Slower transcriptions from opera

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I'm looking to increase the breadth of my operatic transcriptions repertoire  - it is easy to find faster, flashy transcriptions/paraphrases as the vast majority of them fall into that category, but I'm a bit short of ideas for contrasting slower pieces.

To my mind, the obvious place to start is Thalberg's op.70 set, which I've looked through in the past, and am looking through again just now. Just to clarify, I've also already looked at four Wagner-Liszt ones, Isolde's Liebestod (to my mind it's quite intense for a "slower" piece), Evening Star (Tannhauser), Elsa's Dream and Lohengrin's Admonition (which I feel is probably quite difficult to pull off in a live performance situation). I would like to not be overly biased towards Liszt, and would prefer the option of some more "minor" composers. For some reason, I don't really get on with the Gluck-Sgambati Orfeo, which is also an obvious choice.

So.. I would be grateful for any suggestions and/or sheet music uploads outwith the pieces I've already mentioned. Thanks in advance!

[richard black]

There are two particularly gorgeous (and rather unlikely) ones by Ronald Stevenson: The Minstel's Lay from Alan Bush's opera Wat Tyler, and Wiegenlied from Wozzeck. Both are available from the Stevenson Society (catalogue online) in nicely typeset scores.

Klindworth's versions of the Shepherd's Tune from Tristan & Isolde, and the prelude to Act 3 of Die Meistersinger, are also worth a look.

[thalbergmad]

I was thinking about some of the Saint Saens/Godowsky and especially Friedmann Bach transcriptions. Also, the Friedmann/Mozart romance is rather nicely done.

Many operatic transcriptions have their slow sections (as you know), but i don't know many that are slow throughout.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks for the suggestions - two queries:

1. (to Richard) how well would the Stevenson fit into what would be a programme of primarily 19th century repertoire?

2. (to Thal) what do you think of the Fumagali Casta diva as an alternative to the Thalberg version (I'm fairly sure you know it; I think you've mentioned it in the past), and did he do any other slower transcriptions?

The Friedmann/Mozart interests me, actually.

[thalbergmad]

Good idea old chap about Fumagali. I attach some scans probably done by me old old mate Luca.

Cannot seem to find the Casta.

How is your left hand??

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I guess I'll find out how my lh is. This is a warmup for some Dreyschock, perhaps?

Don't worry about the Casta diva, I've got it already. Will upload it for your collection.

[thalbergmad]

Thanks old chap, i had indeed lost it.

bad filing

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Oh, haha. I see the Norma IS the Casta diva. Explains why you couldn't find it..

[thalbergmad]

Yeh, i just noticed that.

Not bad filing but bad labelling.

Thal

[thalbergmad]

Just finished scanning this.

Not entirely appropriate, but i expect Ronde might be interested.

Supposed to be played on a harp but after a quick look, i see no reason why it could not be played on piano.

There are some nice youtube vids of Parish-Alvars, but regretfully not of this particular piece.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Really quite fascinating. Some of it even looks like Thalberg.. and the material is very familiar

I suspect it might need slight rearrangement in a few places - page 12 jumps out at me - and some of the double note sections don't look easy on a piano (I imagine they are not easy on a harp either!), but many thanks; it is certainly something to think about. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Thalberg got the idea of the "three-handed effect" after seeing Parish-Alvars play harp.

[thalbergmad]

They did indeed meet in Vienna if memory serves. Parish Alvars was famous in the 1830's and toured extensively throughout Europe.

I think it is almost beyond doubt that Thalberg drew some form of inspiration from this.

There is some amazing youtube vids of some of Parish Alvars works, but sadly not of this.

Thal

[thalbergmad]

I have posted some Voss transcriptions in my thread on Pianophilia today old chap, but i think they are reasonably boring.

Thal

[pianovirus]

Great thread so far. I am currently working on some of Thalberg's op. 70: Adelaide and Voi che sapete. Both are not very slow (except if you play Adelaide like Jussi Bjorling, which I actually like), but would still give a nice contrast to some of the "big" fantasies.

A while ago I bought volumes two and three of Stevenson's "L'art nouveau du chant applique au piano" because of its obvious reference to Thalberg's op. 70. However, I must say I was disappointed by all of the transcriptions in it and I found none of them appealing enough to devote a lot of study time. I guess these are among the less noteworthy works in Stevenson's big oeuvre.

I think I have some slow transcriptions from Wagner operas (other than the Evening Star) at home; I'll have a look when I'm there.

Does it definitely have to be opera? I recently "discovered" the Bach-Busoni Adagissimo from the "Departure of a beloved brother" capriccio as a wonderful, very meditative slow piece.

Or how about John Bell Young's transcription of the Adagietto from Mahler's Fifth Symphony? I don't have the sheet music for this one, but also quite like it.

Or Percy Grainger's paraphrase of Brahms' lullaby?

[richard black]

1. (to Richard) how well would the Stevenson fit into what would be a programme of primarily 19th century repertoire?

Wozzeck maybe not so well, but Wat Tyler probably very well. The original is in a 'mock-troubadour' style and the transcription shows plenty of homage to Thalberg etc.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Wozzeck maybe not so well, but Wat Tyler probably very well. The original is in a 'mock-troubadour' style and the transcription shows plenty of homage to Thalberg etc.

Thanks, that makes it potentially quite an interesting selection for the context I was thinking of.

pianovirus - yes, I would prefer to stick to the operatic transcriptions subset for just now, purely for the reason that I've learnt about ten times as many operatic transcriptions as non-operatic transcriptions, so if I'm doing anything "themed", I would rather do (for example) 9 purely operatic transcriptions rather than 7 operatic and 2 token non-operatic. Also, it would be too easy to find suitable slow transcriptions if I searched outwith the operatic transcription repertoire