| J. S. Bach's Chaconne for unaccompanied violin, BWV 1004, was revived in 1840 after having been forgotten for almost 120 years. Since this revival, it has appeared in various guises: as violin solo with and without piano accompaniment; in transcription for different instruments and ensembles. Among many piano transcriptions, those by Johannes Brahms and Ferruccio Busoni demonstrate opposite styles and philosophies of arrangement. Brahms' intention was to be faithful to the original music. In order to imitate violin playing, he arranged the Chaconne for left hand alone. In contrast, Busoni considered Bach's conception of the work to be compromised by its medium, the solo violin. When transcribing for concert performance on the piano, Busoni first imagined and mentally arranged the original piece for organ, and then transferred this sonic vision to the piano, hence the sonorous effect of the transcription.;Although the two transcriptions originate from one and the same composition, the performer should approach them in different manners. In this study, various issues of performance practice are examined, among them structure, editions, notation, arpeggiation, polyphony, pedaling, tone color, dynamics, and tempo. Various recordings, including historical recordings by Busoni and his pupil, are also analyzed. To provide context, the origin and development of the chaconne and its musical effect, the significance of arrangements in music history, and the Bach Revival, particularly the revival of the Chaconne, are studied. |
