The Unlimited Guitar: Arranging Bach and Britten as Means to Repertoire Expansion

186 Pages·2014·33.84 MB·English

The Unlimited Guitar: Arranging Bach and Britten as Means to
Repertoire Expansion
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Tariq Harb

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A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements 

for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts
School of Graduate Studies 

University of Toronto
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© Copyright by Tariq Harb 2014
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The Unlimited Guitar: Arranging Bach and Britten as Means to
Repertoire Expansion


Tariq Harb


Doctor of Musical Arts


School of Graduate Studies

University of Toronto


2014
Abstract

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Transcriptions and arrangements are an essential part of the classical guitar repertoire.
Benjamin Britten’s first Cello Suite is a cornerstone of the solo cello repertoire and, at present,
has not yet been arranged for the classical guitar. This study proposes, through the detailed
examination of historical arrangements, texts, articles, and methods, to create adaptations of
Britten’s Cello Suite, Op.72 and of J.S. Bach’s Partita No.1 for Unaccompanied Violin, BWV
1002 that are idiomatic to the guitar. Along with a detailed adaptation log of J.S. Bach’s Partita,
BWV 1002, the present study includes an overview of the arranging process gleaned from Bach’s
own arrangements, examination of guitar transcriptions of Bach’s unaccompanied string music
among other composers and arrangers’ works, and analysis of guitar audio recordings. As a
result, this study generates criteria that, when applied, inform and create effective adaptations,
providing a blue print for arrangers interested in adapting music for guitar. Bach’s method of
adaptation, the adaptation criteria derived from this study, and several notable guitarists and
scholars’ approach to arranging are then integrated into a guitar performance edition of the
aforementioned works.
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To my Mother


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Acknowledgements 

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I would like to thank my dissertation committee, Dr. John Brownell, Professor Katharine
Rapoport, and especially my teacher and supervisor, Dr. Jeffrey McFadden, for their generosity,
helpful mentoring and insight. I am grateful for their time, knowledge, experience, and
encouragement. Their advice throughout the many drafts of this document has been most
helpful. 


I also thank my family and friends, who in the course of my musical journey provided
continuous help, motivation, and inspiration. Without their unwavering love and support this

dissertation would not have been possible.

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Table of Contents

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Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………ii

List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………..vi

List of Figures……………………………………………………………………..………..……vii

List of Appendices………………………………………………………………….….…………xi

Chapter 1: Introduction and Related Literature………………………..……..……..……….……1
Musical Structure of Bach’s Unaccompanied String Works………………………….……5

Historical Context of the Arranging Process Gleaned from Bach’s Own Arrangements…16

A Brief Insight into Britten’s Three Cello Suites and His Compositional Language….…19

The Value of Transcriptions to the Guitar Repertoire……………………….……………22

Chapter 2: The Process of Adaptation……………………………………………..……….……24 

Criteria Derived from the Adaptation Log and from the Process of Adaptation….…….. 25

Tuning of the receiving instrument………………………………………….……………27

Choosing a suitable key……………………………………………………….………….29

Adjusting note duration, inserting rests, and re-stemming the original..……….……….. 33

Interpreting bow markings, slurs, and ties and their equivalencies on the guitar..….……37

Filling in chords to strengthen the harmony and to thicken the texture………………….42

Composing bass-lines informed by suggested harmonies……………….……………….45

Sustaining sound by adding imitative voice lines and other techniques….……..……….49

Introducing articulations and musical contrasts.…………..……………………………..53

Applying special effects and extended techniques to imitate sounds from the
original instrument…………………………………………………………………….58

Using specific fingerings throughout the adapted guitar score…………………………..62

In-depth Exploration of the Adaptation Process………………………………….………67

Chapter 3: Exploring the Exceptions…………..…………………..………………….…………74

Chapter 4: Conclusion……….…………………………………………………….……………..91

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..93

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List of Tables
Table 1. Possible workable transpositions adapting Bach’s cello music for guitar.
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List of Figures
Figure 1. Prelude, Cello Suite No.3, BWV 1009, mm.37-39.

Figure 2. Prelude, Cello Suite No.2, BWV 1008, mm.30-32. 

Figure 3. Sullivan’s Daydreams No.2 for pianoforte, mm.1-11.

Figure 4. Sullivan’s Daydreams No.2 for pianoforte adapted for organ, mm.1-11.

Figure 5. Fuga, G minor Violin Sonata, BWV 1001, mm.74-76.

Figure 6. Sarabande, B minor Violin Partita, BWV 1002, mm.11-12.

Figure 7. Sarabande, Cello Suite No.2, BWV 1008, mm.21-28.

Figure 8. Allemande, Cello Suite No.5, BWV 1011, mm.14-18.

Figure 9. Prelude, Cello Suite No.1, BWV 1007, mm.18-21.

Figure 10. Prelude, from Prelude Fugue and Allegro, BWV 998, mm.39-40.

Figure 11. Allemande, Cello Suite No.5, BWV 1011, mm.1-5.

Figure 12. Voiles, from Debussy’s 24 Preludes, engraved on one treble staff, mm.17-20.

Figure 13. Voiles, from Debussy’s 24 Preludes, arranged for guitar, mm.17-20.

Figure 14. Lute Suite, BWV 995: a) Gigue, mm.1-7; b) Gavotte II en Rondo, mm.12-15.

Figure 15. Adagio, Clavier Sonata in D minor, BWV 964, mm.1-3.

Figure 16. Marcia, from Britten’s first Cello Suite, mm.1-7 adapted for guitar.

