Why Arranging?

As part of a semi-regular blog rotation, I plan to ask myself the "why" of composing! Why am I interested in certain musical forms, genres, or techniques? Why am I dedicating time to a certain type of composition? Why do I do this thing called composition at all?

This month: Why Arranging?

Generally speaking, musical arrangements are adaptations of existing musical works -- a transcription from one instrument or ensemble to another, an orchestration of material for larger forces, or a reduction of a large ensemble work for smaller forces. Though I have always done arrangements of many kinds, I have taken a greater interest in arranging in the last couple of years. There are many reasons for this -- beyond the fact that I simply enjoy it! -- but the most compelling is that arranging is a safe place to explore, learn, and create opportunities.

A lesson book.

Arranging another composer's work is a chance to learn from that composer in a very up-close-and-personal way. The process of arranging is slow and methodical and this allows for an extended study of a work from the inside out. You begin to see more layers and interconnected moments. You begin to appreciate the nuance and detail of a work. This deep dive into the nuts and bolts of a musical work is necessary to inform the countless decisions you need to make to complete the arrangement. Certain musical ideas from the original may not work in the new medium, so you will need to hypothesize the best solution based on what the composer has already written. You begin to have a deep conversation with the composer (whether imagined, if deceased, or real, if living!) These are all opportunities to learn from another composer and carry those ideas into your original work. Certain schools of composition training focus on learning from the masters through score study. Historically, Bach transcribed Vivaldi's concertos. Liszt made piano reductions of Wagner's operas (among many other arrangements and transcriptions). One of my teachers told me about having to copy Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" out by hand! My first orchestrations were chorales and piano solos. This is a part of our early training, but why must that education stop? There is always more to learn and creating a diligent arrangement of another composer's work is a great way to continue learning.

A coloring book.

Arranging is a bit like a coloring book: the lines are already there -- you supply the color! You can still have a vast imaginative palette of sounds without worrying about the form and musical lines. You simply are illuminating new possibilities within the music. No two arrangers will "color" a piece the same way, so you can still have an independent voice and put your creativity to use to bring another composer's work to life. There is also a practical application. When composing every component of a work and something isn't right, it can be difficult to determine where the issues originates. But with arranging, you can focus on orchestration, balance, nuance, and texture in isolation. The process is much faster than writing original music as well, so you can really work quickly if needed, or take the time to experiment and tinker until the colors are perfect.

A foot in the door.

Composing original music -- especially large scale orchestral or instrumental works -- takes an incredible amount of time and energy. This, coupled with the a very slim chance of performance, makes it a risky endeavor. Yes, there are competitions and call for scores (which I have entered and at times found success). Yes, there are organizations dedicated to presenting new works (which I have applied for many times). But, these are all highly competitive and selective and often require you to write new, original work with no promise of a premiere. Few presenters will take a risk on a contemporary composer, but they might be more interested in an arrangement of an established composer that fits their instrumentation. In this way, arranging can create opportunities in a risk averse climate and deliver something high quality that demonstrates your skill and might lead to further opportunities for your original work.

For example, I arranged ​Gesualdo's madrigal Resta di darmi noia for The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with Conrad Tao. I was in the right place at the right time to put my ideas out there and it has now led to opportunities for a new strings only version with Oregon Symphony to be premiered in Spring 2024. This also has led to other arranging projects at The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, such as a reduction of Lili Boulanger's D'un matin de printemps for chamber orchestra, an arrangement of Beethoven's "Heiliger dankgesang," and several arrangements of works by Abel Selaocoe. Of course, I would love to have my original works premiered someday, but I am also content in arranging other fantastic works in collaboration with a phenomenal orchestra. There is great value in this!

All you can do is make the most of the opportunities at hand in hopes that they lead to other opportunities down the road. Those doors are starting to open for me more through arrangements than original works, so that's where I'm going to keep applying myself.

Holding the door open.

Another way I hope to use my skills as an arranger is to promote works by other composers, especially composers whose work I enjoy or has been ignored historically. There is a long tradition of composers arranging each other's works and I feel a sense of duty to bring these works to life through arrangement.

Some exciting projects include arrangements of piano works by Cecile Chaminade and Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, two phenomenal women composers that had limited opportunity to write for orchestra but whose piano music is ripe for orchestration. My version of Fanny Mendelssohn's "Das Jahr" also includes parts for singers and chorus to highlight its oratorio-length proportions and gesamstkunstwerk tendencies. (It truly is a masterpiece! I've learned so much from dedicating myself to her music!)

An in-progress version of "April" and "May" from Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel's "Das Jahr" (above)

An in-progress version of "June" from Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel's "Das Jahr" (above)

Recently, I've been arranging several of Edvard Grieg's "Lyric Pieces" for orchestra. I'm fascinated by Grieg's impressionistic and folk inspired sound world! He wrote 66 pieces published in 10 volumes spanning his entire career. These piano works influenced Debussy and Ravel, among others. Rather than virtuosic piano showstoppers, they are character pieces that come alive with some subtle orchestration. And since Grieg himself arranged a handful of them, there is a model to follow for the remaining pieces. My goal is to partner with orchestras in Minnesota to present these arrangements since I know that audiences will love hearing Grieg's music!

An in-progress version of "Once upon a time" from Edvard Grieg's "Lyric Pieces, Book X, Op. 71" (above)

An in-progress version of "Norwegian Dance" from Edvard Grieg's "Lyric Pieces, Book X, Op. 71" (above)

Likewise, Cecile Chaminade's music is lush and evocative. I've been working on a wind ensemble arrangement of her Poèmes provençaux, Op.127, originally for piano.

An in-progress version of "No. 1 - Dans la lande and No. 2 - Solitude" from Cecile Chaminade's "Poèmes provençaux" (above)

Conclusion

Through arranging, I have been able to hone my craft and grow my network of opportunities and seek inspiration for my original work. Arranging will likely never become the totality of my creative output, but it has certainly became an important part of my creative practice.

If you are interested in any of these arrangements -- or know a conductor or ensemble that might be interested in them! -- please reach out and let me know! Some are completed and others in-progress but I'd love the opportunity to have them performed!