piano arrangements- demand/interest

[thorn]

I really didn't know where best to put this- if I've gone for the wrong place then I apologise.

I was just thinking about this topic, and whether or not there's really that much demand for classical piano arrangements anymore since the onset of recording? The emphasis now seems to be on pop songs/musical arrangements.

I ask, because I have arranged a few (classical) things for solo piano over the last two years (Debussy L'apres-midi/Nocturnes and Ravel Daphnis et Chloe) and fear they will only ever serve for personal use. My teacher has been really impressed by them and suggested I send them to professional pianists to see if there is any interest for performing them.

Part of me wants to jump at the suggestion, yet the other part thinks the tidying up and proofreading of the scores would be far too time consuming if, realistically, they're only ever going to be for personal use.

Any thoughts to share?

[commissiona]

Hi, thorn,

Well, I think if you simply get them out there, wherever it can be accessed, musicians other than yourself would certainly use them.  I always get excited whenever I see a new transcription of a work I'm particularly fond of (don't you?), whether it be from orchestra to piano, vice versa, or other, and I will attempt to read through it regardless if I'm familiar with the arranger. 

As far as getting a little extra income from publishing them if that's your goal, I'm wouldn't know anything about that, but I would imagine that would be the real challenge.  I've published my own works before on rather obscure topics (not musically related); nothing real major, but I've made them publicly available and it gets referenced and cited in bibliographies surprisingly often, so if there's the slightest interest, or sometimes even not any at all to begin with, I find that supply sometimes creates its own demand. 

However, being able to make piano arrangements of non-piano music is an impressive skill, so the practice alone surely makes you a better musician on many levels! 


Good Morning

[thorn]

Thanks for the response =]

Yes, I do get excited when I see new transcriptions whoever the arranger may be. That's a really good point, it would be worth tidying up the scores and getting them out there just for that reason.

I think you make a really good point about creating own demand. I haven't really thought about income from them that much as it has felt like getting ahead of myself? But, if I do just try and get them out there, it may not be that unrealistic to do a bit of self-publishing if people would be willing to purchase them.

Thank you again, you have definitely provided me with food for thought on the matter.