Classical Piano Transcription Series

A renowned series of solo piano transcriptions of masterpieces from the orchestral, operatic, vocal and chamber works of the great composers. This series began with the release of Schultz’s transcription of Pachelbel’s Canon In D which has sold more than 130,000 copies since its release in 1982 and continues to be the best-selling edition in the world. The compact disc recording Tina Faigen Plays Piano Transcriptions contains performances of 14 transcriptions from this series and received rave reviews from music critics throughout the U.S. While the series is primarily intended as repertoire for the concert artist, these thrilling transcriptions are appropriate for any advanced pianist’s library.

Collected Transcriptions

Author: Robert Schultz
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
Catalog Number: ELM01022A
Price: $17.95
Contents: 24 classical piano transcriptions / 124 pages
Level: Advanced / Professional

Review  from "American Music Teacher" June/July 2002
by Melody Hanberry

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 Fauré 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-Saëns 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, Schultz 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-Saëns’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.

"Robert Schultz Piano Transcriptions"

Author: Robert Schultz
Publisher: Warner Bros. Publications
Catalog Number: EL9801
Price: $12.95
Contents: 17 classical piano transcriptions / 88 pages
Level: Advanced / Professional

Individual Sheet Music Editions
(Advanced)

Author: Robert Schultz
Publisher: Warner Bros. Publications
Catalog Number: Shown with each title
Price: $3.95 each
Level: Advanced / Professional

(See *Note regarding revised versions)

*Note: Subsequent to their initial release as sheet music editions, three of the transcriptions in this series were revised by Robert Schultz. The "Individual Sheet Music Editions" contain Schultz's original version of Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor, Schubert's Ave Maria and Pachelbel's Canon in D. The collections "24 Piano Transcriptions of Classical Masterpieces" and "Robert Schultz Piano Transcriptions" include the revised versions of these three works.

Individual Sheet Music Editions
(Intermediate)

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