Research Rian de Waal
The virtuoso piano transcription went through a remarkable period of flourishing during the second half of the 19th century. These were the glory days of the piano and piano virtuosos. In the course of the 20th century transcripts largely disappeared from the programmes and were often considered as second-hand or even second-rate music. Despite this widely spread prejudice Rian de Waal, as a pianist and a musician, has been working on transcriptions for over twenty-five years. He also dedicated his research to the subject, which he conducted partly within the Research Group Lifelong Learning in Music & the Arts. Rian de Waal passed away in May 2011.
In his research he describes the what, how and why of Romantic piano transcription extensively. De Waal’s objective was to show the importance of piano transcriptions and to (once more) give them a legitimate place in concert halls. In the book which will be published about his research, a historical overview of transcription is given, accompanied by reports of how they were received at the time. Rian de Waal researched the close relationship between interpretation and transcription and, amongst others, used as a source the famous pianist-composer Godovsky, who called transcription ‘a musical essay about a musical subject’. The book will be accompanied by recordings of transcriptions performed by Rian de Waal. The research is of extraordinary importance for both professional musicians and students, but also very interesting for the interested amateur pianist.
Metamorphoses - The Art of the Romantic Virtuoso Piano Transcription
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