A couple of my own paraphrases

[ronde_des_sylphes]

From a recent recital of transcriptions. I've posted (different) recordings of these before, so apologies for any potential duplication of material.


The first one is my programme-closing item; it is largely based on a theme from Donizetti's Don Pasquale and was significantly inspired by Thalberg's fantasy on that work.

The second was the encore; it is a very free paraphrase originating from an improvisation on the Barcarolle from Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann (posted previously in the improvisation board).

[pianovirus]

Hi ronde,
I just listened to your Thalbergiana fantasy and just have to say wow! I'm neither familiar enough with Donizetti's opera nor with Thalberg's paraphrase to comment on details of how you used them, but I greatly enjoyed your fantasy as it is! You have trained your arpeggios, haven't you? 
Thanks for sharing it, and I hope you'll keep up this good work in the future!

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Hi ronde,
I just listened to your Thalbergiana fantasy and just have to say wow! I'm neither familiar enough with Donizetti's opera nor with Thalberg's paraphrase to comment on details of how you used them, but I greatly enjoyed your fantasy as it is! You have trained your arpeggios, haven't you? 
Thanks for sharing it, and I hope you'll keep up this good work in the future!

Seeing as I uploaded the audio of it the relevant section of the Thalberg paraphrase (same thematic material as my principle theme) is here:

(from 3.50)

Not sure if I trained my arpeggios or playing Liszt and Thalberg did.. 

[rachfan]

Hi sylphes,

I laud you on both your creativity in writing these paraphrases and your artistry in performing them.  Bravo!

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks, rachfan. I always find writing compositions (paraphrases in particular) to be great fun. The first of these pieces represents my first attempt at serious composition and thus I will always have a sentimental attachment for it.

[dtao12]

Hey, congrats on the compositions. You picked my favorite theme from the Thalberg, and you play it very well. The style is definitely different from Thalberg -- sort of "Donizetti meets Rachmaninoff, with Thalberg's arpeggios" -- so it doesn't sound imitative. I, too, love operatic transcriptions (and opera itself including Donizetti).

Have you heard John Bayless' recordings based on Puccini operas? Those are quite enjoyable too.

The Thalberg Don Pasquale fantasy is one of my favorite pieces (I have an old recording by Earl Wild), and I had just downloaded the sheet music thinking of learning it. I've enjoyed playing some Liszt operatic paraphrases, but have never played anything by Thalberg before, though Liszt uses similar "three hand" effects in his Norma Fantasy.

I think there was a time when these "operatic paraphrases" were not considered seriously, but that seems to have changed with the advent of Lewenthal, Hamelin and others (including you!), and I'm glad, because they can't be beat for beautiful melodies and pianistic effects, even if they don't have the groundbreaking originality of "pure" (nonprogrammatic) music.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks - maybe not quite Rachmaninoff; my teacher says kitsch comes naturally to me and perhaps some harmonies are a little that way inclined.

I most admit to being completely unaware of the Puccini recordings. The Earl Wild recording that you mention was in fact my introduction to both Thalberg and operatic paraphrases in general; it's wonderful and has long been a favourite of mine.

I doubt that paraphrases get taken completely seriously, but like you, I think they present a satisfying synthesis of melody and pianistic indulgence.