Posted by Dave in TN on June 06, 2001 at 10:23:42:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: New Planets recording posted by Dominic Marino on June 06, 2001 at 07:19:43:
Symphonic Metamorphosis (Hindemith)-he actually oversaw and endorsed this transcription.
Schoenberg's Theme and Variations was actually written for band first then the composer arranged it for orchestra (pretty rare!). Works better for band in my opinion.
Some of the best transcriptions for winds come from the already wind-heavy symphonic composers such Wagner, Holst, Stravinsky (Rite of Spring sounds more like a wind piece with string acc.). There are a lot of tasty transcriptions and unsavory ones (the monolithic ones of the 50's and 60's come to mind as especially blasphemous). The best transcriptions to me seem to be the ones where the transcriber does not try to be so literal, leaving out calesthenic runs and such, that, while possible to perform after much sweating, come across sounding like an especially trying bowel movement.