Richard Wagner Bicentennary

[j_menz]

As you may know, Richard Wagner turns 200 on 22 May 2013.  Whatever you may think of the man (and opinion seems to diverge only as to which of his many character flaws was most loathsome), he is one of the most influential figures in the history of classical music.

I'm sure you are all looking for something to play to mark this milestone.

There is a relatively small body of solo piano music by him (Dover publishes quite a good complete collection) of which his Grosse Sonate is probably the highlight.

There are also a number of exceptionally good transcriptions of his (more important) operatic works. Most famous of these are the Liszt transcriptions, but there are also remarkably good ones by Carl Tausig, Glen Gould and Louis Brassin. The Tausig and Brassin ones are on IMSLP, the Gould one's are still copyright and in print.

If anyone knows of any more, I'd be most pleased to hear about them.

[j_menz]

For those not familiar with Brassin's work here are two of his transcriptions.

This one was quite popular early last century:

And this one is just unbelievable:

[j_menz]

And for those unfamiliar with Glen Gould's adventures in Wagnarian transcription territory, here he is playing one of his own:

[andreslr6]

And for those unfamiliar with Glen Gould's adventures in Wagnarian transcription territory, here he is playing one of his own:

thanks for this one, I´ve only listened the fragment that was recorded for The Alchemist. I´m not too familiar with Wagner, but it certainly has my curiosity. I´ll check the other videos as well.

[thalbergmad]

There is a whole CD of Wagner transcriptions by Stradal due to be released on the Toccata label in the not too distant future.

Thal

[j_menz]

There is a whole CD of Wagner transcriptions by Stradal due to be released on the Toccata label in the not too distant future.

Thal

Thanks for the heads up Thal. August Stradal is new to me - will have to check him out; a lot of transcriptions besides Wagner too!

[thalbergmad]

Indeed, Stradal could not leave other peoples music alone. There have been a few recordings issued of his transcriptions, but not many.

Wagner's music was a popular choice for transcribers and apart from Bach, it is difficult to think of any other composers work that has attracted so much attention.

It would not surprise me if there were 500 of them ranging from the simple and straightforward to the bleedin impossible.

Thal

[j_menz]

OMG Moszkowski did a transcription of the Liebestod.

Gives Liszt a run for his money!

(Sorry for the rather abrupt end - I'll try and find a complete one)

[p2u_]

OMG Moszkowski did a transcription of the Liebestod.

Impressive, yes.

Gives Liszt a run for his money!

I think Herr Liszt would not agree with you. He might say something like: "Moritz is still looking for the right notes, while I found them long ago..."

Paul

[j_menz]

How did I not know Busoni did one - Siegfried's Funeral March:

[thalbergmad]

OMG Moszkowski did a transcription of the Liebestod.

Earl Wild played this to perfection, but most pianists play the Liszt.

I actually prefer the Moszkowski by some margin.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

OMG Moszkowski did a transcription of the Liebestod.

Earl Wild played this to perfection, but most pianists play the Liszt.

I actually prefer the Moszkowski by some margin.

Earl Wild played a lot of transcriptions to perfection! Must say I prefer the Liszt, because Moszkowski seems a bit harmonically kitsch at times; any further and he might have found jazzy parody territory - think Doucet's piece Isoldina, either hilarious or disgusting according to your sensibilities, perhaps both! Nice playing in the quoted video however. I'd heard her Brassin Magic Fire Scene before and it rather suffers by comparison with Hofmann's version (as do most pianists).

von Bulow and Klindworth also did a fair amount of transcriptions; Hutcheson's Ride of the Valkyries is worth a look, and there's also Kocsis's Overture to Tristan and Isolde.

Anyone familiar with the Singer transcriptions? (can't say I am).

[j_menz]

Here's a full version of the Moskowski:

Thanks ronde for the others.  Not at all familiar with the Singer ones - will have to check them out.

EDIT:  me bad.

[birba]

Does anyone know if the immolation scene has been transcribed for piano solo?  I've looked everywhere.  Before i start doing it myself...

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Does anyone know if the immolation scene has been transcribed for piano solo?  I've looked everywhere.  Before i start doing it myself...

Complete opera transcribed by by Kleinmichel: https://imslp.org/wiki/Special:ImagefromIndex/250189

Also, Lugansky playing his own transcription:

[birba]

That lugansky clip is wonderful.  It goes from the rhine trip to the end in 10 minutes.  He's a phenomenal pianist and musician.  There's not much of the immolation scene in it.  But I think that approach is right.  Don't just transcribe it, make a paraphrase out of it.
I know the piano score.  I did it once with Sinopoli - awful experience.   I think I'll just take that score and "ad lib" it...  I did find the tausig valkyrie ride. Don't know, yet, if it's feasible for me. Since this year is Verdi's and Wagner's  bi-centenary, I was thinking of doing an all transcription programme of these two composers.

[richard black]

Thanks for the Moszkowski Liebestod. Freer than Liszt, and actually more pianistic. I find the Liszt one of his weakest transcriptions. When I accompany that 'aria' in concert (which I do surprisingly often - I work with a lot of Wagner singers) I usually use a version I cobbled from the Liszt transcription and the von Bülow and Kogel vocal scores, with a couple of minor alterations of my own. It's truer to the orchestration than any one of the sources, though it's not necessarily particularly interesting pianistically as that's not really what it's for!

Anyone wanting to do the Immolation could do a lot worse than get hold of the original Klindworth vocal score (it's on IMSLP - make sure you get the 1875 one rather than the 'erleichtete' 1908 one) and work on incorporating the voice part. Incidentally, the Liebestod doesn't need the voice incorporating if you play from a standard vocal score as it is already doubled in the orchestra, apart from 8 notes near the beginning.

[j_menz]

Does anyone know if the immolation scene has been transcribed for piano solo?  I've looked everywhere.  Before i start doing it myself...

There's this one, though I have no idea how one would get the score:

[g_s_223]

The excellent pianist Zoltán Kocsis has transcribed:

• Die Meistersinger: Prelude
• Parsifal: Flowermaidens & Finale
• Tristan: Prelude

All published by Editio Musica Budapest. Virtuoso standard technique assumed.

International Piano magazine (Rhinegold Publishing!) issue 17 Jan/Feb 2013 has a comprehensive survey of Wagner transcriptions by Risto-Matti Marin on p23.

[birba]

Nope.  Doesn't work.  The immolation scene transcribed, i mean.  It has to be cut.  That dude who plays it is a perfect example.  Despite his virtuoso technique, it results dry and meaningless.  I think that lugansky had the right idea.  More a paraphrase then a transcription.  When you have a voice like varnay in your imagination you just can't bring it across.  It's not like the liebestod where you can listen to it sans soprano.