This dissertation provides an interpretive guide to Variationen und Fuge über ein Thema von Händel, Op. 24, written in 1861 by Johannes Brahms (1833–1897), in orchestral terms, using as basis the orchestral transcription by Edmund Rubbra (1901–1986), published as his Op. 47 in 1938. Not only does Brahms' Variationen present players with considerable pianistic difficulties, its intense harmonic and polyphonic structures make the music sound symphonic. The English composer Edmund Rubbra, a great Brahms enthusiast, transcribed the work for orchestra. The transcription in effect represents Rubbra's interpretation of the piano work as well as his respect for it. When both orchestra and piano versions of a composition exist, pianists may obtain essential musical ideas from studying the orchestral version, just as it is advisable for conductors to study the piano versions of symphonic works, not only those arranged by the composer. Brahms himself was not only a composer but also a pianist and conductor. It is possible that he imagined orchestral sound when composing large-scale piano works such as his Variationen. New experiments in interpretation can offer a refreshing perspective. This study focuses on elements from Rubbra's orchestral version of Variationen that can inform pianists' interpretation.

While he was composing his important orchestral tone poem Finlandia in 1899–1900, Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) made his own piano arrangement of it. The purpose of this study is to compare the piano arrangement and orchestral version and to see further the similarities with Sibelius's other piano compositions from the same time period (1899-1904). Through this study I have found compositional patterns, which are typical for the composer and defined his composition style for piano during his "Kalevala-Romantic" phase. Sibelius's piano style was characterized as unpianistic and bulky by some. However, through my research I can show that with an analysis of certain harmonic structures, subtle use of pedal and correct voicings, his piano texture is indeed very thoughtful and transparent with a clear focus on counterpoint while remaining pianistic and comfortable to play. In order to fully understand the idiosyncrasies of the two versions of Finlandia, a detailed comparative analysis of the piano and orchestral scores is necessary. For this purpose, I primarily used the printed scores of both the piano and orchestral versions. In addition, the manuscript of the piano version of Finlandia was consulted as an important resource. From the orchestra manuscript, only one page has been found. The analysis focuses on the comparison between the textures of both versions, the score and the piano arrangement. I also applied the results of the comparison to the other scores of Sibelius's piano compositions from that time period to show his consistency in his use of the described arrangement techniques. With using the orchestration possibilities of the piano Sibelius's writing allows the instrument to stand completely on its own using all the possibilities of the piano sound while maintaining a highly pianistic texture. The goal of my research is to provide insight to understanding Sibelius's early piano style, introduce some performance practice ideas appropriate to this period, and highlight his smaller-scale works such as the character pieces and songs of this period.

The euphonium has been an integral part of wind bands and brass bands for more than a century. During this time the instrument has grown in stature in both types of band, as an ensemble member and a solo instrument. Until recently, however, the instrument has been underrepresented in orchestral literature, although a growing number of composers are beginning to appreciate the characteristics of the instrument. The purpose of this research is to explore the perceived rise of the euphonium in an orchestral environment through analyzing the significance of the role it plays within Lorin Maazel's Music for Flute with Tenor Tuba Obbligato (1995) and Karl Jenkins' Cantata Memoria (2005); specifically, how the euphonium contributes to the orchestral scores in relation to its capabilities as an instrumental voice.