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The title of this piece translates loosely to 'Trek on the Oregon Trail' and it refers to the wagon trains that were travelling across the continent America to find a new home sometime in the 19th century. It starts simple, not certain what is to come. While travelling through the prairies, deserts and mountains, the group comes upon different challenges and also beautiful passages. When they reach their destination, it gets calmer again and the last chord represents the group settling down in their new home. Der Oregon Trail-score.pdf.pdf Der Oregon Trail-audio.mp3.mp3

My comment won't go down well although it's sincerely meant. For a start, the movement is too fast. Secondly, highly pianistic, reliant on the percussive "envelope" of piano tone. Too easily here, the orchestra or orchestration cloy up, removing any feeling of delicacy for me, especially when brass came blasting in. Sure, it's a sustained piece but the sustaining is done by the decay-release of the piano itself. Thirdly, if Beethoven had wanted to write it for an orchestra he would have done, was perfectly capable. When I clicked on the MP3 I realised you'd only done the first movement. I was wondering what you'd make of the third movement. It seems more susceptible to instrumentation than this one. I really appreciate that Beethoven's piano music is bait for rearrangement. During such student days as I had, up came a couple of excerpts. But the Op 27 Sonata is probably among the most difficult to bring off.