Hans P. schreibt: > If it is Wagner, R.Strauss (be careful, still protected !) > or Mahler, - keep things going. But I still wait for > "Isoldes Liebestod" played by a 120 head wind orchestra > ....... Rolling on the floor. "Holy Friday" from Parsifal, > Ride of the Valkyries, Flying Dutchman Ouverture - all are > arranged & sound quite well - sometimes. > >
und, Herb F. antwortet: > > message: 18 > date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:53:16 -0800 (PST) > from: Herbert Foster <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > subject: RE: [Hornlist] Humperdink "Evening Prayer" from "Hansel Und > Gretal" > > I tend to agree with Hans on this one, though not as adamantly. Changing the > sound source does alter the character of the music, and it may wind up being > different music. > > For example, while I dislike playing Sousa intensely, I have yet to hear a > symphony orchestra do justice to a Sousa march, which should make your feet > want to march. Only a band gives it the right character. An > orchestra I play in > played the St. Louis Blues. It was awful. Better a rock band should play > Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde. Please tell me it hasn't been done. > > I have the same problem with arrangements for horn choirs. They're > fun to play, > but not for public performance. Only horn players really enjoy them. > > Herb Foster So, now, I'll abandon my decrepit German and wade into this a bit, by saying that I find arrangements, more often than not, less satisfying than the original. There are a number of exceptions or variants on this (Mussorgsky/Ravel "Pictures", W. Schuman's takes on Ives' Variations on "America" pop immediately to mind) this rule of thumb and I have to add that I don't feel that it should really be anyone's concern if someone wastes their time making an arrangement that comes off worse than the original piece (unless you are forced, without pay, to play it). I agree with Herb's examples that some things just translate very poorly in their new medium and this is related to what is behind the general feebleness of most "crossover" artists and their efforts. There are, again, numerous exceptions where classical themes have been treated effectively by jazz artists, like Art Tatum, and I have heard Hendrix played by Meridian Arts ensemble and other adventurous groups with much pleasure. Keeping it relatively brief and close to some of the specific points raised, I suggest finding a copy of "Kenton plays Wagner" (Capitol STAO-2217, rel. 1964). I don't see it on CD, but there are copies of the LP pretty easily found on ebay and elsewhere. This will probably thrill and horrify, in equal measure, most true horn fans and Wagner freaks and I suggest that it is required listening for all interested in this debate. A "Ho-Jo, to-go" to all, Peter Hirsch _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
