The Art of Transcription

The series represents a unique offering in the Italian music publishing landscape and one of the few examples of its kind internationally. Its aim is to provide a systematic and organic approach to one of the oldest practices in the history of music: the art of transcription.

To transcribe means to re-invent: changing one or more instruments, or moving from a large ensemble to a small one or vice versa, is never a trivial operation. In fact, it leads to a complete critical re-reading of the musical text.

The proposal of Roma Tre Orchestra, more specifically, stems from the experience of the "Society for Private Musical Performances" (Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen) founded by Arnold Schoenberg at the beginning of the last century. We believe that the experience of the Verein is still of great interest, both for the cultural aims that animated the project - namely, the desire to bring great music to a non-specialist audience - and for the beauty of the transcriptions themselves produced by that group.

The series will focus primarily on repertoire from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the era of so-called "orchestral gigantism". The aim is to create new versions of these works for reduced ensemble, making them possible for ensembles of the size of Roma Tre Orchestra, and also to offer this material to the entire international music community. The choice will therefore be in favour of transcriptions "for reduction", in order to transform pieces for large orchestra into scores for chamber orchestra.

The first composer to be featured in the series of transcriptions will be Anton Bruckner, the 200th anniversary of whose birth will be celebrated in 2024. In addition to Bruckner, the series will focus on contemporary composers such as Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler and others. In all cases, the music will be in the public domain and therefore will not present any copyright conflicts with the original publishers of the pieces.

The transcription work will be entrusted to Italian and foreign composers of recognized value and competence, selected from time to time by the Scientific Committee.