One of my favourite Madoka Magica pieces is "Pergo Pugnare", which plays right at the end of the very last episode, as Homura prepares herself to take on the challenges of the new dispensation (that seems a sufficiently spoiler-free way of putting it). Yuki Kajiura's lush-stringed original can be heard here; but it always struck me as a piece that could be transcribed for piano quite successfully. However, unlike most such pieces associated with this anime, "Pergo Pugnare" appeared to have no piano version (or sheet music) available. This of course is where it pays to have a brother who's a composer. It took only minimal wheedling to get mine to transcribe it. Playing it was another matter for one of my relative rookiness, but I've managed to crank out a passable version for the benefit of the wider Madoka community. I'm sure someone more skilled will pick up the baton.
I tried playing this and the original simultaneously to see how I did in terms of timing, that being one of my impressive collection of Achilles heels. I begin by edging ahead, then the strings overhaul me in the middle, and finally we breast the tape together. Not good - but not too bad either.
Tangentially: I was listening to a programme about the Institute for Advance Studies in Princeton the other day, and it put me in mind of the year (1999) my brother was employed by them as their Composer in Residence. Isn't that just the coolest gig ever for a geek?
Not that he is a geek, in fact; but I'm happy to squee retrospectively on his behalf.
