Description
The first of its kind, and the first entry in the Accessible Accompaniments library’s collection of small-hand-optimized song literature publications, this is Richard Strauss’s beloved “Zueignung,” from Acht Gedichte, op. 10 (1885), optimized (but not simplified) for the needs of collaborative pianists with small hands. “Small” is generally understood to be just an octave in span, with limited capacity to grab chord tones within a blocked octave aside from the occasional inner fifth.
This edition was inspired by Boosey’s excellent small-hand edition of Frank Bridge’s “Love Went A-Riding” (erroneously labeled “simplified” on the front matter), which thins the large chords that would be problematic or impossible for a barely-an-8ve-reach collaborative pianist to play without adding musically inappropriate rolls or breaks, but also preserves the musical content and grammatically accurate voice-leading. Given that Strauss’s op. 10 collection is much more widespread on today’s concert programs than the Bridge, and given that average conservatory pianist heights and hand sizes have dropped significantly in the 20th and 21st centuries, the need for a similar adaptation in at least some of the op. 10 songs is obvious. Additionally, Strauss’s songs are often so orchestral in spirit—much more so than the Bridge—that the instinct to treat them as orchestral reductions to be adapted by each individual player should be as self-evident and considered as musically appropriate as it would be for any of Strauss’s beloved horn concerti. Performers should feel free to insert their own adaptations, additions, and omissions to this score as needed.
The primary source material for this edition is Henle’s edition of the Acht Gedichte. However, any proprietary material that is not public domain (like their fingerings, front matter, and critical notes) is left out of this edition, leaving only what is public domain and edited by Ms. DiPaolo. Unreasonably large chords and arpeggio figures that would require being reachable by a larger hand have been condensed into figures more appropriate for the just-an-octave hand without sacrificing technique and excitement. This edition makes minor improvements to the engraving, like removing syllabic beaming in the voice and adding octave lines when appropriate. This edition also uses Accessible Accompaniments’ distinctive house style, marked by its visual beauty and ease of reading.
While this song will be published in low, middle, and high keys for your convenience, please feel free to request another transposition if you are purchasing from a site that does not offer automatic transposition or you don’t see the key that you need. As the name says, Accessible Accompaniments is committed to accessibility—and that goes for singers, too!