This is a video of my arrangement for the Toccata and Fugue for rock ensemble.
The video kept getting hit by those cunts that youtube lets claim tons of videos they have no legit claim to, so I took it down. It wasn't worth the hassle of fighting it every month when their system would claim it was something else.
Done with synth instruments, but I hope to get together my Rock Orchestra and do it for real some day.
Instrumentation for this arrangement:
Lead Guitar
Bass Guitar
Drums (toms)
Organ (high)
Organ (low)
Piano x 2
Sax
I have been reworking a bunch of classical pieces this way.
So far I have worked out that I will need:
3 lead guitar players
2 Bass players
4-5 keyboard players
Percussion, probably someone playing drum kit and 2-4 percussionists.
4 sax players and a trumpet player.
This is what I would call my large rock ensemble. I wouldn't need them all for every piece, but I have gotten good results working over epic pieces like the 1812 and The 9th using this set up.
Eventually I would like to work with a full orchestra built around that core adding a traditional orchestra like so:
16 Violin 1
16 Violin 2
10 Cello
12 Viola
6 Bass
Harp
6 French Horn
3 Trombone, 2 tenor, 1 bass
Tuba
Euphonium
2 additional trumpets
2 Cornets
Piccolo
2 Flute
2 Clarinet
2 Oboe
2 bassoon
contrabasoon
English Horn
bass clarinet
The lead guitars would take various roles depending on the piece. Usually I have them taking the strings place, but for a piece like Ride of the Valkyries where the Horns are the "stars" I used the guitars there in combination with Sax to maintain some of the brass feel.
I generally have been using the keyboards in place of the woodwinds and Sax in place of the brass in my synth reworkings.
The bass I have kept in their traditional place.
All in all I have learned a LOT about composition just by sitting and messing around with the tracks till I get the instrumentation worked into something that pleases me.
My record so far with tinkering on one track is about 15 or so hours.
Some of these pieces have over 20 tracks that make them up, and you wouldn't believe how long it can take to get just one volume level just right!
