Author Topic: Mahler solo piano transcriptions - do they exist?  (Read 13436 times)

Offline yiwufan

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Mahler solo piano transcriptions - do they exist?
« on: January 21, 2012, 04:23:24 PM »
Have there been any solo piano transcriptions of any of Mahler's symphonies or single movements of symphonies?  I am thinking like Feinberg's transcription of Tchaik's Sym No 6, Scherzo 3rd mvt.  I know of 4 hand transcriptions like many symphonies in general have, but I am curious about a solo piano transcription.

I know of the Sym 4, 4th mvt and Sym 5 1st mvt piano roll recordings, but know of nothing else.

Offline yiwufan

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Re: Mahler solo piano transcriptions - do they exist?
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2012, 04:40:00 PM »
OK, I used the search function and found only 2 references (so far):

Mahler 9 solo transcription discussion:
http://gustavmahlerboard.com/forum/index.php?topic=951.0

Mahler 10 solo transcription discussion:
http://gustavmahlerboard.com/forum/index.php?topic=1250.0

And some projects by Stürmisch Bewegt which I have not been able to listen to yet but am looking forward to.

Anyone know of any others, or if any are in the works?  Any interest by members to transcribe?  Any talented (or aspiring) pianists here who like transcriptions?  Just curious.

I'm not looking for a replacement - obviously most piano transcriptions aren't looking to replace the orchestral version - but as mentioned in those other threads it would be great for a bunch of different reasons.  I've always been interested in a solo transcription of Sym 7, mvt 1 and also Sym 9 (whole thing).  All of them actually!

Offline James Meckley

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Re: Mahler solo piano transcriptions - do they exist?
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2012, 05:40:51 PM »
Have there been any solo piano transcriptions of any of Mahler's symphonies or single movements of symphonies?
 

All of the symphonies have been transcribed, but mostly for two pianos or piano 4 hands. The ones I know of for solo piano (1 & 10) are included in this list—I'm sure there are others:

Symphony No. 1
Serge Ollive, solo piano
Bruno Walter, piano 4 hands
Chitose Okashiro, solo piano*

Symphony No. 2
Hermann Behn, two pianos*

Symphony No. 3
Josef von Wöss, two pianos

Symphony No. 4
Josef von Wöss, two pianos

Symphony No. 5
Otto Singer, piano 4 hands
Josef von Wöss, piano 4 hands
August Stradal, two pianos
David Briggs, organ*

Symphony No. 6
Alexander von Zemlinsky, piano 4 hands*

Symphony No. 7
Alfredo Casella, piano 4 hands*

Symphony No. 8
Josef von Wöss, piano 4 hands

Symphony No. 9
Josef von Wöss, piano 4 hands

Symphony No. 10
Christopher White, solo piano*
Frans Bouwman, two pianos*

The ones marked with asterisks have been recorded.

James
« Last Edit: January 22, 2012, 01:24:08 AM by James Meckley »
"We cannot see how any of his music can long survive him."
Henry Krehbiel, New York Tribune obituary of Gustav Mahler

Offline Stürmisch Bewegt

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Re: Mahler solo piano transcriptions - do they exist?
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2012, 06:10:53 PM »
Otto Singer also made a transcription for solo piano of the 5 th symphony.

There is a transcription of the second movement of M3 (minuetto) by Ignaz Friedman . Here played by Jeffrey Swann :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HOuHY4EYZI
« Last Edit: January 21, 2012, 06:13:28 PM by Stürmisch Bewegt »

Offline Stürmisch Bewegt

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Re: Mahler solo piano transcriptions - do they exist?
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2012, 06:24:43 PM »
Performance of Serge Ollive's arrangement for piano solo of M1 :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMdjqEfi3U8&feature=related

Offline mike bosworth

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Re: Mahler solo piano transcriptions - do they exist?
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2012, 01:13:20 AM »
Bruno Walter wrote one for M2, it was either for solo piano or one piano four hands.

Has anyone here ever tried to follow the score of the Singer M5 transcription (solo piano) while listening to Mahler's piano roll performance?  There is clearly some variance; as we know Mahler was a gifted pianist but I am wondering if he might have had the Singer transcription in front of him when he cut the piano roll in Leipzig.

Mike Bosworth


Offline James Meckley

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Re: Mahler solo piano transcriptions - do they exist?
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2012, 03:17:25 AM »
Has anyone here ever tried to follow the score of the Singer M5 transcription (solo piano) while listening to Mahler's piano roll performance?  There is clearly some variance; as we know Mahler was a gifted pianist but I am wondering if he might have had the Singer transcription in front of him when he cut the piano roll in Leipzig.


I just did; there is indeed quite a bit of variance, particularly in the left hand. According to the notes that accompany Gilbert Kaplan's release of the piano roll recordings, "The piano transcription of the first movement of the Fifth was probably prepared by Otto Singer with details added by Mahler."

James
"We cannot see how any of his music can long survive him."
Henry Krehbiel, New York Tribune obituary of Gustav Mahler

 

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