Nineteenth-century four-hand piano transcriptions: Carl Czerny as arranger

Abstract

The first half of the nineteenth century was a time of significant cultural change in Western Europe. Evolving social landscapes, in part due to the Industrial and French Revolutions, contributed to an expanding middle class interested in exploring leisure activities that had formerly belonged primarily to the aristocracy. The piano quickly rose in popularity as the preferred keyboard instrument of the bourgeoisie, providing amateur musicians an expressive and sociable means of making music in the home. Four-hand piano transcriptions became a popular way for amateurs and connoisseurs alike to explore music due to the educational and entertainment potential of these arrangements. Carl Czerny was a prolific arranger of two- and four-hand piano transcriptions for works in numerous genres and by varied composers. His specific arranging style resulted in a detailed four-hand piano version of the original work that was useful to connoisseurs such as musical critics but was also enjoyable for amateurs interested in an intimate social experience at the keyboard. This score-based analytical and historical study explores the social and cultural phenomenon of nineteenth-century four-hand piano playing, and uses comparative analysis to identify specific features of Czerny’s transcriptions. Chapter One explains the methodology utilised to complete the research, followed by background information in Chapter Two to introduce components of the research including the physical nature of fourhand piano playing and Czerny as an arranger. Chapter Three presents the findings of the score analysis, with an explanation of how Czerny’s approach to four-hand transcriptions allowed him to educate the musical public through socially engaging arrangements that contributed to the canonisation of important musical figures such as Beethoven.