Transcription
In the past, musicians do not just perform but they also work as composers, arrangers and performers--it was all just part of a musician’s professional life instance Franz Liszt, the virtuoso pianist and composer. He is enthusiastic to improve music for piano and technique challenge to find possibilities what is piano can do. He do a lot of transcriptions, his brilliant piano transcription was not just presented himself but it is helped many pieces he did transcription made know such as work by Bach and Schubert. In the same, I actually do transcription not only to challenge myself, but also want to inspire young musicians to dare to try something new and design what they are desire to be what kind of musician they want. I like many transcription of Franz Lists especially Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543. He do not changed or exceed this but he decorate and transform this baroque piece to new generation of music with wide range and big harmony and I actually like Liszt arrangements because he makes music more interesting without losing original style.
I spend my time studying and analyzing transcriptions from his and many musicians who made arrangements and then started to do my own.
Here are some comments about each of the pieces on my program. I will talk about the specific qualities of the music and challenges.
Carnival of Venice
The Carnival of Venice is the final work in a set of twelve theme and variations in Jean-Baptiste Arban’s method book. It was originally written for the cornet. This piece is attractive to many soloists, not just trumpet players because this piece it has difficult technique such as double and triple tonguing, flexibility and fast tempo to show off the virtuosity. Many transcription of this piece have been written, such as for flute, saxophone, trombone, tuba and horn.
Transcription for horn made by virtuoso horn player Eric Ruske. Ruske design to changed the key to make it is playing easier on the register range but still keep the original qualities. I heard recording played by horn with Eric Ruske. He inspired me to do transcription and started to play pieces originally written for other instrument. In french horn version not to different from original and also transcription to brass instrument it is same manner, It is depend on performer’s interpretations.
Romanian Folk Dances
The most popular work by Béla Bartók. Romanian Folk Dances is a suite of six short piano pieces based on Romanian tune from Transylvania. This piece is many colorful of harmonic and variety of rhythms. In the individual movements are contrasted in tempo and mood. It is like a various types of dance music. In 1917, Bartók orchestrated it for chamber orchestra. Various of the colors of orchestra instrument makes it totally different with piano but they both are make me impressed.
I do transcription this piece on group of Flute, Horn and Piano. In this piece, it is difficult to adjust on horn because the wide range, a lot of ornaments and fast tempo. So, I managed part of instrument depend on characteristic and comfortable of instrument.
Emmanuel
One of the popular song from famous album “Wings” by Michel Colombier. This song has been re-arrange in many versions such as piano solo, solo instrument with piano or orchestra and chamber music. My favorite transcription was played by Chris Botti (Trumpet) and Lucia Micarelli (Violin). (https://youtu.be/m8NN4fpdm40). If you listen the original recording in trio instruments (https://youtu.be/AYIHAFWUo_k). You will heard the one simple melody on harmonica with rich harmony played by piano and synthesizer. But for Botti version the main melody played on trumpet. For violin it has a fragment of the melody with many ornaments like improvisation.
In the transcription arranged for two horns and piano made by my friend Thanapak Poonpol. Thanapak was inspired by jazz trumpet player Chris Botti since, he performed in Boston in the title “Botti in Boston”.
“The concert was so impressed and keep continue with many guest musicians until this piece, Lucia Micarelli, a ''Rock star" violinist came on stage and give fully intensity of passion to perform the piece from the first sound until the end. With lyrically and suspended melodies, together with interpretation of performers, emmanuel inspired to the deep heart of arranger”.
Thanapak Poonpol
La fille aux cheveux de lin
This piece is just very short but difficult to bring off because it is many coloring of the harmony, melody and dynamic levels need to careful to bring the important line off to clearly audible. This piece has been transcription in many versions. I heard this piece played on horn by Javier Bonet and he makes me inspiration to put this piece in my concert.
I started to listen many transcriptions and analyzed score before I do the arrangement because it is not easy to adjust melodic line between horn and piano, problems is the melody is continue and I have to be careful to splitting the melody between horn and piano without interrupted. Here is the sample score of La fille aux cheveux de lin arranged by me.