Piano Solo - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.984770 Composed by Serge Rachmaninov. Arranged by John M. Honeycutt. 20th Century,Concert. Score. 10 pages. Music Innovators Workshop #4627769. Published by Music Innovators Workshop (A0.984770). Earlier, I hesitated to publish this version that I arranged several years ago. This piece is so very well known and loved that I was concerned that a simpler version would not be well received. I recently changed my mind after playing through this version. This arrangement opens up playing this piece to many pianists who may find the original too daunting a challenge. Players and listeners will find that the arrangement sounds very much like the original. Some listeners may find it a little less full sounding - most won't be able to tell the difference.Here are the differences. (Of course its written on tablature, but that's a different issue.) First, the simpler version is not simple. It is very difficult. It just is not as difficult as the original. Second, it sounds very much like the original. It is a very full arrangement. The whole piece is there. It has not been shortened.The simplification consists mainly of removing some, but not all, of the doubling and tripling of notes. This lightens the feel of the piece just a bit. The recap of the theme at the end is simplified by changing the 4 note chords to 3 note chords, Where the right hand leaves the chords and moves very quickly down to double two bass notes and immediately back up to find the chords again, and again, the arrangement omits these few notes to leave the right hand where it is to play the chords.
