Piano transcriptions

[Jonathan]

I'm generally a fan of piano transcriptions, especially Liszt's. I've recently bought Carlo Grante's second recording of the Chopin/Godowsky studies although I've not listened to it yet. My favourite Liszt transcription is probably the second version of the Tscherkessenmarsch from Russlan and Ludmilla although it is extremely difficult to play! Alkan's transcription of Beethoven's 3rd piano concerto is phenomenal, and his transcription of the Haydn "Surprise" symphony movement is wonderful.

[Beresford]

Are there any piano transcriptions of Wagner operas? For some unfathomable reason, I can easily imagine them being played by Angela Hewitt.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Are there any piano transcriptions of Wagner operas? For some unfathomable reason, I can easily imagine them being played by Angela Hewitt.

Not whole ones (that I'm aware of) - but Liszt did some pieces (such as the Liebestod).

And then, of course there's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCQ94ReHQLk

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Further info:

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/wagner-transcribed-for-2-pianos

And there's a very good CD of piano duet transcriptions in this box (which many Forumistas bought when it was even cheaper than it is now):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Richard-Wagner-Great-Recordings-Various/dp/B00A2JTEHY

[Bryn]

. . . there's a very good CD of piano duet transcriptions in this box (which many Forumistas bought when it was even cheaper than it is now):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Richard-Wag.../dp/B00A2JTEHY

That's £13.79 I won't get back in a hurry.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That's £13.79 I won't get back in a hurry.

For once I can say "Snap" to you, Bryn - I missed out on all the Superdrug Shostakovich Symphonies, Mozart Piano Sonatas and Concertos all for a total of 50p with a Mars bar thrown in. Yes - c£12.50 + £1.26 P&P. Happy Days.

[Jonathan]

Carl Tausig (generally regarded as Liszt's best pupil) made numerous transcriptions of Wagner's operas and prepared his own vocal scores of them. I suspect (though I've never seen them) these may be of a suitable level of difficulty to qualify as transcriptions having tried to play some of his other transcriptions. I also think that Klindworth and Joseph Rubinstein (who Wagner admired despite the fact that he was Jewish) both also prepared vocal scores of the operas. This might merit further investigation by someone...

[silvestrione]

You may know Percy Grainger's transcription of Richard Strauss, the love duet from Der Rosenkavalier, which Grainger called (characteristically) 'Ramble on Love'.
Ronald Stevenson thought it the greatest of all transcriptions.

Marc-Andre Hamelin plays it on his Grainger disc, and also Ronald Stevenson on a whole disc of fascinating transcriptions, called (wrongly in my view) 'The Transcendental Tradition'.

[ahinton]

You may know Percy Grainger's transcription of Richard Strauss, the love duet from Der Rosenkavalier, which Grainger called (characteristically) 'Ramble on Love'.
Ronald Stevenson thought it the greatest of all transcriptions.

Marc-Andre Hamelin plays it on his Grainger disc, and also Ronald Stevenson on a whole disc of fascinating transcriptions, called (wrongly in my view) 'The Transcendental Tradition'.

Ronald's own performance of that particular Grainger transcription stands head and shoulders above all other that I've heard, I have to admit...

[Braunschlag]

I too love Liszt's transcriptions - as well as the complete Leslie Howard Liszt I have Jorge Bolet's delectable recording of the Schubert transcriptions on Decca.

Do you count Liszt's operatic paraphrases? I remember hearing Paul Lewis play the Liszt Lucia di Lammermoor in a recital many years ago. Don Giovanni, Rigoletto.....And one of my absolute favourite recital discs is the 2-CD Jorge Bolet Live at Carnegie Hall in the Great Pianists series, in which he plays the Bach/Busoni Chaconne, Schulz-Evler's Arabesques on the Blue Danube, and Liszt's Tannhauser Overture - what it must have been like to be there that night.

That Bolet twofer is a superb set! I never really warmed to his later Decca releases and bought the Carnegie discs on a whim, I’m certainly glad I did. I think it’s the one which effectively silenced his critics who would accuse him of ‘coolness’. It’s white hot playing throughout, I’ll ressurect it.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Liszt's Don Juan fantasy must be one of the least played of all the great piano works. Very few pianists attempt it live . In fifty years of recital going I have never heard it live . Some of the chromatic minor thirds are more difficult than the Chopin G sharp minor etude (Not that I can play either ).I don't know how the virtuosi get ther fingers round them. There is a superlative recording by Arrau. But it's not a virtuoso plaything - it's a wonderful re-imaging of the opera , a masterpiece in its own right

The Mussorgsky Pictures is only slightly more often programmed . It has plenty of awkward piano figuration and though it is not of the same level of difficulty as the Don Juan it's very tricky. Quite a nice piece to bash through at home but in public hmmm...

[gurnemanz]

Thanks for replies, all. Here's a good one

[Bryn]

Thanks for replies, all. Here's a good one

I'm pretty sure you can find it in lossless format on QOBUZ. The Candos recording of the 2 pianist version of the 4th is also well worth hearing.

[gurnemanz]

I'm pretty sure you can find it in lossless format on QOBUZ. The Candos recording of the 2 pianist version of the 4th is also well worth hearing.

I listened on Spotify . Sound there is as decent as might be expected for 1954 era Melodiya.

[BBMmk2]

I listened on Spotify . Sound there is as decent as might be expected for 1954 era Melodiya.

Thanks for this! Looks very interesting.