question about transcribing

[weissenberg2]

If one were to transcribe a baroque violin sonata; would they have to transpose it a whole tone down. (E minor= D minor).

[go12_3]

Is the transposing the sonata for just the violin?  or for both, violin and piano?  To transpose  depends upon what key you want the sonata to be in.  You can transpose it to any minor key, just so that the violin part has reasonable hand positions to facilitate the notes of the sonata. With the violin, you don't what to deal with too many sharps or flats though.  How about trying A minor?  Just experiment on the violin or piano and see what sounds the sonata sounds the best.  I do that a lot with my violin and find that I have to transpose up or down a few whole tones. 

best wishes,

go12_3

[weissenberg2]

Is the transposing the sonata for just the violin?  or for both, violin and piano?  To transpose  depends upon what key you want the sonata to be in.  You can transpose it to any minor key, just so that the violin part has reasonable hand positions to facilitate the notes of the sonata. With the violin, you don't what to deal with too many sharps or flats though.  How about trying A minor?  Just experiment on the violin or piano and see what sounds the sonata sounds the best.  I do that a lot with my violin and find that I have to transpose up or down a few whole tones. 

best wishes,

go12_3

lets say you wanted to transcribe Corelli's e minor sonata to solo piano. It was written in the Baroque era thus having baroque tuning. The piece says it is in E Minor but actaully the diatonic harmony is that of D minor. So would the solo piano be in E Minor or D minor?

[go12_3]

I'm not real knowledgeable in the Baroque era tuning.  What I would do is play on the keyboard in D minor and then E minor, and listen to what sounds good.  When I transpose, I do it audio.  I know the composer, Corelli, for guitar and some for violin, but not familiar with the Sonata you are inferring to.  Anyhow, just go up a half step , which would be E minor, from the original score and see how it sounds.  Sorry, I can't be of much more help.  Perhaps, a member in this forum and assist you more than I can.

best wishes,

go12-3   

[timothy42b]

lets say you wanted to transcribe Corelli's e minor sonata to solo piano. It was written in the Baroque era thus having baroque tuning. The piece says it is in E Minor but actaully the diatonic harmony is that of D minor. So would the solo piano be in E Minor or D minor?

I'm not an expert on baroque tuning, but wasn't it somewhat less than a stable standard?  To say that it is exactly one half step or one whole step or anything else away from A440 would require that it be consistent across eras and areas, and I don't think their standards were that precise.  Are you striving for historical accuracy, or best sound?  I'd go with the latter here.  Put it where it is easy to finger.

Remember you're playing an equal temperament piano, so the keys are not that different from each other.  If you're going for historical accuracy, then temperament is more of a problem than key or pitch.  You're going to need to buy a good digital to correctly play this music.