24 Piano Transcriptions of Classical Masterpieces. - book review

American Music Teacher, June-July, 2002 by Melody Hanberry

transcribed by Robert Schultz. Warner Bros. Publications (15800 N. W. 48th Ave., Miami, FL 33014), 2001. 124pp., $17.95. Advanced.

The beautiful sounds of strings encountered in Schubert's Ave Maria, the warm and familiar strains of Pachelbel's Canon in D, the glorious melodic lines of Puccini's O Mio Babbino Caro: The warmth and passion of these pieces and others have been captured and arranged for solo piano by Robert Schultz. Containing works by composers from Bach to Faurd to Rachmaninoff to Mascagni, 24 Piano Transcriptions of Classical Masterpieces includes classics from genres including orchestra, opera, voice and chamber works. The pieces Schultz has included certainly would be appropriate for settings ranging from weddings to the concert stage.

Schultz has showcased momentous musical occurrences of pieces such as The Swan by Saint-Saens and Un Bel Di from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The lyrical lines are inspiring, the harmonies are stirring, the instrumentation is flawless and Schultz has carefully maintained the original essence of each work as he skillfully transformed these masterpieces into piano solos. Speaking of this particular collection, Shultz says in the Author's Note, "This edition includes only the transcriptions written for advanced pianists and concert artists."

Effective performance of some of these selections requires a bit of keyboard gymnastics to execute passages of pieces such as Saint-Saens's Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A Ta Voix (My Heart At Thy Sweet Voice), from Samson and Delilah, and Caccini's Ave Maria. These advanced pieces require the performer to be musically mature and sensitive to the style of each work. Knowledge of the original instrumentation is important so that the appropriate voicing effects are portrayed in performance.

Although I found myself wondering about the successful transformation of some of the vocal works in this collection, such as Casta Diva by Bellini, I was pleasantly surprised at how satisfyingly pianistic these sections actually were. Upon reading through these pieces, I found myself enveloped in the wonderful sounds being produced. After overcoming my initial apprehension of this collection of transcriptions, I am convinced that it would indeed be a fine supplement to the advanced pianist's repertoire and library. Reviewed by Melody Hanberry, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.