Arranging

Arranging, a term in Music which means the adapting of a piece of music so as to be performed on an instrument or instruments different from those for which it was originally composed, as when orchestral or vocal compositions are set for the pianoforte, or the reverse. It corresponds with the work of translation in literature, and requires similar gifts. The pianoforte arrangements of Franz Liszt have excelled all others, although in some cases he may have overstepped the boundary of propriety. Many of the classical masters, especially Bach, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn, have themselves performed the task of arranging their own music. See ACCOMPANIMENT, POTPOURRI, and FANTASIA.