That the music of J.S.Bach was the norm for many composers who are considered Romantic is evident, for example, in Chopin's "24 Preludes," Schumann's piano writing, and Brahms' quotation of Bach and his melodic writing style. While the various works by Romantic composers are original music created by them, the fact that their sources can be found in Bach's music (or even in Baroque music more broadly) in various aspects serves as evidence of this influence. Furthermore, composers such as Brahms, Liszt, Busoni, and even 20th-century composers like Schoenberg and Webern arranged many of Bach's works. Busoni, for example, transformed a violin original into a highly accomplished piano writing style, and Uebeln used a revolutionary method in which a single melody composed by a single tone is linked together by a chain of tones. These arrangements reflect the composer's original philosophy regarding the instruments, melody, and music itself through the common ground of Bach's works. For composers after Bach, one of the challenges was how to seek a foundation in Bach's works while also elevating them into their own unique methods. In this sense, it can be said that composers from the Romantic era onwards found a similar function in Bach's works to that of the cantus firmus (fixed melody), to which composers from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance added their unique music. This became one of the factors that led to the universality of Bach's works. In his "Fantasy and Fugue on a Theme of BACH," a work of piano virtuosity, Liszt set a note derived from the spelling of Bach's name, which has been quoted and appropriated by Bach himself and by various composers since Bach, including Liszt and Busoni, who sought a creative norm. This theme, which has been quoted and adapted by Bach himself, Liszt, Busoni, and many composers after Bach who sought a creative standard, is called a "theme", but it may be more appropriate to call it a subdivided motif than a "theme" with a certain length and character. And, moreover, it even seems reasonable to describe it as a very abstract "tone sequence" (a series of pitches) with little or no rhythmic character.
Now, Liszt's original composition contains a fugue section, but the overall structure is more like a series of music of various characters. The title "Fantasy" is fitting as it reflects a work that, through free imagination unconstrained by formal structures, transforms spontaneous musical ideas into sound and arranges them along the temporal axis, resulting in a cohesive piece. Unlike the sonata form, this work does not aim for musical style (character) or key unity. However, it approaches various aspects of the piano's acoustic characteristics, showcasing the qualities of Liszt's pianism, ranging from delicate textures to chaotic, almost violent sounds.
When arranging such a radical work, one might get the impression that, while fundamentally preserving Liszt's original composition, some parts have been rewritten into entirely different music. However, I believe this falls within the scope of changes in the musical form that occur when translating the patterns and dynamism Liszt envisioned for the piano into a wind ensemble, reflecting the shift in the medium of expression. The rhythm and patterns possible with the piano, as well as the sequences and styles possible with a wind ensemble, make use of the unique characteristics of the respective media. Adopting a method of presenting sound that leverages these characteristics is essential in the process of arrangement. This concept is not limited to arranging Liszt's works; whenever arranging any piece from the past, the original orchestration and the new orchestration must be considered, along with how the original piece is interpreted. This pertains to the inherent aspect of any work, shaped by the necessity of its orchestration, not just the technical construction of the sound itself. When the orchestration changes, obtaining the necessity of the new form is central to the process of "arrangement." In this sense, when arranging a piano piece for a large wind ensemble, the expanded and exaggerated elements of melody, dynamics, and other musical aspects reflect the ultimate form of the piano's sound in the original piece. By following Liszt's concepts regarding instruments and acoustics and translating them into the sound of a wind ensemble, the arrangement embodies what Liszt might have created if he had access to a large wind ensemble. Given Liszt's reputation as a "radical" composer of his time, I believe he would have produced a work like this, which is expressed through my arrangement (though it borders on composition rather than mere arrangement).
Performance Notes:
A three-dimensional sense that highlights the various transformations of the themes (including hidden themes).
An expression of radical tone colors in the wind ensemble that matches Liszt's pianism.
Appropriate handling of the themes and the subsequent chromatic motifs.
For the Second Edition, Revised
This piece can be described as one where the acoustic properties of the piano are extended to their extremes, ranging from delicate textures to chaotic sounds that could be described as violent. In the arrangement, while following Liszt's original work, certain parts have been rewritten into entirely different music. However, this should be understood as a result of arranging for a "wind ensemble" in much the same way Liszt composed for the instrument "piano." It can also be seen as presenting an alternative direction of the original elements.
When arranging a piano piece for a large wind ensemble, the elements of music such as melody and dynamics that are expanded and exaggerated through the arrangement can be seen as a reflection of the piano's acoustics (including its physical characteristics) in the original piece. This means that, while referencing Liszt's principles regarding instruments and acoustics throughout the work, these elements have been acoustically transformed for the wind ensemble. In other words, if Liszt had composed for a large wind ensemble, my arrangement expresses the belief that he would likely have produced a work like this.
**In 2005**, after the premiere by the Hokkaido University of Education, Hakodate Campus Wind Orchestra, this piece has been performed by many wind ensembles. During this process, various partial rewrites have been made. In 2018, after 13 years of accumulating rearrangements, it was decided to renew the piece as a revised edition, summarizing the previous adjustments and clarifying ambiguous articulations. The main revisions are as follows:
- Addition of a harp
- Comprehensive review of percussion parts
- Polyphonization of some wind instrument parts
- Change in texture (rehearsal number 4)
- Revision of the counter-melody (measure 299)
- Addition of rhythm (rehearsal number 12)
2019, March
(Fumio Tamura)
