bohuslav martinů’s oboe concerto, h. 353: a new piano

APPROVED: Gustavo Romero, Major Professor James Ryon, Committee Member Steven Harlos, Committee Member and Chair

of the Division of Keyboard Studies Jaymee Haefner, Director of Graduate Studies

in the College of Music John Richmond, Dean of the College of Music Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse

Graduate School

BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ’S OBOE CONCERTO, H. 353: A NEW PIANO

REDUCTION OF THE ORCHESTRAL SCORE

Ko Eun Jeoung, B.M., M.M.

Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

December 2020

Jeoung, Ko Eun. Bohuslav Martinů’s Oboe Concerto, H. 353: A New Piano Reduction of

the Orchestral Score. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), December 2020, 81 pp., 45 musical

examples, 2 appendices, bibliography, 28 titles.

Bohuslav Martinů’s “Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra” is one of the most

frequently played pieces in the oboe repertoire. For this reason, it is often played with the piano

reduction instead of the orchestra in oboe recitals. However, the existing piano reductions

include many errors and discrepancies from the orchestral score, misrepresent the orchestration,

sometimes fail to make the oboe entries clear, and tend to be unplayable for pianists. Moreover,

the scores were published after the composer’s death without him supervising the final editing. I

have prepared a new, playable piano reduction to represent the orchestration more faithfully and

help pianists work with their soloists more easily. Based on the work of Martin Katz, a

prominent collaborative-pianist, I establish four principles for creating a new piano reduction.

After scrutiny of the deficiencies of existing piano reductions, I suggest solutions for making the

passages in question practical and bringing out the leading voices clearly so that the soloist can

join in as easily as playing with an orchestra. To aid in reflecting the orchestral texture that

Martinů created, I include abbreviated instrument names in many passages to help pianists to

understand how to create balance. I have changed some passages completely to make the sound

closer to the orchestral texture. All changes and suggestions are based on the orchestral score and

its layout. This simplified and practical piano reduction should help pianists have more enjoyable

and more successful collaborations with their soloists.

ii

Copyright 2020

By

Ko Eun Jeoung

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ................................................................................................ iv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1

Statement of Purpose .......................................................................................................... 1

Significance and State of Research ..................................................................................... 2

Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2. COMPARING EXISTING PIANO REDUCTIONS .............................................. 7

Moderato ............................................................................................................................. 7

Poco andante .................................................................................................................... 14

Poco allegro ...................................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 3. CHANGES IN THE NEW PIANO REDUCTION ............................................... 27

Moderato ........................................................................................................................... 27

Poco andante .................................................................................................................... 32

Poco allegro ...................................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 4. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................... 48 APPENDIX A. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS IN THE REDUCTION ....................................... 49 APPENDIX B. PIANO REDUCTION OF BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ’S OBOE CONCERTO, H. 353 BY KO EUN JEOUNG ......................................................................................................... 51 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 80

iv

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Page

Example 1: Bohuslav Martinů, Oboe Concerto, H. 353, I, mm. 1–2 ............................................. 7

Example 2: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 10–11 ...................................................................... 8


Example 4: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 62– 63 ................................................................... 10

Example 5: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 65–66 .................................................................... 11

Example 6: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 79–81 .................................................................... 12

Example 7: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 107 ........................................................................ 13

Example 8: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 117–120 ................................................................ 14

Example 9: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, II, mm. 1–6 ....................................................................... 15

Example 10: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, II, mm. 19–20 ................................................................. 15

Example 11: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 1–4 .................................................................... 16

Example 12: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 1–4, orchestral score ......................................... 17

Example 13: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 15–18 ................................................................ 17






Example 19: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 55–57, orchestral score ..................................... 23



Example 22: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 201–202 ............................................................ 26


v

Example 24: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 10–11 .................................................................. 28




Example 28: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 102–103 .............................................................. 31

Example 29: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, II, mm. 1–12 ................................................................... 33

Example 30: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, II, mm. 13–23 ................................................................. 34

Example 31: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, II, mm. 16–20, orchestral score ...................................... 35







Example 38: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 58 ...................................................................... 40




Example 42: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 103–117, orchestral score ................................. 44

Example 43: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 182 .................................................................... 45



1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Statement of Purpose

When pianists accompany soloists in performances of concertos, they use a piano

reduction of the orchestral score, even though translating the multiple layers of the orchestral

writing to the piano is challenging. In this process, inevitably, some notes have to be omitted,

moved, or added by the editors, performers, or composers themselves, resulting in changes and

discrepancies from the orchestral score. For this reason, pianists must approach piano reductions

in a different way from compositions originally written for piano and solo instruments.

