Rodney Sharman's
Opera Transcriptions(1989-2013)
Rodney Sharman's Opera Transcriptions is divided into 3 books, each comprising three pieces of solo piano transcriptions of arias from operas by Puccini, Bizet, Monteverdi, Wagner, and Claude Vivier. Sharman was inspired to compose these transcriptions after listening to Michael Finnissy's Verdi Transcriptions (1972-2005).
In detail, Sharman's transcriptions consist of the following:
Book I:
‘La Rondine’ transcription (1991): ‘La Canzone di Doretta’ (soprano), for Yvar Mikhashoff
‘Turandot’ transcription (1989): ‘Nessun dorma’ (tenor), for Anthony de Mare
‘Madama Butterfly’ transcription (1990): ‘Tu, tu, piccolo iddio’ (soprano), for Yvar Mikhashoff and for Anthony de Mare
Book II:
‘Carmen’ transcription (1993): ‘La fleur que tu m'avais jetée’ (tenor), for John Snijders
‘Les Pêcheurs de Perles’ transcription (1995): ‘Au fond du temple saint’ (tenor and baritone), for Ortwin Stürmer
‘La Jolie Fille de Perth’ transcription (2002): ‘Serenade’ (tenor), for Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa
Book III:
‘L’incoronazione di Poppea’ transcription (2008): ‘Mercurio dal ciel in terra’ (bass), for Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa
‘Tristan und Isolde’ transcription (2013): ‘Liebestod’ (soprano), for Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa
I. Tristan, Isolde
This project dealt with pairing Sharman's 'Tristan und Isolde' transcription, which is based on the final aria of Isolde's 'Liebestod' from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, with Marc Sabat's Tristan, Isolde, which is based on the 'Tristan' chord from Wagner's opera.
Marc Sabat, Tristan, Isolde (2009), for two pianos retuned in Just Intonation
Rodney Sharman, 'Tristan und Isolde' (2013) from Opera Transcriptions
Live performance at the Banff Centre of Arts, January 2014
Lara Dodds-Eden & Ann-Kristin Sofroniou, piano
Julia Fox, soprano
II. Rodney Sharman, Opera Trascriptions (selection)
Recording at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, May 2015
Michael Finnissy, 'O cieli azzurri' (Aida) from Verdi Transcriptions
Rodney Sharman, 'La Rondine' from Opera Transcriptions
Rodney Sharman, 'Turandot' from Opera Transcriptions
Rodney Sharman, 'Madama Butterfly' from Opera Transcriptions
Rodney Sharman, 'Mercurio dal ciel in terra' from Opera Transcriptions - improvisation
Rodney Sharman, 'Au fond du temple saint' from Opera Transcriptions