I got a nice note from Philippe Quint today (April 4), and he will do his best to make it right.
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Excited about hearing the performance by Quint and Litton that I wrote about in a blog post I earlier today, I went to the Pentatone website and found that I could listen to the first few phrases of the piece.
Quint does add a couple of extra double-stop notes to my transcription, which he has every right to do. What he and Pentatone do not have every right to do is not to give me credit for the making the transcription, making it available to download from the IMSLP, and keeping it in the public domain (where I found the original version for organ) so it could be performed and recorded by anyone, anywhere.
Yesterday I sent a message via Facebook messenger to Philippe Quint, but I haven't heard back from him. It was a message thanking him for including my transcription on his recording. I didn't mention the fact that Pentatone didn't think it worth mentioning my name on the recording.
I have not registered this transcription (or any of my other transcriptions of the piece) with ASCAP because I don't want to put financial restraints on anyone who wants to maintain Price's hard-won legacy by playing and recording this piece. My dream for this piece is to keep it freely available, and to keep it circulating in the hearts, hands, and arms of musicians and people who like to listen to music long after I am no longer alive.
I encountered this lack-of-recognition problem with this piece a few years ago in connection with Randall Goosby's recording of the transcription for Decca. After I informed him of the omission Mr. Goosby sent me a long and heartfelt apology. He also made sure that Decca gave me credit for the transcription in all the publicity materials for the recording.
I encountered this lack-of-recognition problem with this piece a few years ago in connection with Randall Goosby's recording of the transcription for Decca. After I informed him of the omission Mr. Goosby sent me a long and heartfelt apology. He also made sure that Decca gave me credit for the transcription in all the publicity materials for the recording.
Most people who perform my transcriptions of the piece give me credit, and I really appreciate it. I may not care about making money on this piece, but I feel deeply insulted when my connection with it is ignored or erased, particularly when that erasure is made by a commercial entity that is making money on Price's music.
Yesterday I sent a message via Facebook messenger to Philippe Quint, but I haven't heard back from him. It was a message thanking him for including my transcription on his recording. I didn't mention the fact that Pentatone didn't think it worth mentioning my name on the recording.
I think of that line from Vertigo, "It can’t matter to you."
But it does matter.
A lot.
Before sitting down to write this post I thought of buying a copy of the CD tomorrow, when it becomes available. But the company is located in the Netherlands, and with the new tariffs, the price would be very high. I also think that owning a physical CD, no matter how beautiful the playing is, might feel like pouring salt in a wound. I suppose I could write to the label and ask for a free recording, but I doubt I would hear back from them.
Before sitting down to write this post I thought of buying a copy of the CD tomorrow, when it becomes available. But the company is located in the Netherlands, and with the new tariffs, the price would be very high. I also think that owning a physical CD, no matter how beautiful the playing is, might feel like pouring salt in a wound. I suppose I could write to the label and ask for a free recording, but I doubt I would hear back from them.
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