orchestra, 1990; Cadenze concertante, cello, small orchestra, 1993; Antiphona, flute, orchestra, 1996; Siciliana Blues, piano, small orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, percussion, strings), 1998; Concerto, oboe, string orchestra, 1998; Concerto breve, flute orchestra (24 players), 2002

CHAMBER MUSIC: Trio, violin, viola, cello, 1952; Poem-Sonata, clarinet, piano, 1954; Transylvanian Ballad (poem-sonata), cello, piano, 1956; Sonata, flute, piano, 1960; Sonata, oboe, piano, 1963 (also version of second movement as Improvisation for Unaccompanied Flute or Clarinet, 1963); Three Pieces, clarinet, piano, 1962-64; Dialogues for Six, flute, clarinet, trumpet, piano, vibraphone, percussion, 1966; Resonances I, guitar, 1977; Resonances II, guitar, string quartet, 1978; Offrandes I, flute, 2 percussion groups (3 total percussion), 1978; Offrandes II, flute, string quartet, double bass, piano, 3 percussion groups (3 total percussion), 1978; Prolegomenes I, piano, string quartet, 1981; Sonata, clarinet, percussion, 1985; Sonata, double bass, 1986; Sonata rubato I, oboe, 1986; Sempre ostinato I, clarinet/soprano saxophone, 1986; Sempre ostinato II, clarinet/soprano saxophone, string quartet, double bass, piano, percussion, 1986-88; Offrandes III, 4 flutes, piano, percussion, 1988; Solo Sonata for Viola, 1990; Solo Sonata for Cello, 1992; Mosaïques, clarinet/soprano saxophone, ensemble (string quartet, piano, percussion), 1992

CHAMBER MUSIC: Trajectoires, flute, clarinet, trombone, violin, cello, percussion, 1994; Crisalide, sopranino saxophone, ensemble (French horn, trumpet, trombone, piano, percussion), tape, 1995; Remembering Bartók I, oboe, piano ad libitum, 1995; Remembering Bartók II, oboe, string quartet, double bass, piano, percussion ad libitum, 1995; Remembering Bartók III, soprano saxophone, ensemble (2 soprano saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones), 1995; Responsorial I, 1-2 clarinets, piano ad libitum, percussion ad libitum, 1996; Responsorial II, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, 1996; Responsorial III, clarinet, bassoon, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 1997; Flaine Quintette, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1997; Cadenze per Antiphona, flute, 1998; Pour Georges, sopranino saxophone, tape, 1999

CHORAL: Two Madrigals (text by Attila József [translated by Nina Cassian]), female chorus, 1962; Doina (text by Camil Baltazar), mixed chorus, 1963; Horea's Oak (cantata, text by Leonida Neamtu), female chorus, orchestra, 1963; Two Madrigals (text by Lucian Blaga), female chorus, 1964; Two Madrigals (text by Ion Vinea), female chorus, 1965; Two Madrigals (text by Endre Ady [translated by Eugen Jebeleanu]), mixed chorus, 1965-66; Supplex I (text from an 18th-century Latin source), mixed chorus, 1971; Cortège (cantata in memoriam Avram Iancu, text from an anonymous funeral announcement for Avram Iancu), mixed chorus, orchestra, 1973; Supplex II (cantata, text from an 18th-century Latin source), mixed chorus, small orchestra, 1974; Tombeau de Verlaine (text by Stéphane Mallarmé), 12 or more mixed voices, 1975; Cantus Transylvaniae (cantata, text from a 3rd-century Latin source), mixed chorus, small orchestra, 1978; Horea (text by Nichita Stanescu), mixed chorus, 1985; Testament (text from an old Romanian source), mixed chorus, 1988; Dedications (text by Nichita Stanescu), bass, speaker, small mixed chorus, small orchestra, 1991; Modra rijeka – Blue River (text by Mak Dizdar), mixed chorus, 2002

