I don't necessarily agree with you on this, Gustav. For example, Dmitri Mitropoulos and Leonard Bernstein, definitely serious musicians, were in favor of "rearranging" Beethoven's C# minor string quartet but I don't think they were disrespectful to Beethoven. Schubert's "Death and Maiden" rearranged by Mahler (your hero yes?) also comes to mind.

But I can understand the purist sentiment. In fact, the Vienna Phil members were against the idea of playing the C# minor quartet when Bernstein initially proposed it (they eventually liked it, hence that awesome recording).
Anyways, I appreciate your thought, and meanwhile I will keep looking.