The Art of the Arranger

[Petrushka]

Don't overdo the percussion!

[BBMmk2]

Don't overdo the percussion!

Point taken!

There's only a few places in the work, where I will be using percussion to enhance the score, as a supportive roll, if anything else.

[verismissimo]

This seems the spot for this:


Music in Translation: The Art of Arrangement (3) Piano and Song

Kenneth Hamilton (piano)
Tuesday, 28 January 2014 - 7:00pm
Cardiff University Concert Hall


Gounod/Liszt Hymn to St Cecilia
Schubert/Liszt Leise flehen meine Lieder
Schumann/Liszt Widmung
Ronald Stevenson Fantasy on Britten's opera Peter Grimes
Rossini/Thalberg Fantasy on themes from the opera Moses
Bizet/Busoni Carmen Fantasy
Gounod/Liszt Waltz from the opera Faust


Schumann had this to say about Liszt’s transcriptions, ‘when arrangement gets this good, it is indistinguishable from original composition’ emphasising the fact that transcriptions are in no way pale imitations of the originals. According to Kenneth Hamilton, Liszt was ‘the greatest “arranger” in the history of music’. When preparing to play transcriptions, Hamilton says he is always thinking of either the way a piece would have been sung or played by an orchestra because ‘that spurs the imagination to create a greater variety of tone colours’. Come and find out what he means.

Tickets £10, £8, £3.50

Too far for me, I fear. But K Hamilton is always great value - both playing and talking.

[Flay]

Tuesday, 28 January 2014 - 7:00pm

.......

Too far for me, I fear.

And too late, I fear...

[verismissimo]

And too late, I fear...

That too.

[Richard Barrett]

I'm not sure whether this is strictly relevant to the thread, but I wanted to mention the upcoming publication of The Invisible Artist: arrangers in popular music 1950-2000 by my friend Richard Niles, which will surely become the standard work on the subject. It's not a manual but a history and in-depth analysis of its subject, written by a practitioner, but anyone interested in any kind of arranging will find it fascinating I think. Some might remember the author's radio series on the subject a few years back; the book then started life as a doctoral thesis which I had the privilege of supervising (I learned much more from this student than he did from me) but the publication version is somewhat expanded, he tells me, and now contains over 200 transcriptions, which for me were one of the most engaging aspects of the previous version.

[BBMmk2]

thanks for this information Richard Barrett. Sounds like an invaluable source. There is talk of doing an arrangement of a couple of John Adams's piano music, again for wind band but brass band does come to mind?

[arthroceph]

Henze Telemannia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2bWEUH4hnY

arrangement of some Paris sinfonia or some such of Mr. Telemann.

[BBMmk2]

Henze Telemannia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2bWEUH4hnY

arrangement of some Paris sinfonia or some such of Mr. Telemann.

I'll look this one up.

The Mahler I am occupied with at the moment, is progressing well. I am at at around page 22 of the Eulenberg score I am working from(another 50 to go!). I am wanting to get the Dover publication, as I am sure as with their other publications, the print and quality is much better. I am not too sure as to go about arranging the Mahler 3 movt that somebody suggested, for brass band as audiences there, are somewhat or can be rather staid at times. I think that has to be at a special concert.

[BBMmk2]

Well, folks, as you probably are aware, I have been working quite solidly(time permitting), on Mahler's 6th Symphony, and I am now delighted to report that I have now completed the draft score and working on the necessary tweaks the seem duly necessary. The HoF at this college in Illinois said yes, add celeste and piano to the score. The piano will be making use of the harp part. The celeste, as is,with touches of glockenspiel to add to the effect.

[amateur51]

Well, folks, as you probably are aware, I have been working quite solidly(time permitting), on Mahler's 6th Symphony, and I am now delighted to report that I have now completed the draft score and working on the necessary tweaks the seem duly necessary. The HoF at this college in Illinois said yes, add celeste and piano to the score. The piano will be making use of the harp part. The celeste, as is,with touches of glockenspiel to add to the effect.

Congratulations Bbm

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Congratulations Bbm

Agreed - well done, Bbm!

[Pabmusic]

Well, folks, as you probably are aware, I have been working quite solidly(time permitting), on Mahler's 6th Symphony, and I am now delighted to report that I have now completed the draft score and working on the necessary tweaks the seem duly necessary. The HoF at this college in Illinois said yes, add celeste and piano to the score. The piano will be making use of the harp part. The celeste, as is,with touches of glockenspiel to add to the effect.

Congratulations, BBM. I hope it all comes out as you want it to (isn't it worrying in those few moments before the maestro kicks off?).

[Roehre]

Well, folks, as you probably are aware, I have been working quite solidly(time permitting), on Mahler's 6th Symphony, and I am now delighted to report that I have now completed the draft score and working on the necessary tweaks the seem duly necessary. The HoF at this college in Illinois said yes, add celeste and piano to the score. The piano will be making use of the harp part. The celeste, as is,with touches of glockenspiel to add to the effect.

[BBMmk2]

thanks guys. Yes Pabs it does! Even though I do have a computer software notation programme to work from, so I have an idea but, ofcourse there is nothing quite like hearing the work performed live!! :)

NB: Hearing R Strauss's Don Juan, the other evening at the Proms, made me think! Goodness that be great to do!