Bach Chaconne Transcriptions

[Steve Freides]

The famous Chaconne - two questions:

1. Please tell me your favorite transcription and why. Drop D tuning
is OK but, with apologies to Andrew, let's refrain from other
strangeness like those 8-string contraptions that Andrew plays.

2. Please tell me how many posts it will take for this thread to begin
discussing coffe growing in Hawaii, movie versions of ancient Greek
tragedies, contrabass saxophone faculty at major music schools, or the
size of the president-elect's, well, you know.

Reminder - it's really question 1 above that interests me because I've
decided to play this piece again in the hope of playing it better than I
have so far in my life.

I ran across an Eythor Thorlaksson transcription in E-minor. It seems
less faithful to the violin original than I remember most D-minor
transcriptions being, but then again, my memory may be clouded by the
fact that I've heard this piece far more times on guitar than I have on
violin.

The video of Ben Verdery (sp?) playing his own transcription in Hawaii
is wonderful but apparently that's not a published piece. (BTW, the
guitar he plays is by New Jersey's own Gary Lee - I had a chance to play
a prototype of it a year or so ago and was very, very impressed - the
one Ben plays is even better.) Someone please post a link to that
video.

Thanks, folks.

-S-

[Tommy Grand]

This one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VArcomcEVMQ&app=desktop

[Gérard Cojot]

Segovia ?
--

'Bienheureux les fêlés, ils laisseront passer ma lumière'[M.Audiard]
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gerard.cojot/

[Steve Freides]

Tommy Grand wrote:
> This one:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VArcomcEVMQ&app=desktop

I am looking for a transcription of the entire piece that I can download
or purchase or both, Tommy.

-S-

[Steve Freides]

"Gérard Cojot" wrote:
> Steve Freides <st...@kbnj.com> wrote:
>
>> The famous Chaconne - two questions:
>>
>> 1. Please tell me your favorite transcription and why. Drop D
>> tuning is OK but, with apologies to Andrew, let's refrain from other
>> strangeness like those 8-string contraptions that Andrew plays.

> Segovia ?

Yes, that is my default, fallback position. I'm just interested in
knowing about others.

Thanks.

-S-

[tom g]

Ive seen many of them and they all need some changes. But I found this one interesting if only because it seems that it was made with supervision by Georges Enescu, a transcendental musician, and Nadia Boulanger, maybe the most influential european teacher in the second part of the century 20. Well, really I have to admit that it has some impressive and distinct qualities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcHOipESEN4
You can find the music on the web
Maybe if you bought a few editions you could construct your own version. Very boring as I know, but thats what many guitarists do.
If you like a Busoni kind of treatment - not necessarily authentic - you might like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGC1tuGiFLo
You can write to Mr Henderson and ask to him to send to you his version.

tom g

[Tommy Grand]

http://violinsheetmusic.org/files/download/classical/bach-chaconne-in-d-minor.pdf

Here's one I did. But I put it in treble clef as a clef study, left out fingerings since those are so individual, and I retained the bowing marks as a guide to interpretation.

[Learnwell]

On Friday, January 6, 2017 at 6:57:29 PM UTC-8, Tommy Grand wrote:
> http://violinsheetmusic.org/files/download/classical/bach-chaconne-in-d-minor.pdf
>
> Here's one I did. But I put it in treble clef as a clef study, left out fingerings since those are so individual, and I retained the bowing marks as a guide to interpretation.

Now THAT is funny, nice job. I guess every once in a while even a blind squirrel finds a nut.

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Fri, 6 Jan 2017 13:15:23 -0800 (PST)
tom g <tomgut...@gmail.com> wrote:

> influential european teacher in the second part of
> the century 20. Well, really I have to admit that it
> has some impressive and distinct qualities:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcHOipESEN4

I was *very* disappointed by the triplets where it
is absolutely essential to have dotted notes, but
I don't know whose fault that is, of course.
Regards, Rale

[Chris C]

On 2017-01-05 18:19:51 +0000, Steve Freides said:

> The famous Chaconne - two questions:
>
> 1. Please tell me your favorite transcription and why. Drop D tuning is OK

My favorite published transcriptions/arrangements of the Bach Chaconne
are directly tied to the guitarist/arranger's recordings - Segovia,
Barrueco, Pepe Romero etc..

Is there a recorded performance or video that is your current favorite?
If so that would be the best starting option for you in choosing an
edition of the Chaconne.

If you want a relatively simple arr. that doesn't add much to the
original violin line I would choose Pepe Romero's, it's published by
Tuscany Publications. It's actually an arr. of the entire Partita #2 in
D minor. You can order it from Guitar Gallery Music here -

http://www.guitargallerymusic.com/494026920/sheet-music/johann-sebastian-bach/partita-no.-2-bwv-1004.html


If you want a more technically demanding version I would go with
Barrueco, his edition is printed beautifully and easy to read with very
detailed fingerings and directions. I especially like the way he does
arpeggiated the variation section at the end of the D major section
which is taken from some published violin versions.

Barrueco's edition matches his stunningly beautiful recording Chaconne:
A Baroque Recital on his Tonar label. Both can be ordered on the Tonar
website here -

http://www.tonarmusic.com/pages/sheet-music/317/chaconne

http://www.tonarmusic.com/pages/cds/206/chaconne_-a-baroque-recital


I would say Barrueco's is my favorite published edition next to
Segovia's published by Schott.

