Piano Transcriptions of Orchestral Music
Piano transcriptions of orchestral music allow us to explore the orchestral world from a familiar source. These piano arrangements of well-known pieces often offer insights into the nature of the composers’ musical ideas as they are transformed into something suited for the keyboard instrument. They also serve as a great exercise for student orchestrators. In this library you will find piano transcriptions of symphonies, concertos, and more. Most of the works are by masters, but you may also find some lesser known pieces. The library is organized alphabetically by composers last name and includes folders for specific composers, a folder for works for a particular type of piano, as well as a general one for all piano transcriptions. You may also locate a work by entering its title in the search box.
A pianist’s version of a symphony, for example, will reveal how the composer conceived the symphony’s architecture. For instance, the use of accents and pauses in the opening tutti will be obvious in the piano transcription of the symphony’s first movement. The piano also offers the opportunity to experiment with a variety of articulations that would be impossible in an orchestral score, such as sfz (shortening) and pianissimo (very soft).
In some cases, it is necessary to alter key signatures to accommodate different instruments. This is particularly common in Baroque and Classical compositions. In addition, composers in earlier times tended to write for orchestral instruments with more limited ranges than is possible on the piano. The result is that it is frequently necessary to alter the tuning of chords and other large-scale musical structures.
Explore the Orchestral World With Piano Transcriptions of Orchestral Music
While some musicians may not want to attempt a piano transcription of a famous work, others embrace the challenge and find it an interesting way to explore their musical ideas. For instance, Glenn Gould made it a point to record his own versions of Beethoven’s symphonies.
Some pianists excel at performing transcriptions of a whole orchestra, such as Neemi Jarvi playing the Sibelius waltz “Valse Triste.” This piece’s beauty is in its restraint and delicate balance of elegance and sadness, qualities that are highlighted by Tharaud’s elegant piano playing on this recording.
The tempo of this piece reflects the tense atmosphere it was written for, and its use of chromaticism and other harmonic devices will be clear in the piano transcription. The chromatic harmony is supported by a spartan use of the percussion section, while the violins and violas provide more elaborate accompaniment with their tremolos. The oboes and English horn play a supporting role with an expressive range that extends to the lower register.
The double basses and timpani alternate with each other at m. 2 and are joined by tuba at reh. 144 for a brief interval that emphasizes the moving train of sixteenth notes in the original piano part. This arrangement also reveals how the pianist may have interpreted the rhythm and dynamics of the original piano line, including the slight metrical dissonance that the composer hinted at in his score.
