Hi, I'm looking for the sheet music for Rachmaninoff's transcription of Gluck's "Melodie" from Orfeo ed Euridice, also sometimes referred to as Dance of the Blessed Spirits. Rachmaninoff's transcription is similar to Sgambati's, but there are a few differences I really like, and the fingering looks to be a little different, with the melody performed entirely in the right hand in Rachmaninoff's version. You can hear Yuja Wang play this here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O10IWGH-asE. To my ears, this transcription and her playing are just perfection!

I didn't even know Rachmaninoff had transcribed it! although now I find him playing it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XQ6tjxuJ6g

I suspect that Rachmaninoff's version hasn't been published. I have a book of his transcriptions that's supposed to be complete, and it's not in there. It's also not listed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co ... scriptions

Maybe Yuja Wang just transcribed it by ear, from listening to Rachmaninoff?

I have a Rachmaninov discography (Intl. Piano Quarterly Spring 2000) which attributes the recording as Gluck-Sgambati, so I can only assume that Rachmaninov has based it on the Sgambati but made a few alterations. Rachmaninov is not listen as a transcriber of the Melodie at the Opus Transcribisticum database ( http://www.pianophilia.com/ot/ ) so it's possible there is no published sheet music for what he's playing.

Well that would explain why Rachmaninov transcription of the piece was a bit like Sgambati, well not really that close but I hear a bit of similarities. But I agree with gjanee, the performance by Rachmaninov is just a tad more Romantic than I think appropriate for the music. But the arrangement allows for it and his interpretation is carefully crafted and really works.