For oboe recitals, pianists are often asked to play a piano reduction for the Oboe

Concerto, H. 353 (1955), by Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959). The composer made the first piano

reduction himself, but it presents many issues for the pianist. Yann Ollivo, a French pianist and

arranger,1 prepared a revised version based on the orchestral score; but it still has pianistic

issues, such as difficulty in recognizing the main melodic materials and harmonies and writing

that does not lie well on the piano. It also fails to be self-sufficient: “In any case of doubt

concerning notes, articulations or dynamics in the piano score, consult the full orchestral score.”2

Generally, pianists use one of these versions, which also present ensemble problems. Full details

of the piece’s publication history are given in the next section.

In this dissertation, I present a new piano reduction, in which I clarify the main melodic

materials of the orchestra, to make it easier for the soloist and pianist to collaborate.

Furthermore, while retaining more of the composer’s orchestral texture, I create an easier and

1 Yann Ollivo, “Biography,” http://www.conservatoiredeparis.fr/disciplines/les-enseignants/les-enseignants-detail/enseignant/ollivo/; accessed 5 May 2020. 2 This account is based on the Critical Notes in Bohuslav Martinů, Oboe Concerto, H. 353, rev. Maurice

2

more pianistic version by omitting unnecessary notes and rearranging others.

Significance and State of Research

Thomas B. Milligan believes that piano reductions are intended primarily for study and

rehearsal.3 For this reason, he asserts that pianists should follow along with the original

orchestral score when they are studying the piano reduction. Olga Kim suggests that the crucial

step in understanding piano reductions is listening to recordings made by different orchestras and

studying the orchestral score, which helps to solve the problems of articulations and sound

quality in approaching a piano reduction.4 Phillip Tad Hardin concedes that both composers and

editors have problems in translating orchestral scores to the piano, since it is challenging work.5

Philip Cranmer asks arrangers of piano reductions to retain the essential elements of the original

texture, and at the same time to make the music sound stylish in the new form.6 Arrangers must

make good choices about which details are important because they cannot transcribe all the

details. Marcin Parys agrees that it is naturally impossible to play all the notes in the orchestral

score, so arrangers must make crucial decisions based on their understanding of the music.7

Therefore, creating a piano reduction is a question of interpretation. There cannot be just one

authoritative piano reduction, since it results from the arranger’s interpretation and preferences.

Martinů’s “Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra” has had a checkered history of

performance and publication. The work was written in 1955 for the Czech oboist and conductor

3 Thomas B. Milligan, Jr., “Concerto Accompaniments on the Second Piano,” Clavier 7 (1968): 44. 4 Olga Kim, “A New Piano Reduction of the Glazunov Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 82” (DMA document, Arizona State University, 2019), 2. 5 Phillip Tad Hardin, “Effective Orchestral Accompaniment at the Keyboard: An Evaluation and Comparison of the Piano Reductions for Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto” (DMA document, Florida State University, 2006), 4. 6 Philip Cranmer, The Technique of Accompaniment (London: Dobson Books, 1970), 45. 7 Parys Marcin, “Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto, Op. 23 No. 1 in B-flat minor: A Newly Arranged Edition of the Orchestral Reduction” (DMA diss., University of North Texas, 2018), 4.

3

Jiří Tancibudek (1921–2004), who had emigrated to Australia in 1950. Tancibudek premiered

the concerto in 1956 with the Sydney Symphony conducted by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt (1900–

1973).8 Tancibudek reported that when he received the score from Martinů, the composer wrote:

“Feel free to make final adjustments in the virtuoso passages to suit your own personal technique

and the possibilities of the instrument. I wrote two cadenzas for you.”9 Tancibudek did make

“adjustments,” but later regretted some of them: “…when I recorded the concerto, I wanted to be

completely faithful to the original, and I included and played the second cadenza as well.”10

When Tancibudek met Martinů in 1958, they agreed on several changes suggested by the oboist,

and the composer marked them in the autograph manuscript. “Martinů also wanted to thin down

the orchestration in the last movement, because we both thought that the solo oboe does not

come through enough in a few spots. But unfortunately, he could not do it anymore—his illness

killed him one year later.”11

When it came to publication, Martinů was already too ill to supervise the process.

