Tell me I'm crazy...

[etincelles]

I've gotten it into my head that Schumann's delightful yet treacherous Toccata for piano would be great transcribed for a string quartet. If you don't know the piece, it's one of the most difficult in all piano literature.
Here's a link to a live version played by the talented young pianist Mei-Ting Sun:

http://www.meiting.com/music/schumann.toccata.op.7.20040305.mp3

I think it would present some interesting options for swapping around the various motifs on different instruments, as well as presenting a good opportunity to really test those new aggressive sounds.

Anyone agree with me, or am I completely bonkers? :D

[Styxx]

Go for it, Life is not a dress rehearsal! Hey, you might end up tearing your hair out but it might be worthy of note to try! Ya never know. ;)

[rwayland]

[QUOTE=etincelles.

Anyone agree with me?
[/QUOTE]

Well,now, Sparks, I can't confirm your mental status, but if it feels good, do it!

Richard

[JonFairhurst]

I think the rythmic patterns would lend themselves perfectly to strings. It's cool to use GPO to help arrange it, but it would be truly awesome to have played live. If done well I'd think that you might be able to find a quartet that would be up for it!

-JF

[KevinKauai]

I'd vote for the mallets of the orchestra: marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel and celestra! Although there are several lyrical passages in the Toccata, it's far more percussive than the strings can produce and most of that [imho] would be lost.

Anyone up for transcribing any of the "Organ Symphonies" of Vierne to orchestra (with no organ)?

;) KevinKauai

[etincelles]

I'd vote for the mallets of the orchestra: marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel and celestra! Although there are several lyrical passages in the Toccata, it's far more percussive than the strings can produce and most of that [imho] would be lost.

Anyone up for transcribing any of the "Organ Symphonies" of Vierne to orchestra (with no organ)?

;) KevinKauai

Yep, that was my concern. It is a very percussive piece and I wondered how it would be possible on strings without it sounding swishy and indistinct. I got the idea from one of the Schumann string quartets (I forget which: no 1 or 2), that features some very fast and percussive playing.

It works quite well actually you know; downbowing effectively renders that rapid murmuring motif that is prevalent throughout, and upping the brightness to give an 'angrier' sound full of bow noise works well on the sections where those chords are flying around. I played around with alternating the lyrical passages between the violin and cello.

I'm very impressed with GPO's capabilities; I didn't think the result would be nearly so good. Not quite as I want it, but that's down to me to tweak things.