Transcriptions, reductions, and orchestrations

Transcriptions, reductions, and orchestrations can be quite enjoyable. Stokowski got a lot of mileage out of orchestrating Bach organ pieces. Ravel orchestrated many of his own works for piano, not to mention his famous orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition. This next DSD Discovery is Gustav Mahler’s arrangement for full string orchestra of Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, “Death and the Maiden”. Also included is Rudolf Barshai’s arrangement of Shostakovich’s String quartet No. 8 as the Chamber Symphony in C minor. The London Symphony Orchestra String Ensemble is conducted by Roman Simovic in a live concert recording. Schubert was a bit avant garde for Vienna in the early 1800’s, but I think that’s why the string orchestra arrangement sounds as modern as it does.

Shostakovich was going through a massive bout of depression and contemplating suicide after a trip to Dresden in 1960. He wrote his String Quartet No. 8 in three days– figuring that no one else would write one to honor him after his death. The outer movements are slow and even heart-rending. The central movements are very much Shostakovich as we expect. These are beautiful pieces, performed beautifully, with a recording quality to match.

Speaking of Mahler and rearrangements, I want to present what I think is one of the most amazing albums of 2016: The Natalia Ensemble playing their own reduction of Mahler’s 5^th Symphony. I know what you’re thinking! Mahler wrote his symphonies for huge orchestras to express huge feelings. Well… Yes. But I really want you to listen to what this group of 17 superb musicians does with their own arrangement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Arnold Shoenberg started the Society for Private Musical Performances after World War I. Chamber versions of Mahler’s 1^st and 4^th symphonies were performed during that time. Through the years, there have been other chamber versions written and performed. But I’ve never heard one that made me forget that I wasn’t hearing the full orchestra until now. You may forget as well, but I can guarantee you will hear phrasing and melody lines as you never did before.   I could go on and on, but I want you to simply go to the appropriate page, listen to the samples, and watch the video. This might not be a release that will be discovered by the Grammy Awards, but if you love Mahler, you need to discover this one for yourself! It’s wonderful!

Now comes the unexpected! We talked about how Ravel (and many others) orchestrated Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition. Let me introduce you to Calvin Hampton’s transcription for organ! If you don’t like the sound of a mighty organ, I doubt that this one will hustle you down the Promenade, make you dance to the Ballet of Unhatched Chicks, or marvel at the Great Gate of Kiev. But if you enjoy the occasional bit of the big pipes, you may find yourself enjoying this very different look at Pictures. And if you are a total organ fan, it’s a no-brainer– go for it.

And if you’ve never heard the original, for solo piano, here are two very fine recordings:

And for Ravel’s orchestrated versions

Cover Photo by Marius Masalar on Unsplash