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Feeling tired? Need to unwind? Then how about some gentle, soothing piano music? Welcome to the Episode 9 of the third Series of Relaxing Piano Playlist! In this themed episode, I perform for you a number of piano arrangements from original works by composers including Bach, Mozart as well as new composers to the podcast: Dvorak, Strauss and Roger Quilter.
EPISODE 9
0:00:33
Hello and welcome to Episode 9 of series 3 in the Relaxing Piano Playlist with your host James Quinn here at the piano, thank you very much for joining me. This episode is centred on a theme of piano arrangements. All of the pieces that you will hear, all vary in style and come from works originally written for organ, chamber, orchestral and art-songs.
The first piece that you’re going to hear, comes from the Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach and the piece is a piano transcription of one of his organ works. In this case, you will hear the second movement from his Organ Sonata No.4 in E minor, which was published as BWV 528. This arrangement was made possible by the musician and composer August Stradal and was recently given it’s most recent performance and recording by the Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olaffson, and I hope you will enjoy hearing my interpretation on this beautiful piece.
The next piece you will hear comes from the Classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and in this case you’ll hear the Romance from his Ein Kleine Nachtmusik, simply known as “A Little Night Music” which he wrote originally for a String Ensemble as K.525. The piano arrangement of this was made possible by Ludwig Uberfeldt.
The next piece comes from a new composer added to the podcast, in the form of the Czechoslovakian composer Antonin Dvorak. The piece that you’re going to hear is perhaps one of his most well known works, Symphony No.9, subtitled as the “New World Symphony”, which he published as Opus 95. From this you’ll hear of course the slow movement set to the speed of Largo. This arrangement is by the Viennese conductor and composer Oscar Posa.
We then go to another new composer, with the addition of Richard Strauss. Amongst many of his works for orchestra, such as Also Sprach Zarathustra, the Alpine Symphony and Four Last Songs, he also had a prolific output of art-songs. To give you a taste of this, the piece I will play for you is perhaps one of his most beloved songs called Morgen, translated as 'Tomorrow', which comes as the last of four songs from Op.27 that he composed in 1894. The piano arrangement for this is by the composer and pianist Max Reger.
Finally we come to one more new composer in the form of the 20th Century British composer, Roger Quilter, who wrote over 100 art-songs which he adapted many different texts to his compositions, including William Shakespeare. The piece that you will hear, is one of his many popular songs, simply entitled “Now sleeps the crimson petal”. This has been arranged and transcribed for solo piano by one of Britain’s most celebrated and distinguished concert pianists today, Sir Stephen Hough, and I would like to personally thank Stephen for his kind permission for me to share my own recording of this gorgeous piece from his transcriptions.
So to recap, here is the order just once more: Movement 2 from Organ Sonata in E minor BWV 528 by J.S Bach and arranged by August Stradal, the Romance from Ein Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart and arranged by Ludwig Uberfeldt, Largo from “New World Symphony” by Dvorak and arranged by Oscar Posa, Morgen by Richard Strauss and arranged by Max Reger and finally, Now sleeps the crimson petal by Roger Quilter and arranged by Sir Stephen Hough.
So sit back, relax, and I hope that you all enjoy the music. Thank you.