Western classical music coda - is this an arrangement?

MusicBrainz Classical
1

I just entered an album and the last track is a coda

What is coda from the point of an edit - is it an arrangement credited to original composer ? or perhaps a new work as some of the codas are scored and played frequently by artists who did not compose it ? arrange it ? I think you know what I mean :slight_smile:

I always thought that coda is an improvisation like in jazz but then you don’t score improvisations…

2

A coda is simply a final part of a classical piece (see Wikipedia). You might be confusing it with a cadenza, an ornamental passage (often near the end of a movement) which is sometimes improvised but sometimes written out.

In the case of the release you’re editing, the ‘Alla polacca’ section could be thought of as part of the final variation (as per the MB work) or an extra part of the piece after the final variation (as suggested by the track list). It is very much part of the original piece though, and not an arrangement. See also Wikipedia.

I think it’s represented well by the relationships that are there, with the final two tracks being partial recordings of the final variation.

1 Like
3

Thanks for clarification, it was cadenza what I was really thinking of.

4

For cadenzas, we have often made works for them, although I don’t think there’s a clear guideline or anything. For example: