Introduction
As a passionate player of chamber music, the development of the chamber music repertoire for the classical guitar is of great interest to me. For the past seven years, I have played in a violin-guitar duo with Ruth Mareen, performing a big range of pieces from popular to obscure works by contemporary and forgotten composers. Unfortunately, the repertoire for violin-guitar duo is limited, with a significant portion consisting of transcriptions. Only a few compositions are using the full potential of the possibilities of our instrumentation. My motivation is to expand the existing repertoire while exploring the sound possibilities of this instrumentation. Our new program, BEWEGEN/BEWOGEN focuses on the 20th century, as most of the repertoire is from the late 20th, 21st and 19th centuries. It includes transcriptions by three famous 20th-century composers: Béla Bartók, Sergei Prokofiev, and Anton Webern. In addition to these transcriptions, the program also features works by lesser-known 20th century composers and new commissions from composer Tilen Lebar and writer Leonie Maes in the form of a new composition, audio tapes, and spoken word.
This research focusses on the transcription process of Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm by Béla Bartók (1881-1945). Three dances (I, II & V) will be covered. At the beginning of the process, before selecting the six dances by Bartók, following questions arose: What are possible routes to transcribe for the violin-guitar? How to add extra value to the transcription in comparison with the original work? How will the transcription contribute to the existing repertoire for violin and guitar? How to choose repertoire for transcribing? When selecting the piece for transcription, various aspects were taken into consideration, including the composer's historical and political context, the musical style of the composer and contemporaries, my own historical and political context, the idiomatic characteristics of the chosen instruments, the technical capabilities of the players, and the instrumentation of the original composition. These aspects play a role in choosing the repertoire but can also be ordered in importance when making the transcription.
That leads to the concept of authenticity. This transcription is being authentic towards or prioritizes the idiomatic aspects of the chosen instrumentation over the original instrumentation. Additionally, to preserve the musical quality of the work, the style of the composition and the composer is prioritized too. The research question is formulated as follows: 'How can Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm by Béla Bartók be transcribed for classical violin and guitar in a way that is authentic to the idiomatic character of the instrumentation and the musical style of the composer and the piece?'
The research methodology comprises a practical-exploratory part and a theoretical part. Firstly, existing sources on transcription are sought in the form of literature, audio-and video material and conversations. The sources selected for this research mainly focus on transcriptions for the classical guitar. The transcription process involves a constant alternation between analyzing the original score, writing draft versions, and presenting them to violinist Ruth Mareen in rehearsals to explore different possibilities. The transcriptions are also reviewed by principal study teachers Janet Krause (violin) and Pavel Steidl (guitar). All findings are documented on the preliminary scores, in notes, and in audio and video material.
The first chapter examines existing methods of transcription. First, the terms 'transcribing' and 'arranging' are explained. Then two theses about transcribing for guitar are discussed. The point of view of Raaf Hekkema, a saxophonist and expert in arranging, is also presented. The chapter then looks at the concept of authenticity in transcription and the place of interpretation in the whole process from transcription to performance. The second chapter gives an overview of the history of guitar transcriptions, with reference to Harvey Turnbull's book The Guitar From The Renaissance To The Present Day. The classical guitar has remained for centuries a popular folk instrument. It experienced revivals but always went back to its origins of a popular instrument. That is why classical guitarists throughout history made transcriptions of famous classical composers to create repertoire for themselves and to please the audience. Nowadays the guitar has a stable place in the classical music scene, but it is still isolated from the main classical instruments. That is where my motivation for creating high quality chamber music for guitar and other instruments finds its roots. It is the most effective way to show non-guitarists the qualities and possibilities of the instrument. The last chapter discusses in detail the entire process of transcribing the six dances. It begins with a description of the characteristics I am looking for in a transcription ánd in the original work. Then, the historical context of the piece is discussed, followed by the motives for selecting the piece. The chapter proceeds to describe different aspects of the work, including its use of register, orchestration, articulations and instrumentation, which have influenced the transcription. Examples of the obstacles and dilemmas that occurred during the process are presented along with a recording of the final version of the transcriptions. These examples are illustrated with audio fragments and extracts from the score. The conclusion discusses the methodology used and suggests possible adaptations applied to a transcription by Sergei Prokofiev that is currently under construction.