Alfor's Rarities

[Dani_area_51]

Vladislav VYCPALEK (very little known Czech composer, 1882-1969)
Doma Suite op. 38 (good! Post-Novak, pre-Vomacka style)

Vycpalek Doma Suite op.38.pdf

Sergei S. PROKOFIEV
The Meeting of the Volga and the Don, Symphonic Poem op. 130, arr. piano solo by A.(natoly?) Vedernikov

Prokofiev Meeting of Volga & Don op.130.pdf

P.S....do I post too much........to get feedback??!!

Thank you so much Alfor. Prokofiev is amazing, and really has beautiful melodies..I really don't have any time to play the most of the scores, otherwise I would post so much more feedback!

[rob]

...Sergei S. PROKOFIEV
The Meeting of the Volga and the Don, Symphonic Poem op. 130, arr. piano solo by A.(natoly?) Vedernikov

For me this is spectacular! Thanks Alfred. Perhaps the only major Prokofiev orchestral work I do not know.

[fhimpsl]

Dear Alfor,

As always, you manage to both surprise and educate us with the amazing discoveries which you uncover! For me the Vycpalek is a truly wonderful work; full of warmth and sentimental charm, and exceptionally fine pianistically. This is a completely new composer to me, and well worth pursuing further. The Prokofiev transcription is an exciting romp!! Of your other recent postings, the Grosz Tanzsuite and all the Schumann song transcriptions truly stand out. But all the material is of the very finest pianistic calibre...worthy of careful study and much enjoyable playing. Thanks for your continuing hard work at finding these forgotten gems and so generously sharing them with us!

Best Regards,

Frank

[alfor]

Dear Frank, dear Dani,

thank you for your valuable comments! Gives me some encouragemnet to go on with this work!

best regards

alfor

Not all 100 listed in Pazdirek, but at least a start:
Carl REINECKE
Transcriptionen für Pianoforte Band I:
12 pieces, mainly Lieder, among them by Robert Franz and Anton Rubinstein.
Franz was an immensely popular Lieder composer in the 19th century and titanic pianist
Rubinstein was also well known as a composer. Literal transcriptions, but astonishing enough Reinicke
added Preludes (interludes, postludes) to some of them!

Reinecke Transcriptionen I.pdf

Felix Harold WHITE (British composer, 1884-1945, largely self-taught; composed a "Robinson Crusoe Suite" for piano and was probably the one and only to orchestrate Beethoven's Diabelli Variations)
Thereby hangs a tale (1913)

White Thereby hangs a tale.pdf

P.S. Titles of the VYCPALEK Suite:
At Home A simple suite about a simple (ordinary, unpretentious) family
1. Mother
2. Grandpa and the kids
3. Grandmas recollections
4. Father

[Caprotti]

thank you Alfor, the insertion of preludes is tipical of Reinecke, not a very good habit ! Even Godowsky didn't add too much (apart from complicate textures) to Schumann.

[alfor]

The unknown composer:

Eberhard WENZEL (1896-1982; obscure German composer, organist & chorus master.
Mainly composer of church/chorus music.) http://www.ostdeutsche-biographie.de/wenzeb96.htm
Sonate op. 17 (published 1930)
contrapuntal style, somewhat forced individuality

Wenzel Sonate op.17.pdf

Carl REINECKE
Transcriptionen Band II.
13 transcriptions, mainly Lieder, by Mendelssohn, Rubinstein, Schumann, Reinecke, Stradella

Reinecke Transcritionen II.pdf

[Caprotti]

very interesting from the point of view of a collector; Widmung is really awful !

[alfor]

very interesting from the point of view of a collector; Widmung is really awful !

You do not mean the whole song, but probably only the prelude, interlude and afterlude to this famous song. Regarding these parts I would agree.
But try for a moment to imagine you would not know this song at all and listen to the first page as if it would be the introduction to a genuine piano piece by Reinecke...

[Caprotti]

yes, they can be considered as "independent" sections ; the transcription of the Lied itself follows (or inaugurates ?) other kind of basic transcriptions, like the Alessandro Longo one in his "Biblioteca d'oro".
I attach (again) the Schumann set by Longo : easy writing but very effective, while Reinecke or Kullak or Stark transcriptions show a lack of proportion between pianistic difficulties and final result

Longo Al. - Biblioteca d'oro - IV - Schumann.pdf

[alfor]

Thank you for these! You are right: not very diffult, but really good! (Equally good, although often abridged and a touch too easy is a Brahms collection by Max Laurischkus, which I will post this week).
BTW I will take the Liszt transcription from my shelves and compare!! For decades the Schumann-Liszt Widmung was the one and only - frequently played and recorded!