Organ transcription of Leonard Bernstein’s brilliant, whimsical overture to Candide. I made this for my début concert as Municipal Organist of the City of Portland, Maine in 2018. As such, it was designed to transfer as many of the orchestral sonorities and features from Bernstein’s orchestral score to the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ (Austin Organ Co., Opus 323, 1912/26) in Merrill Auditorium, formerly known as City Hall Auditorium, an instrument replete with five manuals, six enclosed divisions, and a multitude of orchestral reeds, strings, and percussion stops.

The job of the transcription performer is to act as a conjurer and magician: a dark art of deception that allows seemingly impossible-to-transcribe orchestral textures to appear as if they were composed expressly for the organ upon which they are being played. As such, this transcription works well on classically-inspired as well as symphonic-orchestral instruments.

As a bonus, I have included my personal performance markings as an aid to fingering/pedaling - feel free to use or ignore as you wish!

Enjoy a performance of this transcription by Stephen Tharp, one of the most brilliant artists of our time, performed on the organ of St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City.