From Pipe Organ to Pianoforte: the Practice of Transcribing Organ Works for Piano with a Critical Study of César Franck’S Prélude, Fugue Et Variation, Op
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FROM PIPE ORGAN TO PIANOFORTE: THE PRACTICE OF TRANSCRIBING ORGAN WORKS FOR PIANO WITH A CRITICAL STUDY OF CÉSAR FRANCK’S PRÉLUDE, FUGUE ET VARIATION, OP. 18 AND JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH’S PRELUDE AND FUGUE IN D MAJOR, BWV 532 by Benjamin D. Rollings Submitted to the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, Doctor of Music Indiana University May 2020 Accepted by the faculty of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Music Doctoral Committee ______________________________________ David Cartledge, Research Director ______________________________________ Arnaldo Cohen ______________________________________ Janette Fishell ______________________________________ Emile Naoumoff ii Copyright © 2020 Benjamin Rollings iii To my father and mother iv Acknowledgements So many people in my life have positively shaped the musician and person I am today. Without them, this final document would not exist. I wish I could thank them all. I am especially obliged to my music teachers, including my first piano teacher who has since passed away, Miss Louise Thompson. She introducing me to the piano and taught me to read music. I do not know where I would be had she not resided in my hometown and if my grandmother had not setup my first music lessons with her. Enormous thanks goes to Dr. Jerry Alan Bush at the University of South Alabama who took me on as a student starting when I was thirteen. He fostered a genuine love for music in my soul and encouraged me at times when I thought of giving up music entirely. His inspirational teaching continues to serve as a role model for me. I am also indebted to the instruction and kind mentorship of Dr. Martha Thomas at the University of Georgia. She greatly contributed to my growth as a pianist and she continues to be a primary source of encouragement to me. It is with great sadness that Dr. Karen Shaw, my dearly departed piano teacher and mentor at Indiana University, was not able to see me complete my goal of receiving a doctorate in music. I learned so much about musicality through her excellent teaching. Her hearty counsel and fervent advocacy was a tremendous boost in helping me get through my final years at school. She was not only tolerant of my interest in the organ but helped promote it. She greatly encouraged me in taking on the topic for this document. Of my organ teachers, I am indebted to Mr. Paul Anderson for giving me the technical foundation I needed in high school to be a church organist. I owe much of my growth as an organist to Dr. David Burton-Brown at the University of Georgia who helped refine my technique and greatly expanded my knowledge of organ literature. Dr. George Mims did so much to support and guide me during my years as an organ scholar under his tutledge. His natural musicianship, admirable leadership, and Christian kindheartedness towards all people continue to inspire and v motivate me. I am especially grateful to Dr. Janette Fishell for giving me a well-rounded understanding in historically informed performance practices and for setting me on the path to building up my repertoire. I would also like to thank Dr. David Cartledge for kindly stepping into Dr. Shaw’s place as the chair of my research committee and for being an excellent, professional supervisor during my years as an Associate Instructor at IU. I also thank Professor’s Arnaldo Cohen and Emile Naoumoff for serving on my research committee. I appreciate their patience through the unnecessarily long, drawn-out process of me writing this paper. I should point out that it was Professor Naoumoff who helped me see the value in continuing the practice of transcribing organ works for piano. Of course, I would not be who I am without the wisdom, love, and support of my parents. From raising me and teaching me as a child, to motivating me and spending countless hours encouraging me as an adult, I owe them my life. Last, but certainly not least, I am wholeheartedly grateful to my best friend, LORD, and Savior Jesus Christ for carrying me through the brightest and darkest times of my life. His unfathomable love and endless mercy makes life worth living and the gift of music all the more beautiful. vi Table of Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vii List of Examples ............................................................................................................................ xii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. xvii List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. xviii List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................ xix Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 A Worthless Practice? ............................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Purpose and Method............................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2: Reasons for Transcribing Organ Works for the Piano ................................................... 9 Chapter 3: Differences Between the Organ and the Piano ............................................................. 17 3.1 Differences of Physical Construction and Acoustics ........................................................... 17 3.2 Differences in Playing Techniques and Other Performance Procedures ............................. 27 3.3 Differences in Design Evolution .......................................................................................... 32 3.4 Differences in Tuning and Temperament ............................................................................ 33 Chapter 4: Types of Transcriptions and Transcribing Techniques ................................................ 36 4.1 Types of Transcriptions ....................................................................................................... 36 4.2 Techniques of the Transcriber .............................................................................................. 41 Chapter 5: Franck’s Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18 — Some Basic Problems Involved in Transcribing Organ Works for Piano ............................................................ 44 5.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 44 5.2 Biographical Sketch of César Franck ................................................................................... 44 5.3 The Original Organ Work .................................................................................................... 47 5.4 Pianistic and Vocalistic Features ......................................................................................... 51 vii 5.5 Some Insights Regarding Franck’s Own Transcription for Piano and Harmonium ............ 55 5.6 Other Transcriptions ............................................................................................................ 57 5.7 Background of Harold Bauer’s Transcription ...................................................................... 57 5.8 Case No. 1: Registration of the Fugue ................................................................................. 60 5.9 Case No. 2: Registration and Tonal Balance of the Prélude ................................................ 63 5.10 Case No. 3: Dealing with Voice Crossings ........................................................................ 65 5.11 Case No. 4: Simplifying the Polyphony ............................................................................. 67 5.12 Case No. 5: Reworking Dense Textures ............................................................................ 68 5.13 Case No. 6: Creating the Effect of a Registration Change at the End of the Fugue .......... 70 5.14 Case No. 7: Creative Doubling and Other Additions ......................................................... 72 5.15 Additional Thoughts concerning Bauer’s Transcription .................................................... 74 Chapter 6: Background of J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 and Three Piano Transcriptions by Busoni, d’Albert, and Reger ............................................ 76 6.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 76 6.2 Background of the Original Organ Work............................................................................. 77 6.3 Purpose behind BWV 532.................................................................................................... 80 6.4 Performance History of BWV 532 ....................................................................................... 95 6.5 Transcriptions of BWV 532 ................................................................................................. 95 6.6 Background on Busoni and His Transcription