> Reminder - it's really question 1 above that interests me because I've
> decided to play this piece again in the hope of playing it better than
> I have so far in my life.

Which edition have you been using until now? What don't you like about
it that you're now asking for alternatives?

> I ran across an Eythor Thorlaksson transcription in E-minor. It seems
> less faithful to the violin original than I remember most D-minor
> transcriptions being, but then again, my memory may be clouded by the
> fact that I've heard this piece far more times on guitar than I have on
> violin.

I can't stand hearing the Chaconne on guitar in any key other than D
minor with a drop D tuning. It just sounds weird to me, like
theoretically hearing Beethoven's 5th symphony in D minor instead of
the original C minor or Chopin's First Ballade in A minor instead of
the composer's G minor. Some pieces belong in a certain key because of
the feeling, color and emotion they evoke. There's a reason why
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is in C# minor, that mysterious key suits
the music the best.

Actually I do like one E minor arrangement on guitar and that is Paul
Galbraith's, but he plays a Brahms guitar with lower bass notes so it
works somehow. On standard 6 string D minor with low D tuning is the
only way to go IMO.


> The video of Ben Verdery playing his own transcription in Hawaii is

> wonderful but apparently that's not a published piece.

Well the truth is there isn't that much variation between the various
printed editions. You could start with Pepe Romero's rather sparse
edition and then if needed change parts to fit what Verdery does. Or
just start with a simple violin version like everybody does and add
your own bass notes etc.. The sections that differ in guitar arr.'s are
usually the opening page through the scale variation passage and then
the arpeggio variation section which guitarists do slightly differently
though I really like the way Segovia does the arpeggios best.

I haven't heard or seen any significant changes between guitar arr.'s
in the last two thirds sections of the Chaconne (Major-minor) though as
I mentioned before the Barrueco edition does a spectacular arpeggio at
the end of the D major section where most guitarist play a alternating
bass and chordal pattern for that progression. Of course everybody does
something different with slurs and the scale section some people play
it with slurs or no slurs or a combo of both.

> Someone please post a link to that video.

Here you go -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quf_ukqCXN0

I see a lot of wind but don't hear any LOL.


> Thanks, folks.
>
> -S-


You're welcome.

Chris

[tom g]

On Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 6:52:52 PM UTC+1, Chris C wrote:

>Or just start with a simple violin version like everybody does and add
> your own bass notes etc..

Absolutely. The most important to remember is not to study counterpoint for five years, and particularly not the counterpoint of the epoc of J.S.Bach. This will completely destroy your spontaneous creativity and you will just end up with something anyone could have done when Bach was alive.
We are living in century 21 not in the dusty past so make sure to leave your personal mark on the Chaconne and make it.....yours!!

[Chris C]

On 2017-01-07 18:22:52 +0000, tom g said:

> On Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 6:52:52 PM UTC+1, Chris C wrote:
>
>> Or just start with a simple violin version like everybody does and add>
>> your own bass notes etc..
>
> Absolutely. The most important to remember is not to study counterpoint
> for five years, and particularly not the counterpoint of the epoc of
> J.S.Bach. This will completely destroy your spontaneous creativity and
> you will just end up with something anyone could have done when Bach

> was alive.We are living in century 21 not in the dusty past so make

> sure to leave your personal mark on the Chaconne and make it.....yours!!

Speaking of making your mark on the Chaconne - Have you heard Carlo
Domeniconi's Chaconne? It's based on Bach's and is kind of the Chaconne
but with (almost) completely different notes!

It's a reharmonization/fantasia/original composition based on the
entire structure and rhythmic scheme of the original Bach. I think it's
absolutely brilliant though even the composer in his foreword
acknowledges that some will not like it. Well I love it !!!

It's quite exciting and dramatic just like the original. Let me know
what you think of this piece! I love how the opening theme begins with
a light syncopated rhythm, very cool and modern. The section in major
is particularly beautiful. When you know the original very well you
really appreciate what Domeniconi has done here, the man's a genius!

Here is Dale Kavanagh's fantastic recording (audio only) - one of these
YouTube video links should work - warning - the second one has
endless pictures of the lovely Ms. Kavanagh which may distract from
concentrating on the music lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Aud2gKC5Tk&index=1&list=PLuPLYr8_oGGTROehICtyfyJbqe9bhFLK3


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0R7laZ0UCY


Here's a good video version as well by guitarist Sebastien Moreau

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyRsRSj5s7k


Chris

[Matt Faunce]

Thank you! I listened to Dale Kavanagh's recording from the first link.
I liked it a lot!

It reminded me of how Bach copied the form of Buxtehude's La Capricciosa
when composing the Goldberg Variations.

--
Matt

[tom g]

Thanks for introducing me to this piece - Dale Kavanagh's performance is tremendous. It is as if Domeniconi tries to discover the secret of the power of the Chaconne by using the 'emotional language' of Bach, the way the variations contrast and so on. Does he succeed? Well not completely - he cheats with too many "notas de pedal" (sorry, I dont know how to say that in english). Also, maybe a mistake to begin with that musical resource instead of a grundbass if he wants to make a homage to Bachs piece.
But the piece is good enough to ignore those comments and to praise a valuable addition to our repertoire.

tom g

[Tommy Grand]

Was that a "neg"?