Richard Yates – Soundboard
     The usual method by which I discover music to transcribe for guitar is to sift through scores or recordings looking and listening for the features that I have often discussed in these columns. However, recently I found an abundant source by a different means. It started with just the name of a composer of whom I had never heard – Stephen Heller. A bit of investigation turned up these few data: a prolific 19th Century composer, quite familiar to piano students, and best known for his smaller musical forms such as preludes and studies. This meager information was enough to spur me to order, sight unseen, three collections of Heller’s music. This small gamble paid off quite well as I found a high proportion of the pieces to be quite suitable for the guitar. One of those is this issue’s featured transcription.  

     Born in Hungary in 1813, he began piano lessons and, as his talent became apparent, moved up through a series of teachers until he went to Vienna to study with Carl Czerny. By the time he was fifteen years old he was ready for a two-year concert tour through Eastern Europe. This ended in Augsburg where, exhausted, he then stayed for eight years under the patronage of Frau Caroline Hoeslin von Eichthal and also Count Friedrich Fugger-Kirchem-Hoheneck. His compositions came to the attention, and received the enthusiastic support, of Robert Schumann. He moved to Paris in 1938 and lived there for the rest of his life composing, teaching, and writing musical criticism. 
     The list of his compositions is large, covering about 160 opus numbers, many consisting of several pieces. The ones that have established themselves in the piano literature are his studies and preludes. Currently available through the usual music sources, and that I would recommend to anyone looking for fresh transcription sources, are: 

25 Études Faciles, opus 45 
25 Études Pour Former au Sentiment du Rythme et á L’expression, opus 47
	32 Préludes B Mlle. Lili, Opus 119
	24 Preludes, opus 81

     The studies in opus 16 and opus 46 seemed promising but were discontented and uncomfortable on the guitar. (Perhaps someone else can discover the means of efficacious transcription that I was unable to). In Heller’s work you will find familiar 19th Century harmonic language, graceful if not memorable melodies, and interesting, attractive, and inventive rhythms. The pitch ranges, harmonic complexity and voicing density are nearly always of a scope that allows transcription to the guitar.  

Prelude, Op. 81, No. 20

     Originally in the key of C minor this prelude is marked con espressione di dolore amaro (with expression of bitter pain). Lest this heading scare off guitarists from trying it, please note the sentiment that it evokes for me is rather softer, and the mood improves as the piece proceeds! As with many of Heller’s preludes, a small number of measures encompasses a varied series of narrative events that is almost operatic. Here are some of the highlights: 

     Measure 1: A descending melodic interval has been used for centuries to signal a less than cheerful mood. Heller enhances this effect in the first two beats by: making the melodic interval a tritone, having minor third harmonic intervals on both notes, and disorienting the listener by avoiding the tonic and outlining an ambiguous dominant seventh chord. With that much emotional baggage built into the notes how could I resist fingering them so that there can be lots of vibrato on the top end and a glissando connecting them? Use a little restraint in how long you make the glissando, but, if even this is not enough bitter pain for you, try the melody on the third string. In the original piano score the figure is doubled at the octave in the left hand – a texture that nearly always can be simplified without damage to the music. 

     Measure 7: Note that the barré can be placed on the second fret without lifting the 4 finger from the note A on the first string. This difficulty is worth being able to connect the note A to the following B flat. The opening figure reappears, but with a compressed form and in the subdominant key. 

     Measure 13: Again the top note of the chord can be held, although the stretch may thwart some players. Of course, we are now even further from the tonic, apparently, at least by analogy, headed for E minor. 

  Measure 20: The harmonic ambiguity begins to clear. Again the theme recurs but here, significantly, descending down a perfect fifth and without the depressive minor thirds. Remarkably, from this point on, the harmony remains strictly and solidly in the tonic key. Only notes of the harmonic minor scale are used. Although still in a minor key, the emotional expression is lighter, more open, perhaps more wistful or melancholic than bitter. 

       Measure 22: The echo of measure 20 is effectively rendered using ponticello. 

     Measure 23: The same texture continues from here to measure 32. It is important to keep the melody singing in the foreground and the accompaniment understated – its main purpose, not yet apparent, is its rhythm. The duple rhythm of the accompaniment interferes, in the wave sense, with the motion of the 9/8 meter. 

     Measure 32: By what has preceded harmonically, and especially rhythmically, Heller has set up a marvelous moment. The hobbled rhythmic movement flows freely once again. There is release and consolation in the grief… 

     Measure 34: …and possibly even some hope. The dynamic marking, as I have preserved in the transcription, indicates crescendo all the way to a sforzando at measure 35. Personally, I like to play the peak of this line, the first beat of measure 35, subito piano, that is, suddenly softer. This can make the top notes float out ethereally. The sixth string, twelfth fret, natural harmonic adds to this effect, and is also very convenient for sustaining the sound over the shift down on the second beat.
   
     I think you will enjoy playing this little jewel from Stephen Heller, but I would be especially happy to hear from reader’s who might attempt others of his works. If you have such contributions to make, please get in touch. 

Richard Yates