Unfortunately, the Parisian publisher Max Eschig did not consult Tancibudek in issuing either

the first edition of the composer’s piano reduction (1960) or the orchestral score (1961). The

result was “so many errors” in the piano reduction, including wrong notes, as Tancibudek

remarked.12 The orchestral score reflected the manuscript better, despite still having some wrong

notes, but it contained only some of the changes made by Tancibudek. An unauthorized edition

8 This account is based on the Foreword in Bohuslav Martinů, Oboe Concerto, H. 353, rev. Maurice Bourgue and Guy Porat, reduction for oboe and piano by Yann Ollivo (Paris: Durand, 2008). 9 Jiří Tancibudek, “Bohuslav Martinů, Concerto for Oboe with a Small Orchestra (1955),” The Double Reed 13, no. 1 (1990): 47–48. 10 Quoted in James Brody, “Corrections to the Martinů Oboe Concerto,” The Double Reed 13, no. 1 (1990): 49. 11 Tancibudek, “Martinů, Concerto.”. 12 Tancibudek, “Martinů, Concerto.”.

4

of the piano reduction published by Muzyka in Moscow (1974) was based on the Eschig edition.

Max Eschig published a second edition of the piano reduction with some corrections in 1983. As

the concerto began to be played widely around the world, several oboists proposed changes to

the solo part, based on photocopies of the manuscript.13 Finally, following lengthy meetings and

correspondence with Tancibudek and his widow, the French oboist and conductors Maurice

Bourgue and Guy Porat prepared a new edition of the concerto, issued by the Parisian publisher

Durand in 2008. The addition of a second cadenza to the last movement is generally considered

the most substantial change. For this edition, the French pianist and arranger Yann Ollivo went

back to the Max Eschig piano reduction and made changes in it.14

The Martinů concerto has therefore had two different piano reductions (discounting the

unauthorized Russian one): the original one made by the composer and the revised one by Yann

Ollivo. Unfortunately, as already mentioned, neither of these piano reductions is satisfactory,

although the Durand edition is based on a corrected orchestral score. The leading voice in the

orchestration is often obscured, creating ensemble problems, and the writing generally does not

lie well on the piano. It is therefore clear that an easier and more practical piano reduction is still

needed. I have prepared a new piano reduction, taking into account both the first editions

(orchestral score and piano reduction) published by Max Eschig and the revised edition of

Durand.

13 See Brody, “Corrections”; Andreas Gosling, “Das Oboenkonzert von Bohuslav Martinů: Versuch der Herstellung einer authentischen Solostimme,” Tibia 22, no. X (1997): 512–17; André Lardrot and Alain Girard, “Les corrections à apporter aux deux éditions (Max Eschig) du Concerto pour hautbois de Bohuslav Martinů,” La Lettre du Hautboïste, no. 13 (January 2004): 61. 14 Martinů, Oboe Concerto, H. 353, rev. Bourgue and Porat.

5

Methodology

Pianists need to have a piano reduction that does not try to include all the notes in the

orchestral score but find a creative way to follow the composer’s intentions. Martin Katz (b.

1944), a prominent collaborative pianist, gives the following tips on when to change existing

piano reductions:

• Something is risky or downright impossible technically

• Something is playable but does not capture the orchestral truth

• Something is playable and sounds acceptable, but there is a better solution

• Something is playable and sounds orchestral, but does not warrant the pianist’s estimate of the many hours of practice required to master and guarantee it.15

Katz mentions the technical challenges of playing piano reductions and the need to create better

solutions while keeping the orchestral texture as much as possible. I aim to produce a piano

reduction of the Martinů concerto that will be practical to play and create easier collaboration

between soloist and pianist.

I have followed four principles. First, the register should be based on the orchestral score

and its topography wherever possible. Second, to reduce the technical challenges and be more

practical, there has to be a consistent process for omitting and rearranging notes based on the

composer’s orchestral compositional style and patterns. Third, the voices in the harmonies need

to show clearly which part is most important, to help soloists know where they are and where

they join in. In this process, I give an abbreviated name of the instrument in question above the

main melody and include dynamics that help to create a better balance. This is especially

important in the second movement.

