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THey, it’s become the norm all over the world of jazz clubs and hotel lounges, but in the old world it was written for years as a dirty word – or a guilty pleasure. Editing someone else’s music in a way they didn’t intend, often over-decorating, is still seen in some quarters as a sign of ignorance, disinterest – or even disdain.
Listen to Mozart’s Don Giovanni in Liszt’s hand. The most revered opera of the 18th century has been transformed, into an elaborate musical, its music serving only as a prelude to a highly exaggerated performance. Our jaws may drop in sheer delight but are they big or sweet?
Criticism was widespread in the last century, especially in German-speaking countries, a change in taste that was confirmed by the abundance of literature available until the Second World War – and the decline in the three or three decades that followed.
By the middle of the 20th century, this dissonance was against those considered to be of the highest quality, from a time when people flocked to listen to famous pianists for their playing rather than the music they sang. The version version was the worst example of this because the song was put into the words of the same composer or pianist – usually the same person. A piece like the Bach-Busoni Chaconne took on a life of its own, and was made into a triumphant gothic monument, far from the limited, vulnerable version of the solo violin. And Myra Hess is best remembered for her plan for Jesus, the Joy of Human Desire than playing the unadulterated music of Bach.
But if we go back in history, there were very few songwriters who reworked other people’s music.
Recording began when music began to be written. In fact, any work that is played on a different instrument than the original is a recording. But this “propriety” was transformed by the Elizabethan virginists (Byrd, Bull, Gibbons et al) taking popular music of the day as the basis for many of their keyboard compositions. 100 years later, Bach wrote a counterpoint to Corelli’s theme and composed music for the violin and Vivaldi on the keyboard, and many composers from that time to the present have written adaptations based on other composers’ notes – Beethoven’s 33rd variation of a little waltz with Diabelli being there is no further about appearance.
In the 1800s, piano transcriptions developed in two distinct directions. First, when classical orchestral and operatic music increased and there was a desire to enjoy this music at home, arrangements for the music market were made. This was not suitable for public play; it was a home run, often published as duets. Everything from symphonies to overtures was composed with four hands, sometimes by the composers themselves. Brahms immediately comes to mind – he arranged all four of his piano duets.
On the other hand, as the piano evolved as an instrument and pianists acquired superhuman skills, the writing as a high-octane orchestration was expanded to extremes, with opera interpretations in particular reflecting the skill of the day, in particular. Liszt and Sigismund Thalberg. We can imagine Liszt arriving at the rich man’s house from the theater after singing, say, Bellini’s Norma and sitting down at the piano to remind everyone of the humble music, now shamelessly embellished in his hands, sometimes including several songs at once in sections of boldness of play.
In many ways such writings are related to jazz: a well-known song is sung in a unique, personal way, close enough to the original to evoke the music. No! a moment recognizable but different enough to be interesting or admirable. Autumn leaves play with Bill Evans or Gonzalo Rubalcaba … this is all written but the name, which is considered more of a medical treatment than a product.
I’ve always been interested in this style, especially because the piano introductions on the early LPs came from pianists whose compositions were full of these pleasures: Rachmaninov’s arrangement of Kreisler’s Liebesleid, An impressive painting by Lhévinne and Schulz-Evler’s Blue Danube, PaderewskiShips, a quick rendition of the Spinning Chorus from Wagner’s Flying Dutchman – some of Liszt’s arrangements, Percy Grainger’s Shepherd’s Hay (“burning” the piano, as he said) … the list goes on. The genre ended almost as soon as the railway did, but brave pianists kept the tradition at the price of not being taken seriously in the popular repertoire – Shura Cherkassky, Jorge Bolet and Earl Wild spring to mind, the latter writing excellent examples. But now in the 21st century the tide has turned and most pianists today have a boni or two in their hand.
There are three different types of piano notes created for the platform. First a faithful translation of the original, being very close to the original. Liszt’s Beethoven Symphonies are an excellent example of this. He is trying to make his piano music sound like an orchestra, a long system that is intelligently realized. In my words a Franck Chorale No. 3 I tried to do this again, and with the goal of creating an acoustic aura of an organ in a church with controls and voices.
Then there are compositions that are faithful to the form and spirit of the original but are highly embellished with virtuoso intentions. Schutz-Evler’s is a brilliant example – the keyboard is a kaleidoscopic display of colors. Rachmaninov’s version of Kreisler’s Liebesleid it allows us to see the personality and style of the Russian style while still maintaining love and respect for the source of the violin. This group lends itself particularly well to the encore, which is our after-dinner service offered after the printed program has finished.
Finally there are texts that use the original as a starting point for free translation. Liszt did this in his operas, as Vladimir Horowitz recently did in his operas Carmen’s difference; then there is Arcardi Volodos in his the wonders of Turkey March to make, or György Cziffra almost everything he touched.
My new album celebrates writing. Each job on it can fit into one part of the old 78 – four minutes. The songs range from early 19th century compositions by Rachmaninov and Wilhelm Kempff to 10 of my own including Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, an adaptation of the Taiwanese song Pining for the Spring Breeze by Rachmaninov, a Japanese children’s song, Akabylla, Tombo, and a gentle song. chromatic take on Nature Boy made famous by Nat King Cole. When I lost my confidence in composing my own music in my 20s I arranged a number of songs for Richard Rodgers, Roger Quilter and others. It’s how I kept my creative fire alive, and it’s what I recommend to the young pianists I meet today. We should all write music as the old pianists did; if the original work seems beyond our skill or inspiration, take a higher pitch.
