Classical Transcriptions on New Releases

Three new CDs feature pieces transcribed from their originally intended instrument to another.
Classical Transcriptions on New Releases
Naxos
Barry Bassis
Updated:

What is transcription? In classical music, it involves altering the instrumentation of a piece. Like translating poetry from one language to another, the new version does not sound the same as the original but, if done well, creates its own interest.

Transcription can involve expansion from one instrument to a full orchestra, as in Ravel’s popular orchestration of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” which was written for solo piano, or Liszt’s boiling down Beethoven symphonies to solo piano versions.

‘Stokowski Transcriptions’

Conductor Leopold Stokowski (1882–1977), is best known for his appearance in Disney’s “Fantasia,” where, in addition to meeting Mickey Mouse, he conducted two of his more famous transcriptions. Both of these are performed on a new compilation CD, “Stokowski Transcriptions” (on Naxos), performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by José Serebrier.

(Naxos)
Naxos
Barry Bassis
Barry Bassis
Author
Barry has been a music, theater, and travel writer for over a decade for various publications, including Epoch Times. He is a voting member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle, two organizations of theater critics that give awards at the end of each season. He has also been a member of NATJA (North American Travel Journalists Association)
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