15 Martin Katz, The Complete Collaborator: The Pianist as Partner (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 190.

6

Fourth, some passages need to be changed completely to convey the particular sound of

the orchestra. The biggest difference between the two editions is considered to be the addition of

a cadenza for the soloist in the third movement. Since the two cadenzas are important parts of

this concerto, the soloist needs to know when these cadenzas begin. I compare my new piano

reduction with the Durand edition, the latest published version, throughout.

7

CHAPTER 2

COMPARING EXISTING PIANO REDUCTIONS

Moderato

The following examples illustrate the problems with the existing piano reductions. In all

three movements begin with the orchestra therefore, the pianist must clearly establish the themes

and the appropriate orchestral textures before the soloist enters.

Example 1 shows that in the two editions the first movement begins in different registers.

The Max Eschig edition (1960) follows the register of the piano part in the orchestral score, but

the revised edition (2008) adds the first flute and first violin register. The orchestral score (1961)

shows that the first flute and first violin have melodies in the same register almost throughout the

movement.16 It is better to present these materials in the higher register, because they are

prominent when the soloist plays with orchestra.

Example 1: Bohuslav Martinů, Oboe Concerto, H. 353, I, mm. 1–2

a) Max Eschig Edition

16 Martinů, Oboe Concerto, H. 353, complete score (Paris: Max Eschig, 1961), I, mm. 1-16.

8

b) Durand Edition

©Universal Music Publishing Classique. Reproduced by courtesy of Editions Eschig and Durand.

As Ex. 2 shows, the Durand edition indicates the sixteenth-note ascending scale more

clearly than the Max Eschig edition. Since bassoon, clarinet, and piano are given this charming

sound, the pianist needs to bring it out clearly, but the Durand edition makes it difficult for

pianists to do so. I clarify this in my edition to bring out the most important lines. In m. 11, the

two editions have different registers in the left hand. It is reasonable to follow the Max Eschig

edition, because cellos have the same bass register as the lowest part in the orchestral score.

Also, it is better for the pianist not to have wide leaps after playing fast ascending lines.

Example 2: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 10–11


9

b) Durand Edition


Example 3 shows the difference between the registers in the right hand. The Durand

edition adopts violins chords exactly, but the Max Eschig edition stays on the flute’s B-flat then

moves down to the violin’s G-flat. In the available recordings, this part clearly shows that G-flat

needs to be higher than B-flat, because the violin I and II have stronger voices than the flute’s

continuous B-flat. Moreover, the Durand edition creates technical demands for the pianist

because of a big leap from C in the left hand.



b) Durand Edition


10

In Ex. 4, the two editions adopt different instruments in the orchestra. The Max Eschig

edition follows all the notes of the strings for both hands, whereas the Durand edition selects the

piano’s shifting notes in the orchestral score for the left hand. However, these left-hand notes

tend to draw attention away from the chords in the right hand, which are more important because

the strings have a louder dynamic f than the mf of the piano.

Example 4: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 62– 63


b) Durand Edition


Example 5 is in the middle of the tutti part after the oboe’s f cantabile with the orchestra.

The Durand edition adds material to include as many of the instruments as possible. Since the

first movement has a metronome marking for dotted quarter note =60 with Moderato tempo

mark, it is challenging to play all the notes at this fairly fast tempo. In contrast, the repetitive left-

hand pattern in the Max Eschig edition makes it easier to express the right hand’s tutti chords.

11



b) Durand Edition


In Ex. 6, both editions try to include the notes as many instruments as possible while

giving different registers in the right hand, but that approach proves to be impractical for the

pianist. Transcribing all the notes in the orchestra to generally two staves of the piano is almost

impossible, as mentioned in Chapter 1. This passage becomes especially difficult because all

instruments have different patterns and articulations, as seen in Ex. 6. Following my four

principles, I suggest practical note patterns and articulations.

