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nontroppo
Dec-02-2004, 11:55am
Hello all:

I've got hold of the piano sheet music for a lovely tune ("La Tristecita" by Ariel Ramírez) that I'd like to be able to offer as a possible addition to the repertoire of a local mandolin orchestra. However, I have no idea of what's involved in re-arranging a tune that was originally written for piano (and that is supposed to be evocative of guitar music) into a version for first mandolin, second mandolin, mandola, and guitar. Is this prohibitively difficult? Do you have to have years and years of experience to be able to do it? Can anyone direct me to some resources (people, books, or Web info) that would help me find out more about this subject?

Keep in mind that this question is coming from someone who always thought it would be fun to conduct an orchestra because it looked easy waving that baton around.

Thanks very much for helping out a newcomer!

lincoln

Eugene
Dec-02-2004, 12:11pm
...don't forget the mandoloncello/mando-cello as well as the unwieldy Gibson-style mandobass. Rather than tackling an orchestra out of the gate, A couple reduced standard formats you might want to consider to start would be:
1) quartetto romantico-similar to what you've listed, two mandolins, mandola in G (i.e., octave mandolin), and guitar or
2) quartetto classico-two mandolins, mandola in C, and mandoloncello/mandocello.

Even more reduced would be to simply transcribe the treble clef of a piano score for mandolin and the bass clef fo guitar. For more and better answers than I can offer, post this in the "Classical" section of the message board.