VOCAL: Three Songs (text by George Topîrceanu), soprano/tenor, piano, 1955-56; Black Fir Trees (text by Lucian Blaga), tenor, orchestra, 1958; Epitaph (text by Lucian Blaga), soprano, piano, 1958, revised 1963; Two Poems (text by Camil Petrescu), soprano, piano, 1959, revised 1966; Love Songs (text by Nicolae Labis), soprano/tenor, piano, 1959 (also version for soprano/tenor, orchestra, 1961); Three Elegies (text by George Bacovia), soprano, piano, 1958-62; Evening Song (text by Zaharia Stancu), mezzo-soprano, piano, 1962; Song to a Burning Era (cantata, text by Nicolae Labis), tenor, male chorus ad libitum, orchestra, 1962; Return (text by Lucian Blaga), soprano, piano, 1967; Three Poems (text by Ana Blandiana), soprano, piano, 1967; Ébauche (text by Camil Petrescu), soprano, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 1966-68; Le Lit de Procuste (text by Camil Petrescu [translated by the composer]), baritone, clarinet, viola, piano, 1968-70; Ode in Ancient Meter (text by Mihai Eminescu [translated by Michel Steriade]), baritone, clarinet, violin, piano, percussion, 1972; Two Poems (text by Ana Blandiana), soprano, flute, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 1975; Rime di Michelangelo, baritone, small orchestra, 1977

VOCAL: Four Poems (text by Nichita Stanescu), baritone, piano, 1978; Songs without Love (text by Nichita Stanescu), baritone, speaker, trombone, string quartet, piano, percussion, 1980; Nomadic Songs (text by Cezar Baltag), 2 mezzo-sopranos, tenor, baritone, speaker, small orchestra, 1982; Orpheus (text by Cezar Baltag), baritone, small orchestra, 1985; Chansons sans réponse (text by Nichita Stanescu), baritone, speaker, clarinet, piano, string quartet, 1986-88; Hommage à Paul Célan (text by Paul Celan), mezzo-soprano, bass, small orchestra, 1989; Memento (text by Paul Celan), mezzo-soprano, bass, small orchestra, 1989; Chansons interrompues (text by Nichita Stanescu), baritone, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 1993; Cinq Poèmes de Tristan Tzara, mezzo-soprano/bass, clarinet ad libitum, piano, percussion ad libitum, 1995; Laudatio per Clusium (text from an old Latin source), mezzo-soprano, oboe, trombone, string quartet, double bass, piano, 1997; Saturnalii (text by Vladimir Streinu), baritone, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 1998; Three Labis Poems, baritone, piano, 1998

PIANO: Sonata Ostinato, 1961; Contrastes I, 1962; Contrastes II, 1963; Dialogues II, 1967

FILM SCORES (DIRECTOR): The Verdict, 1970 (Ferenc Kósa); Red Apples, 1976 (Alexandru Tatos); Above All, 1978 (Nicolae Margineanu, Dan Pita); Man in the Overcoat, 1979 (Nicolae Margineanu); Return from Hell, 1983 (Nicolae Margineanu); The Forest Maiden, 1985 (Nicolae Margineanu); Gathering Clouds, 1985 (Alexandru Tatos); Feu follet, 1987 (Nicolae Margineanu); Im Süden meiner Seele, 1988 (Frieder Schuller); Somewhere in the East, 1991 (Nicolae Margineanu)

ARRANGEMENTS: Movements 1, 4 from Symphony No. 5 (George Enescu), tenor, female chorus, orchestra, 1991; Caprice roumain (George Enescu), violin, orchestra, 1994-96

DISCOGRAPHY
Cinq Poèmes de Tristan Tzara. Christine Thomas, mezzo-soprano; Milton Peckarsky, piano (Association Tristan Tzara)
Garlands. Cornel Taranu/Ars Nova (Attacca Babel: 9265/66)
Testament. Marin Constantin/Contemporary Music III Madrigal Choir (Electrecord: EDC 238)
Caprice roumain (George Enescu). Serban Lupu, violin; Cristian Mandeal/Bucharest Enescu Philharmonic (Electrecord: EDC 324/25)
Sinfonia brevis; Symphony II, 'Aulodica'; Symphony III, 'Signes'; Symphony IV, 'Ritornele'. (Electrecord: EDC 470)
Prolegomenes II. Péter Szegö/Ensemble Anonymous (Hungaroton: NCD 31572)
Nomadic Songs. Cornel Taranu/Ars Nova (Hungaroton: NCD 31783)
Remembering Bartók II. Aurel Marc, oboe; Cornel Taranu/Ars Nova (Hungaroton: NCD 31875)
Remembering Bartók I. Aurel Marc, oboe (Magyar Radio: CD 011)
Miroirs. Daniel Kientzy, saxophones; Cornel Taranu/Ars Nova (Nova Musica)
Pour Georges. Daniel Kientzy, sopranino saxophone (Nova Musica: 5110)
Symphony II, 'Aulodica'. (Olympia: OCD 416)
Hommage à Paul Célan. Edith Simon, mezzo-soprano; Gheorghe Rosu, bass; Cornel Taranu/Ars Nova (Romanian Composers Union: UCMR 005)
(Last updated on October 27, 2003)