12



b) Durand Edition


Example 7 clearly shows the arrangers’ process of transcribing. They have totally

different materials for both hands and even different registers and clefs. In the Durand edition,

the E5–E6 octave in the right hand is important, because the prominent violins I and II start

playing together from that last beat and continue before the trumpet is given the melody. The

Max Eschig edition adopts the woodwinds notes for the right hand, whereas the Durand edition

chooses the piano’s ascending notes in the orchestra for the left hand.

13

Example 7: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, I, mm. 107


b) Durand Edition


Example 8 is a short tutti for eight measures. Each edition has a different note

arrangement for the same chords; at m. 120, they have almost the same note arrangement but still

not the same. Whereas the Max Eschig edition unifies the chord figurations in m. 117 and m.

120, the Durand edition gives all the materials exactly as written in the orchestral score.

14



b) Durand Edition


Poco andante

Example 9 shows the beginning of the second movement in the two editions, which are

even in different clefs. Pianists generally find it more difficult when the clef keeps changing. As

the second movement progresses, the Durand edition represents the parts better by using stems to

indicate a solo instrument’s melody as the soprano voice in the chords. The cello section has the

solo voice at the beginning of this movement, and the french horn continues the phrase. The

pianist needs to clarify this melody, so that the soloist can join in smoothly. However, both

editions fail to indicate these most important melodic lines. I indicate them clearly in my edition.

15

Example 9: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, II, mm. 1–6


b) Durand Edition


Example 10 shows the middle of the orchestral introduction. The Max Eschig edition

gives the first-beat chords as rolling chords, whereas the Durand edition presents them as

accented tremolos. The two editions have different registers in the left hand. The same thing

occurs again in mm. 44–45 after the cellos and solo horn in the orchestral part.



16

b) Durand Edition


Poco allegro

In Ex. 11, the Durand edition adds E4 in the highest register because all the strings have

pizzicato on every first beat in mm. 1–4 (see Ex. 12). To make this passage as orchestral as much

as possible, it is appropriate to add the pizzicato notes of the strings above the piano’s repeated

notes.

Example 11: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 1–4


b) Durand Edition


17

Example 12: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 1–4, orchestral score

©Universal Music Publishing Classique. Reproduced by courtesy of Editions Eschig.

Example 13 shows the different note arrangements in each piano reduction. Instead of the

first off-beat notes in the right hand in mm. 15–17, the notes of the other beats should show up

clearly, since that voice is a melody in this orchestral passage. Putting the most important voice

as the soprano, as in the Max Eschig edition, the pianist can easily find which voice to emphasize

to give clarity to the soloist. However, from m. 17, the melody begins with the last eighth note

creating syncopation. I indicate it clearly in my piano reduction, based on the composer’s

intention for rhythmic change.



18

b) Durand Edition


In Ex. 14, overall, the orchestra is divided into two groups: a group of sixteenth notes,

and a group of eighth notes with sixteenth notes. The Max Eschig edition tries to give the most

prominent sounds in the first group of the orchestra: flute, violin in the right hand, and cello in

the left hand. In contrast, the Durand edition includes many notes as possible of both groups, but

that is impractical and even makes it difficult for the pianist to find good fingerings. My edition

shows the two different rhythmic patterns, the first in the right hand and the second in the left.



19

b) Durand Edition


The opening of the third movement is an even more blatant example of changing clefs in

the Durand edition. Example 15 shows the middle of the opening, marked Poco Allegro. Martinů

uses marcato with a f dynamic for the piano in the orchestra when the movement begins to reveal

its character. When the flutes join in with joyful sixteenth notes in m. 29, the two editions put

them in different registers. Since the right hand takes charge of the flute parts, it is valid to mark

an octave higher sign, as in the Durand edition.



b) Durand Edition


20

Example 16 shows the entrance of the soloist. The two editions give the pianist different

registers for both mm. 36 and 37. In the Durand edition, the left hand has a big leap at m. 37 but

gives more precise dynamics to grasp the balance.



b) Durand Edition


In the Durand edition, as shown in Ex. 17, the triplets have different directions, even

though the strings have all descending triplets in the orchestral score. Even if the pianist can

create a rich sound using a wide range as in the left hand, the note A1 makes it hard for pianists

21

to play the quick ascending triplets. In contrast, the Durand edition indicates the flute’s register

more clearly than the Max Eschig edition, even using an octave F-sharp and G. In the Max

