BY SHAUNA BEESLEY
In this blog, composer Shauna Beesley shares her experience of arranging Robert Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op.73.
The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (pictured above) will present the world premiere of this arrangement in March, featuring Shauna’s sister Rachael Beesley who will perform as soloist and director.
I had arranged Frauenliebe und Leben as a birthday present for my sister Rachael Beesley. It seemed that, when it was performed in 2021, the audience response was very positive. Subsequently, Rachael and Nicole were looking at other repertoire suitable for the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, and asked me to arrange Fantasiestücke for them as a commission.
I didn’t know these pieces beforehand. So my first port of call was to learn the music by playing it, and then begin to decide how an arrangement for strings might work.
Arranging Schumann for different instruments
Over the course of several weeks, I put together a version for strings and clarinet. Since the decision to have a solo violin instead of clarinet, I’ve rearranged the accompanying parts for 1 violin, 2 violas, cello and bass.
The original version was for 2 violins, viola, cello and bass. So there are now, in fact, two different versions.
This second configuration, with an emphasis on the lower strings, should allow the solo violin part to shine out of the texture. It also helps that the piano parts lie relatively low in a violin’s register. I had put some upper octaves into the first version, but needed to be careful not to overpower the solo line, which has no alterations.
Hearing musical voices
I’m hoping that my arranger’s voice won’t be very obvious in the arrangement. I’ve tried to stick as closely as possible to Schumann’s exact notes and rhythms.
Where changes had to be made was in lengthening some note values to replicate how a sustain pedal would undergird the harmonies. Also, the arpeggiated figures, so present in Schumann’s piano writing, don’t fall well in a violinist’s hands. These I rearranged in consultation with Rachael to discover what would work best to avoid rapid string crossings and shifts.
When arranging the songs of Schumann, they fall very clearly into 4- and 5-part writing, almost like chorale writing. The instrumental music is more of a challenge, as it’s generally divided into a bass and treble with inner arpeggiated harmonies.
Creating an arrangement that sounds like it was written for strings was not easy, and may yet need more tweaks as rehearsals begin. The back-and-forth of this process is a fascinating process between musicians and arranger.
Listening to the inner parts
I began arranging Schumann’s music because I wanted listeners to hear what was going on in the inner parts, especially the dissonances. When these are sustained by strings, they become more obvious than when played on the piano.
Arranging piano parts for instruments helps me explore the architecture of the composition. I discover the building blocks the composer has used, and then see how they have been ornamented, embellished, and developed.
Starting out with arrangements
Classical and baroque pieces are wonderful places to start for any arranger. You can follow the lines of composition by deconstructing it phrase by phrase. It helps you to step inside the mind of the composer; to understand the rigour of the forms used, and then the creativity that extends and plays with those forms. You hear the music differently afterwards too, which is an added benefit.
I would recommend the practice of arranging to any musician wishing to step across the barriers of time, and draw nearer to the composer.
Listen to Shauna’s arrangement in Northern Serenades, 20-29 March. For tour dates and locations, visit the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra website.
Featured image captuerd by Nick Gilbert.
Schumann by Hadi Karimi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
