Chopin Op28 No22 for string orchestra

After some time of no activity I finally had some time to finish a piece, this time I used Adler's workbook and tried an orchestration exercise.

I highly recommend you to get both Adler's orchestration book and workbook! He explains every single instrument in a simple manner with audio examples and scores!. Also, rimsky-korsakov wrote a book about how he orchestrated his own pieces which I also recommend 👌

Edited June 3, 20232 yr by Samuel_vangogh
I felt the post was to short so i added new information!

Hi @Samuel_vangogh,

4 hours ago, Samuel_vangogh said:

After some time of no activity I finally had some time to finish a piece, this time I used Adler's workbook and tried an orchestration exercise.

Yeah I think this is a good arrangement of Chopin's prelude for String Orchestra. Will adding some tremolos to the strings make it more intense?

5 hours ago, Samuel_vangogh said:

highly recommend you to get both Adler's orchestration book and workbook! He explains every single instrument in a simple manner with audio examples and scores!. Also, rimsky-korsakov wrote a book about how he orchestrated his own pieces which I also recommend 👌

Yup Adler's book is a must!! I've yet to read it though. I think I really should buy it.

Thanks for sharing!

Henry

Interesting.

The small limitation, however, in my opinion, is that piano writing becomes a little dense to the orchestra. We would almost want a moment when the texture is less loaded, but I do not doubt the excellence of Adler's references.

I was not familiar with this piece by Chopin before I listened to your piece, and hence didn't know that it was nicknamed "Impatience".  I feel it loses some of that character in this orchestral rendition.  Strings can play fast too and I think could, in real life, lend this piece the urgency that it needs to sound the way Chopin intended at a faster tempo.  Thanks for sharing your adventures in arranging for string orchestra!

13 minutes ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

I feel it loses some of that character in this orchestral rendition. 

Yep, i feel the same, everything is too much legato but playing spiccato/staccato at that speed (or faster) is very hard, furthermore, i think that doing the accents i wrote would benefit the piece (musescore didnt do them)