Eschig edition in m. 49, the interval of a tenth in the left hand is generally difficult for the pianist

to reach with a f dynamic, so it is better to play an octave B-natural, as shown in the Durand

edition.



b) Durand Edition


Example 18 shows two different ways of dealing with the ascending patterns in the right

hand. The Max Eschig edition has an ascending scale in thirds, while the Durand edition has an

22

ascending scale in octaves and thirds, with more notes in the middle. However, in the orchestral

score, the violin and cello have a different pattern for the ascending scale, as in Ex. 19. My

edition clarifies this in the right hand while adding another instrument in the left hand. Also, I

give their abbreviated names for each phrase, so that the pianist may know the instrumental color

of the original.



b) Durand Edition


23


©Universal Music Publishing Classique. Reproduced by courtesy of Editions Eschig.

Example 20 is one of the least successful parts in the third movement in both piano

reductions. They give no idea of what the important voices are or how to create balance, and they

are extremely awkward to play, especially in the Durand edition. Since the soloist has the same

notes twice, it is important to give the best possible support with the orchestral material. I

24

suggest this in my edition through note omission and rearrangement in accordance with my third

principle.



b) Durand Edition


As this movement progresses, and the orchestral texture becomes thicker, the two piano

reductions favor different instruments, producing completely different results, as in Ex. 21. In the

Durand edition, it is difficult to play all the notes in the right hand with a different rhythmic

pattern in the left hand. Furthermore, the piano harmony in the orchestral score needs to

25

represent in the piano reduction. The clarinet line is essential and is indicated by marking the

passage Cl in my edition. The violin continues this melody after the clarinet.



b) Durand Edition


Example 22 shows the Allegro section at the end of this movement. The piano reduction

needs to have the chromatic scale, as in the Durand edition, because only the piano has this scale

in the orchestral score, whereas other instruments play only short motives or staccato notes.

However, it is difficult for pianists to play this kind of contrary motion writing in the second

beats of each measure in the example. I rectify these matters in my edition.

26



b) Durand Edition


27

CHAPTER 3

CHANGES IN THE NEW PIANO REDUCTION

Moderato

In Ex. 23, I adopted the Durand edition’s register for the right hand based on my first

principle, changing the repetitive playing pattern in the left hand to reduce the technical demands

based on my second principle. Also, I applied this second principle to the note omissions and

rearrangements in the right hand.


a) Durand Edition (2008)

©Universal Music Publishing Classique. Reproduced by courtesy of Editions Durand.

b) Jeoung Edition (2020)

In Ex. 24, I added the abbreviated names of the instruments to each passage and omitted

notes that interfere with the most important ascending scales. Also, according to the first

28

principle, I adopted the cellos’ register in the left hand in m. 11, because it reduces the technical

demand of wide leaps after playing fast sixteenth notes.


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

In Ex. 25, I adopted the right-hand register based on the first principle as in the Durand

edition. However, the notes are changed from G-flat to G-natural in the bottom of the right hand

to create tension from the GmM7 chord. The G-natural is taken from the piano part in the

orchestral score, and Martinů himself added this note in his piano reduction. By using C2 as a

tied note throughout the measures in the left hand, I resolve the technically demanding problems

of big leaps and shifts in this fast tempo.

29


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

In Ex. 26, I adopted the repetitive patterns of the chords instead of repeating chords every

sixteenth in the left hand. Since the tension in the tutti is based on the clash of C minor and D

major chords in the right hand, it is appropriate to give the left hand a supportive role for the

right hand. I added D5 repeated notes in the thumb of right hand to amplify the tension.


a) Durand Edition


30

b) Jeoung Edition

Example 27 shows the difficulty of assigning notes from the orchestral score to the piano

when all the instruments have different materials with different articulations. I simplified this

passage as much as possible based on my second and third principles to make it easier and

practical for the pianist to collaborate with the oboist. I omitted unnecessary notes and

rearranged risky notes that have unpianistically wide intervals. At the same time, I suggested a

particular pattern for the left hand to reduce shifting over a wide interval while keeping the bass

note C3. When the pianist tries to play all the notes shown in the Durand edition, it is easy to lose

track of the soloist, especially when the soloist has light, fast passages.


