Piano transcriptions

[Phil Leeds]

Although not very good, I do enjoy playing the piano and of course love to play what I can of Beethoven.
I recently purchased a book of B's music, mainly because it had transcribed most of B's symphonies - it is aimed at easy to intermediate players so obviously nothing like Liszt's transcriptions. But some just don't seem to work very well to me and I think it might be because they have been transcribed in a different key. For example, I did already have a transcription of the first movement of Eroica (in the original key of E flat major) which sounded good, but the one I have just purchased is transcribed into C major and sounds rubbish and is not even easier to play!
Why do transcribers divert from the original key I wonder?

[Peter]

I think this has to do with making them simpler from the notation point of view, rather than the technical.

[Peter]

Fair enough, Peter. So why make the change? For example, there is a passage in the first movement of the Eroica that strays into A minor (an augmented 4th or diminished 5th from E-flat, depending on the approach), that would be in F-sharp in Phil Leeds' C major piano transcription. The number of notational accidentals would be higher in the C major transcription than in the original E-flat (in such a passage), no?

These simpler versions tend to leave out those bits - I doubt the whole symphony is presented.

[susanwen]

I have the Liszt ones - they're too hard for me. What are some easier ones?

[Phil Leeds]

Yes, the simpler versions are very much a shortened version of the symphony. Nevertheless, even with the Eroica I mention above there are quite a number of accidentals. Thanks for your comments Philip, it doesn't seem to make sense to me to change the key and then risk messing up the sound of the piece
Susan: the book I refer to is published by Hal Leonard, and although I can't recommend their transcription of the Eroica, I have played the 6th symphony (1st, 3rd and 5th movements) which pleases (all are in the original key), as does the transcription of the violin concerto (transcribed in a different key). I haven't tried the rest yet
Another piano Beethoven transcription book I have is is called "Easy piano Beethoven Gold" published by Chester music. It might be a bit easy for most people, but most do sound okay to me and from them I have been able to add my own embellishments.

[susanwen]

Thanks! I haven't played for decades, but I still tinkle a little. This sounds just right for me now.

[Sorrano]

Don't forget to check out this place for transcriptions:

http://imslp.org/

[Joy]

Thanks! I haven't played for decades, but I still tinkle a little. This sounds just right for me now.

I tinkle too!

[DavidO]

Susan: the book I refer to is published by Hal Leonard, and although I can't recommend their transcription of the Eroica, I have played the 6th symphony (1st, 3rd and 5th movements) which pleases (all are in the original key), as does the transcription of the violin concerto (transcribed in a different key).

Are you referring to the Hal Leonard publication Beethoven from the World's Great Classical Music series?

The reason your description confused me is that I have this folio, & the Violin Concerto transcription is also in D major.

[Chris]

Eh, I just struggle through the Liszt transcriptions. They're hard, but I don't bother learning entire symphonies, just various sections.

[Phil Leeds]

Seems we have a few tinklers
DavidO: My Hal Leonard book is in that series, but is the "Easy to Intermediate" version and the violin transcription is in C major. There is an "Intermediate to Advanced" version which perhaps has the Violin concerto in D major.
The best Beethoven piano book I have was published back in the 1930s, so I doubt whether it is still available, and has some lovely transcriptions of, for example, the "Kreutzer" sonata, The Septet and the "Archduke" trio - it is called "The Home series of the Great Masters" edited by Ernest Haywood and was published by Keith Prowse and Co. Ltd.
I'm tempted to buy the Lizst transcriptions and try and do what Chris does, if that fails and can always just follow the score whilst playing the CDs

[DavidO]

DavidO: My Hal Leonard book is in that series, but is the "Easy to Intermediate" version and the violin transcription is in C major. There is an "Intermediate to Advanced" version which perhaps has the Violin concerto in D major.

Ah, ok. That's correct. I have the intermediate to advanced.

I'm tempted to buy the Lizst transcriptions and try and do what Chris does, if that fails and can always just follow the score whilst playing the CDs

You could buy the Schirmer's Library piano transcriptions of the nine symphonies (arranged by Otto Singer). They're in print & probably slightly easier than the Liszt. I use them.

[Sorrano]

Here is a piano reduction of the 1st movement of the 5th Symphony:

http://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin...nfo.cgi?id=497

The Oliver Ditson company, long ago, turned out an analytic Symphony series that consists of reductions of many of the great symphonies. At least some, if not all, of the reductions are by Percy Goetschius. These are not a la Liszt type of works, but simply reductions and will be easier to work with than the Liszt. However, I don't know if Oliver Ditson is still in business, but these might be available somewhere online.

I do have a copy of Beethoven's 3rd, 7th, and 9th Symphonies (piano reductions) that were published by G. Ricordi (I think G. Schirmer may have absorbed them; I'm not sure on that, though).

With a little time spent searching the web all the symphonies might be readily available without extra cost.

[Phil Leeds]

Thanks David O and Sorrano, I'll have a look for the transcriptions you mention