Figure 17. Allemande, from Bach’s first violin partita, BWV 1007, mm.1-5.

Figure 18. Bach’s Allemande from BWV 1002 arranged for guitar, mm.1-3.

Figure 19. A comparison of Bach’s arrangement of Vivaldi’s Concerto Grosso in D minor, Op.3,
No.11 for organ, mm.1-5.

Figure 20. A comparison of a melodic leap treatment between the original and the author’s
adaptation, Bach, Allemande, BWV 1002, m.1, beat 4.

Figure 21. A comparison of a melodic leap treatment between the original and the author’s
adaptation, Britten: Cello Suite Op.72, VI - Moto Perpetuo e Canto Quarto, mm.69-70.

Figure 22. Britten, Cello Suite No.1, Fuga, mm.108-109>

Figure 23. Britten, Cello Suite No.1 arranged for guitar, Fuga, mm.108-109.

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Figure 24. Bach, Adagio from Sonata no. 1, m.1. Violin original and guitar adaptations.

Figure 25. A comparison of tied notes treatment between the original and the author’s
! adaptation, mm.1-6, Britten: Cello Suite Op.72, Canto Primo.

Figure 26. Bach’s arrangement of Vivaldi’s music for organ. Op.3, No.8 and (BWV 593), mm.
1-2.

Figure 27. A comparison between the original violin version and the author’s arrangement
showing the thickening of the chords in the guitar arrangement. Tempo di Borea, mm.
65-68.

Figure 28. An example of adding notes to thicken texture in Britten’s Cello Suite, Canto
Secondo, mm.1-2.

Figure 29. The realization of a bass voice in the author’s adaptation. Double of the Sarabande,
BWV 1002, m.15.

Figure 30. A passage showing the addition of a bass voice in the author’s adaptation. Double
of the Corrente, mm.4-5.

Figure 31. Addition of bass voice and completion of polyphony in other voices. BWV 1002,
Double of the Tempo di Borea, mm.66-68.

Figure 32. An example of elongating bass voices and connecting polyphony. Britten’s Cello
Suite, Serenata, mm.15-20.

Figure 33. Bach’s own arrangement of his fifth cello suite for lute, showing his approach to
maintaining sound under notes of extended duration. Gigue, BWV 995, mm.15-20.

Figure 34. An example of Bach’s treatment of filling rhythmic holes while adapting Vivaldi’s
music for the organ. BWV 596, m.28.

Figure 35. Imitative voice added in the author’s adaptation of Bach' s Allemande, from BWV
1002, m.5.

Figure 36. Showing similar articulations between the cello and the guitar score. Britten, Cello
Suite, Serenata, mm.1-4.

Figure 37. Changing articulations from pointed accents to staccatos. 

Fuga, from Britten’s first Cello Suite, mm.28-31.


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Figure 38. Showcasing the use of musical contrasts in the author’s arrangement. Britten, Cello
Suite, Marcia, mm.30-33.

Figure 39. Showcasing extended techniques used in the author’s adaptation of Britten’s Cello
Suite, Bordone, mm.1-2.

Figure 40. Applying tambor on the guitar to imitate the ‘con legno’ effect on the cello. Britten’s
Cello Suite, Marcia, mm.1-2.

Figure 41. Choosing harmonic fingering to create a new voice. Bach, Double of the
Allemande, mm.1-2.

Figure 42. Showing the use of harmonic fingering in adapting Britten’s Cello Suite. Lamento,
mm.4-5.
Figure 43. Showcasing the use of melodic fingering to preserve melodic lines in a polyphonic
texture. Bach, BWV 1002, Double of the Sarabande, mm.1-2.

Figure 44. Using both melodic and harmonic fingering methods in adapting Bach’s first Violin
Partita, BWV 1002, Tempo di Borea, mm.56-58.

Figure 45. Using rests in parentheses to indicate actual sounding duration of notes. 

Bach, BWV 1002, Double of the Corrente, m.18.

Figure 46. Showing Albéniz’s use of the piano to imitate the Flamenco guitar. Asturias -
Leyenda, mm.25-28.

Figure 47. The opening phrase of the middle section in Asturias, imitating the ‘cante jondo’ of
Flamenco. mm.63-66.

Figure 48. Introducing a rhythm in the style of a malagueña in Albéniz’s Asturias. mm.87-88.

Figure 49. Francisco Tárrega’s addition of triplets to Albéniz’s Asturias. mm.23-26.

Figure 50. Comparing a keyboard score to a guitar score of Scarlatti’s Sonata K.322, mm.1-4.

Figure 51. A chart showing the works discussed in this study and their likelihood of successful
adaptation for guitar.

Figure 52. Comparing a passage from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition to Yamashita's
guitar arrangement. I. Gnomus, mm.94-99.

Figure 53. Some passages in Pictures at an Exhibition had to be greatly reduced in order to fit on
the guitar. Ballet of the Little Chickens, mm.1-4.

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Figure 54. Yamashita’s use of extended techniques to realize a passage for guitar in
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Con Mortuis in Lingua Mortua, mm.1-3.

Figure 55. A comparison of John Williams’ adaptation for guitar of Paganini 24th Caprice with
the original. Var. No.8, mm.1-4.

Figure 56. Williams’ added variation to Paganini’s 24th Caprice. Var. XI, mm.1-4.

Figure 57. Octave transpositions in Fisk’s adaptation. Paganini, Caprice I, mm.8-11.

Figure 58. Another example of octave transpositions needed for performance on guitar. Caprice
VII, mm.15-18.


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