a) Durand Edition


31

b) Jeoung Edition

In Ex. 28, I continued to omit and rearrange notes in both hands to make the piano

reduction easier to play. I also brought out more important materials based on my second and

third principles. In m. 102, the soloist’s D#6, C#6, B#6, and C#6 is followed by the flute and

clarinet’s C#6, D#6, C#6, and B6. Therefore, the pianist must make a clear continuation of the

soloist’s line. The Durand edition contains too many notes here, making it difficult for the pianist

to project the leading voice. Also, in m. 103, I unified the left-hand notes while assigning the

woodwind notes to the right hand to make them easier to be heard.


a) Durand Edition


32

b) Jeoung Edition

Poco andante

In Ex. 29, I used the treble clef for the right hand and the bass clef for the left hand

consistently, since this practice makes it easier for the pianist to read. I use Vc as an abbreviation

for the cellos and include various dynamics to help the pianist see which part is the most

important in this movement. Moreover, I add a long slur, since the cellos play the melodic line

throughout the beginning section until the horn continues it. The cellos are marked poco f

cantabile in the orchestral score, whereas all other instruments are marked p. I understand that

the composer and the arranger tried to put more notes above those of the cellos because of the

register of the other instruments. However, in the piano reduction, it is vital to emphasize the

important cello and horn phrases. For this reason, I rearranged the notes of all other instruments

below those of the cellos, which have soprano stems in the voices. Also, I omitted some notes in

the right hand if they overlap with or repeat those of the left hand in the same chord. Most

importantly, in m. 7, I changed the middle note in the right-hand from F to E, because first violin

and violas have this note. It is important to give the harmony below the cellos, but the Durand

edition has this E above the cellos, interrupting the voicing of the main melody.

33


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

Example 30 shows the remainder of the orchestral introduction before the soloist comes

in. As in Ex. 5, I used Hn as the abbreviation for horn, which picks up the main melody from the

cello. I solved the voicing problem by rearranging the notes and giving the same long slur for the

horn as for the cello. The last note of the horn, F4, corresponds with the first note of the solo

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oboe. Instead of the tremolos in mm.19-20, I put extra accents marks in the right hand, since the

piano’s rolling chords in the orchestral score have the same marks for both hands. Martinů also

did not use tremolos in his piano reduction, because the piano takes part in the overall sound

while having the highest register, as shown in Ex. 31.


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

35

Example 31: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, II, mm. 16–20, orchestral score


Poco allegro

Example 32 shows the middle of the orchestral introduction in the third movement. Based

on my third principle, I put the leading voice as the soprano and omitted the first off-beat

staccatos in the right hand because it interferes with making a two-note slur. Instead, it has been

moved to the left hand.


a) Durand Edition


36

b) Jeoung Edition

In Ex. 33, I omitted notes to bring out the repeated notes clearly in the right hand based

on my second principle, since all instruments have light and repeated passages except the brass.

Following that, I changed the rhythm in the left hand to follow the rhythm of the horn part.


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

If the pianist attempts to play all the notes in the Durand edition as shown in Ex. 34, they

have the high possibility of making mistakes. This is the reason to have a process of omitting and

rearranging notes to make a better and more practical piano reduction. I left only the most

important passage in the right hand, which is played by the piano and violin in the orchestral

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score. For the left hand, I created a repeated broken octave pattern according to the cello and

contrabass parts instead of notes going in opposite directions.


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

I used the same pattern for the left hand to relieve the technical demands of the fast

tempo in Ex. 35. Also, I omitted the inner voice in the right hand. That inner voice, executed by

the clarinet, prevents bringing out the delicate grace notes in the flute.


a) Durand Edition


38

b) Jeoung Edition

In Ex. 36, instead of leaping triplets in the left hand, I rearranged the notes based on my

second principle. Also, I added abbreviated names of instruments in each passage to give the

pianist an idea of how to create the sounds. In this movement, Martinů often uses the

compositional style of dividing the orchestra into winds and strings, with different rhythms (see

Fl./Str. And Cl./Str. In the example), creating a charming texture.


a) Durand Edition


39

b) Jeoung Edition

As mentioned in the explanation for Ex. 18, for the right hand, I adopted the same

ascending staccatos of the violins in the orchestral score. This creates a more orchestral sound for

the piano. Also, I rearranged the left hand visually, to clarify which instrument plays the passage.


