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While Schoenberg possibly chose the sextet scoring as an extension of the string quartet and as a reflection of its fundamentally more symphonic than chamber-music lay-out, his later arrangement for string orchestra was only logical. It is in this form that the work found widespread dissemination and recognition in the great concert halls of the world. By contrast, Eduard Steuermann's arrangement for piano trio is more akin to the sextet version. It owes its compellingness to its phenomenal transparency and vital, inimitable sound. Through it might seem absurd to transcribe for piano trio - a fundamentally different sound constellation - a work that relies as heavily on the homogeneous string ensemble sound as Verklärte Nacht, the result is perfectly legitimate. The piano trio arrangement brings out all its details in crystalline purity, but without making it lose any of its expressive eloquence or coloristic edge. Steuermann made his arrangement in 1932 for a private performance, possibly without Schoenberg's knowledge.