Piano reduction

[David Ward]

I'm expecting to completely redo the piano reduction (for soloist's rehearsal) of my 2nd cello concerto. Since I'm revisiting the piece (first performed in 2003), I should probably start the reduction again from scratch, especially as the existing piano rendering is awful.

For much of the piece it's chiefly a question of deciding what to omit from the full score. However, the scherzo, which is for a much reduced orchestra with the solo cello, has some specific problems. Its outer sections are scored for the cello plus clarinet, trombone with Harmon mute & wa-wa glisses etc, five temple blocks, electric piano and one solo double bass sempre pizzicato. The central trio really is a trio for the cello plus harp and temple blocks.

1) How best to represent harp glissandi in such a reduction? (see screenshot attached)

2) How to represent trombone glissandi and wa-wa effects? These can be heard here https://composers-uk.com/davidward/ward-vcl-conc2-2.mp3 the scherzo and trio from a recording of the whole piece.

Is there anything one can do on the piano that is even remotely evocative of this trombone?

3) What about the temple blocks? I might just write the rhythms with headless notes. A cue stave is another possibility. (If you listen to the recording, you will hear that the blocks are sometimes too prominent to be sensibly ignored for the reduction.)

[John Ruggero]

1. Piano arpeggios substitute nicely for harp glissandos.

2. I would use chromatic glisses for the trombone slides. They could be a pretty good approximation if played rapidly. And omit tones as necessary to eliminate hand and thumb crossing, if possible. If the the slides are extensive, you could use both hands.

Maybe just symbolize the wa-wa. Chromatic roulades might also be a possibility.

3. Since the temple block part is really an essential part, Ideally you would rework it as something idiomatic for the piano using clusters between the hands. Or as you said, put it on a third staff, and let the pianist decide how to handle it.

[RMK]

In the piano reduction Carl Nielsen made for his clarinet concerto, which has a prominent snare drum part, he puts the unaccompanied snare drum parts above the grand staff using rhythmic notation. In a footnote he indicates that the pianist could play these cues with two pencils on the body of the piano (!!!)

[MichelRE]

I have a prominent solo snare drum part in my viola concerto.
sadly, I haven't really come up with any sort of substitution for it, nothing sounds quite right at the piano, even tapping on the piano is astoundingly difficult because the rhythm - while easy on a snare drum - is NOT quite doable on a piano.

[John Ruggero]

Debussy's Minstrels (Preludes 1) has a very nice and simple snare drum imitation and also what might be considered a temple block imitation.

[NeeraWM]

In Rozsa's Cello Concerto's piano reduction, the final beating of the "frusta" (in Italian, don't know how to say it in English, it's the same of the opening of Ravel Piano Concerto in G) is written with an instruction for the pianist to clap their hands.

Anyway, (nerd) cellist here: if you need anything, I'm always available!

[David Ward]

In Rozsa's Cello Concerto's piano reduction, the final beating of the "frusta" (in Italian, don't know how to say it in English, it's the same of the opening of Ravel Piano Concerto in G) is written with an instruction for the pianist to clap their hands.

Frustra is ‘whip’ in English.

Anyway, (nerd) cellist here: if you need anything, I'm always available!

Thank you.

[David Ward]

… … … I would use chromatic glisses for the trombone slides. They could be a pretty good approximation if played rapidly. And omit tones as necessary to eliminate hand and thumb crossing, if possible. If the the slides are extensive, you could use both hands.… … …

An unbroken slide glissando is limited to a tritone.

Thank you for your suggestions, which I shall ponder. In theory I have plenty of time for this, but then I'm reminded that I've reached an age (84) when it's probably wise to do what I can while I can.