An Examination of Alexander Siloti's Printed Solo Piano Transcriptions of Works by J. S. Bach

In this document I will examine Alexander Siloti's (1863-1945) fourteen transcriptions for solo piano of works by J. S. Bach (1685-1750) that are currently in print. I will compare all of these transcriptions to Bach's originals and discuss Siloti's musical treatment of Bach's music. When possible and relevant, I will compare certain works to transcriptions of the same pieces by contemporaries of Siloti, including Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924), Ignaz Friedman (1882-1948), Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991), Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921), and Theodor Szanto (1877-1934). I will also consider other Bach transcriptions made by Siloti in instances where he completed a solo piano transcription and one or more transcriptions of the same work for other instrumental combinations. It is my hope that pianists will become acquainted with a small but excellent body of work by a neglected artist due to this examination of Siloti's Bach transcriptions. To this end I will give a brief overview of the history of the nineteenth century piano transcription, Bach as a transcriber, and the legacy of Bach's music as transcribed for the piano. I will also provide important details about Siloti's biography, and discuss his style and technique as a transcriber of Bach's music. Lastly, I will examine Siloti's fourteen Bach transcriptions for solo piano in detail.