History of Arranging

Arranging, in a broad sense of the word, has been around for as long as there has been music. In this metrically organised world we live in today, where everything is measured, compatible and defined, everything has a  role and purpose. In a time where objects weren’t mass produced, people would just use what they had to get by, often finding new ways of using existing tools. This is also true for music. The violin, for example, wasn’t even conceived until the mid 16th century, and previously viols of all sizes were used. A consistent tuning didn’t exist, with string sizes and types varying from place to place. An ensemble would rarely look the same let alone sound the same, especially when compared to the standardised symphony orchestra present today. Musicians were flexible, the composers were flexible, the music would be played regardless of what was available.

Arranging has also been, and still is, a means to economic gains. Composers would rewrite their popular works for all possible combinations, as demand for such was present. Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven were amongst the many who contributed to this profession.

Aside from benefiting the purse of the composer and arranger alike, arranging and orchestration have invigorated many works, bringing them onto a new stage, shedding light on what may have otherwise been unseen and perhaps even making them more accessible to a wider audience. One prime example of this is Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Originally for piano, the work became a staple of the pianist's repertoire. However well known and popular it may have been in its original form, it cannot compare to the stature and fame that came with Ravel’s famous orchestration. The limitless array of colours and textures Ravel draws from the orchestra paints this work with a scintillating vibrancy and expressivity, incapable from a mere piano. I do mean to undermine the quality of the music or original setting in these comments. Music, in even its most simple forms can be as touching and poignant as any large scale orchestral work. However, through orchestration, Ravel, and the many others who have further pursued this artform, have been able to bring music to a larger stage, possibly to fresh ears and for better or worse have created something altogether new.

Relevance as a Double bassist

Double bassists have an interesting role in not only the classical idiom but almost anywhere they are found. With the essential job of establishing the foundations, harmonically and often rhythmically, they gain a heightened awareness of the entire musical soundscape forming above them. It is therefore unsurprising that so many bassists, cellists, bassoonists and the like go on to become conductors.  

Double bassists in particular have ventured away from their usual role, entering into the world of virtuosity and melodic indulgence, that has often eluded them. There are plenty of works written for the double bass, with an initial boom in popularity in the 1700’s with the first Viennese school, Giovanni Bottesini, the so called “Paganini of the double bass” pushing the technical limits of the instrument with his Italian operatic style through the 1800’s, Serge Koussevitsky generating a whole new appeal which began a new wave of interest, bringing with it new works, soloists and influences that have branched out and are still continuing today. This being said, the double bass repertoire cannot even begin to compare to the overwhelming plethora of works written for the violin, cello or piano. With the rise in double bass proficiency and a growing desire for more musical material to explore, bassists started to take matters into their own hands. Transcriptions of various works originally for violin, cello, piano, voice or anything with a good tune, started to pour in. Bach’s cello suites, the Schubert Arpeggione sonata, the Franck violin sonata, an endless list of borrowed repertoire that bassists thought “Let’s give that one a go” have now found their way into the double bass cannon. This curiosity to explore new sounds became a mentality that stuck. It is a fertile ground for innovation and allows for creativity to bloom.

Like most musicians, however I find this to be especially prevalent for the ‘weirder’, less common instruments, the relationship between a particular musician and composer or arranger seems to bring with it a wave of new works. You can see this with Benjamin Britten’s relationship with Mstislav Rostropovich, and the vast array of cello works that followed, or more relevantly the friendship between composer Reinhold Gliere and Serge Koussevitsky, the russian bass virtuoso and to be prominent global conductor. Gliere’s Four Pieces for double bass, dedicated to Koussevitsky, are some of the most admired and captivating works in the bass repertoire, inspiring a new age of double bass playing. Considering this, performers themselves can have a substantial influence in the future of their instrument or ensemble through their collaboration with composers and arrangers. Being both double bassist and arranger, I feel I am in a unique position of having an unspoken responsibility to contribute to our greatly lacking repertoire.

Trapèze

One of the most admired and influential chamber works including the double bass must be Prokofiev’s Quintet op. 39, scored for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola and double bass, an entirely original combination. It was initially conceived as a ballet, Trapèze, with small ensemble accompaniment, though due to its unprecedented difficulty in both music and movement, it was abandoned after only two performances. However Prokofiev was so fond of his own creation, he reduced most of the ballet into a substantial chamber music work, the quintet we now see today. This instrumentation was truly unique at the time. The blend of strings and winds allowed for an intriguing variation of colours and textures. The inclusion of the double bass adds a depth giving the ensemble an almost orchestral quality at times. Prokofiev managed to make full use of this ensemble, push all instrumentalists to the far reaches of their capabilities to produce some of the most exciting and characterful chamber music. The double bass part is deviously tricky, asking for virtuosity over the instrument and a strong characterful presence. It features as the leading voice in many occasions, often in the nature of the instrument, such as the opening of the 2nd movement, Andante energico, where a heavy, peasant-like folk tune is introduced, or in the 5th movement with the rapid running pizzicato bass line. The oboe must have a seemingly endless breath in the 4th movement, a dark, tenebrous, painfully slow and emotionally charged movement, then to be bright and sparkly with spiky grace notes in the 5th. The clarinet’s flourishing waves of notes and shrieking cries in its uppermost register contrasts with the warmth of the viola’s longing melodies. Let alone the unbelievable agility required from the violin, this work is a mammoth task to undertake.

Each instrument tends to take on a particular persona of one of the characters, undoubtedly from the original ballet, at moments throughout the piece. The violin in the second variation of the 1st movement embodies the quick footed ballerina, whereas the bass often resembles the slow witted boors.

How Prokofiev creates all these characters and paints the sublime textures that frame them demonstrates his mastery over the instrumentation and an imagination to match. The Quintet is a vital resource which I have drawn on extensively in creating this arrangement.

Table of contents

Introduction

History of Arranging

 Relevance as a Double Bassist

 Trapèze

The arrangement 

Why I should make this Arrangement

Choosing the work to arrange

How I made the arrangement

Listening and Imagining

Examining a small musical fragment

The register puzzle

On being a piano

On not bein a piano

Inspirations from Prokofiev

Breaking from the score

Working with musicians

Outcome and reflection

 Conclusion

Bibliography