The "transcriptions" here by
Ignaz Friedman,
Dinu Lipatti, and
Béla Bartók of J.S. Bach works fall somewhere right in the middle of the extremes of a straightforward transference of notes from one instrumentation to another and a complete reworking of original musical ideas.
Friedman's arrangements are decidedly Romantic in flavor. The Toccata and Fugue in D minor bring to mind
Stokowski's orchestration of the same work. In the way
Stokowski took advantage of the timbres available in the different instruments,
Friedman takes advantage of the piano's capabilities, particularly of rapid repetition of notes. The excerpts from the solo Violin Partitas are intriguing, given that what was essentially a single line of music is transformed into a complexity of melody and harmonies. The Gavotte from the Partita No. 3 is grandiose, with quirky harmonies thrown in to make it fascinatingly different.
Bartók also very occasionally sneaks extra harmony into the Organ Sonata No. 6, although there is plenty for the two hands to do once the organ pedal line is added.
Malan's performance isn't flawless, sounding at times as if her hands just aren't quite big enough to cover all the notes required, but she does an extremely creditable job with them technically. Musically she responds to the dramatic, Romantic nature of the arrangements without overdoing it. Particularly in
Lipatti's arrangement of the Pastorale, which itself is more of a simple transcription than the other pieces here. More of what you would imagine was Bach's original musical intent is evident in it. This is the first recording of some of these arrangements, and it's good that they will not be lost forever like other concert pianists' reinterpretations of earlier works.