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

40

In Ex. 38, according to my second principle, I omitted unpianistic notes for both hands

and rearranged the D chord in the left hand following my first principle of register. Also, I

adopted the piano notes in the orchestral score for the left hand and the flute notes for the right

hand.

Example 38: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 58

a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

In Ex. 39, since the left hand has frequent leaps, I omitted the on-beat staccato notes in

the right hand. They are unnecessary, because the left hand also has a staccato bass line. In

addition, I left important notes only in the right hand because of the busy leaps in the left hand.

41


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

In Ex. 40, I simplified the left-hand notes to let the pianist focus on the clarinet notes,

which are parallel to the soloist. Instead, I gave the F-dim chord in the right hand in m. 73 to

include the piano’s chord in the orchestral score. The violin continues the clarinet’s passage and

makes a crescendo to lead to the cadenza for the oboist.


a) Durand Edition


42

b) Jeoung Edition

Example 41 shows the passage in the third movement just before the second cadenza.

Based on my fourth principle, it is important to convey the orchestral texture and give a clear cue

to the soloist.


a) Durand Edition


43

b) Jeoung Edition

As the orchestral score indicates in Ex. 42, the piano in the orchestra is the only

instrument with frequent and busy changing notes and is even marked with a louder dynamic

than the other instruments. Therefore, the piano reduction has to bring out these melodic lines,

although both the first and revised piano reductions give the pianist only a lot of chords, making

it difficult to determine what needs to be heard. I used the piano’s moving line while adding

accented staccatos in a way that eliminates any unpianistically wide intervals.

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Example 43 shows the challenge of playing the right-hand chord f if all the notes are

included from the orchestral score. Once more based on the process of omitting and rearranging

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notes in my second principle, I changed the right-hand chord to narrow the stretch in the hand,

but with a different dynamic because it is in the high register. Also, I adopted a trill instead of a

tremolo in the left hand, because all the woodwinds and trumpet have trills.

Example 43: Martinů, Oboe Concerto, III, mm. 182

a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

Example 44 shows the Allegro section at the end of this movement. Since the tempo is

faster than the beginning, the pianist cannot capture all the details. Therefore, I adopted the two

leading instruments in the orchestra here: flute for the right hand and the cello for the left hand.

To follow and support the soloist’s f marcato trills, the pianist needs to change the dynamic in m.

186, exactly as in the orchestral score.

46


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

Example 45 shows the ending of the Piu allegro section. Even though the piano has

sixteenth notes, as in the Durand edition, it is more important to create a big moment, because all

instruments have the same blocked D chord except the piano. Thus, I included a more extended

D chord instead of the less-important moving sixteenth notes.

47


a) Durand Edition


b) Jeoung Edition

48

CHAPTER 4

CONCLUSION

Through carefully comparing two existing piano reductions of Bohuslav Martinů’s Oboe

Concerto, I realized that each reduction has its own interpretation of what the composer wanted

to express in the orchestral score. The first piano reduction published by Max Eschig, which

stems from the composer, lacks a lot of orchestral textures and important instrumental materials.

In contrast, the more recent piano reduction published by Durand tries to include as many notes

of the orchestral score as possible, producing a lot of unpianistic writing in the process. The two

reductions together gave me the idea of creating my own version, which selects the leading

voices and essential harmonies from the orchestra but remains playable by pianists.

I made my own version based on four principles of piano reductions, which partly came

from Martin Katz. I included abbreviated names of the orchestral instruments, to make it easier

for the pianist to express the orchestral textures and materials.

I felt keenly the necessity of creating a more successful piano reduction of this piece,

which has wonderful orchestral writing that deserves better representation in the reduction. I

hope my new piano reduction reflects the essence of the concerto and will help pianists to

collaborate more easily with their soloists.

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APPENDIX A

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS IN THE REDUCTION

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Bn. Bassoon

Cl. Clarinet

Fl. Flute

Hn. Horn

Pf. Piano

Str. String instruments

Tpt. Trumpet

Va. Violas

Vc. Cellos

Vn. Violins

Ww. Woodsind instruments

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APPENDIX B

PIANO REDUCTION OF BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ’S OBOE CONCERTO, H. 353

BY KO EUN JEOUNG

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bohuslav martinů’s oboe concerto, h. 353: a new piano

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