I kind of threw this away on my “How Do They Make A Living?” thread. But I feel it needs another go. Beth Gibbons recording of Gorcki’s Symphony Of Sorrows is really bloody marvellous. It’s genuinely something truly special. I urge everyone to listen, it’s really really good.
Which begs the question, have any other pop stars done “classical” music well?
Yes, a thread. But of you all give the Gibbons Gorecki a go, that’s fine with me. Seriously it’s really good.
ganglesprocket says
Seriously I was at a “thing” tonight and I listened to this on the bus home. I feel that “Sounds beautiful on the bus home” is a major pointer of something being brilliant.
Bartleby says
It’s the original song that’s beautiful. As much as I love BG’s voice, she’s scratching the surface here.
Arthur Cowslip says
With all due respect to ganglesprocket, I agree with you bartleby. I was quite excited about this but I ended up a bit disappointed. If there had been some element of restructuring or reworking to base it around her voice more and make it suit her, it might have been better. As it is, it just seems like she doesn’t have the technical ability to sing it the way it’s meant to be sung.
Black Celebration says
This release was announced on Twitter on 1 April. Quick as a flash, I responded “Pull the other one!” to absolute cyber-silence.
But to answer the OP, does Bowie’s Peter and the Wolf count? It’s a great thing.
deramdaze says
I haven’t met one student of classical music (school, 6th form, university, adult life) who knew the first thing about pop music, unless it was shite pop music (Bucks Fizz, Michael Bolton, Sting). Stephen Fry fits that image in public life today. “There are times when only The Spice Girls will do”-type twaddle. Funny he doesn’t talk about Beefheart, Dylan or Zappa.
It’s no surprise to me that Simon Mayo, who has peddled shite pop music all his life, is now on a classical music station.
To be avoided like the plague or record store day; I expect my rock ‘n’ roll heroes to do the same.
“Oi, Little Richard, violin concerto, NO!”
Black Celebration says
I have mentioned this before but it makes me think of the BBC Radio music quiz Counterpoint. It’s mostly classical music with the odd pop song question thrown in. The knowledge is astonishing, as you might expect. And yet…in the final, the panellists were played the intro to Smoke on the Water and no one knew it! Couldn’t even offer a guess. An astonished Gambo asked the audience who collectively shouted the answer.
JQW says
I was on Counterpoint a few years ago. I have enough classical knowledge to get by, and enough of almost everything else too. My only sore point being show tunes!
I sales through the heat. I was ahead at the end of the first round, got full points on the second ‘specialist round’ (on ‘death discs’ no less!), and was well enough ahead to get by in the buzzer round, despite the others being faster somehow.
I didn’t progress to the final, though, coming second in the semi-final due to a poor selection of question topics. Since then the choice of topics has gone up from four to five.
Black Celebration says
Thanks @JQW – would you have known Smoke on the Water?
JQW says
Of course!
retropath2 says
Tricky question, as the majority of pop goes classical, whether Louis Clarks dire orchestra and drum kit or Mike Batt’s saccharine arrangements, is dismal. And yes, whilst there are some odd instances of bands who specialise in metal versions of classical pieces, russian band beloved by @beany, forget their name, and oddities like Sabre dance/Dave Edmunds, these are deliberately aclassical.
Gorecki has had many a version of this piece over the years, including Lamb, the electronica/dance duo lifting a fair bit for their song entitled Gorecki, and Colin Stetson’s saxophone ensemble revisioning (and he is, anyway, arguably under a neo-classical or new age genre title)
But there is this, one of a number of pieces put out by genius steel player, BJ Cole. It ain’t rock for sure, but he has played with and for a lot of bands who are.
fentonsteve says
Does this count? It strikes me the original recording would have had a full orchestra if the band had any money at the time of recording. This one always makes me blub, however many times I hear it. I am a big softie.
Their Live at Abbey Road album is being released on half-speed mastered vinyl next week. I will be purchasing.
Moose the Mooche says
Jason Manford gets about a bit etc
retropath2 says
O, and Keith Emerson might get a shout somewhere her too….
SteveT says
Please don’t mention Keith Emerson on here. Ghastly.
duco01 says
In 2011, the French jazz guitarist Noël Akchoté took some of Carlo Gesualdo’s Madrigals for five voices (from about 1600) and transcribed them for five guitars.
The results are rather lovely. It’s an album I dug out and played the other day, in fact.
Kaisfatdad says
Laurie Anderson has had a hit single so she must be a pop star. And the Kronos Quartet are definitely classical cos they play violins ‘n ting. Together they are magic.
I could happily post Kronos stuff all morning. They have such range and such curiosity.
I saw them at Roskilde and after a very intense, demanding set, they let their hair down and played some Jimi.
And som ‘Oo
And now a Scottish chamber music combo I discovered yesterday: Mr McFalls Chamber. I am impressed and very curious.
Beefheart
King Crimson
ganglesprocket says
Kronos Quartet! Good shout. And I forgot that they do a great version of Kraftwerk’s The Model…
hubert rawlinson says
@ganglesprocket. Sorry but I think you’ll find the that is the Balanescu Quartet. Good choice though.
Kaisfatdad says
Talk about a pop song getting a full classical makeover! The theme from My Neighbour Totoro gets some serious welly.
Here’s a low key version with only 200 backing singers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ4c8TQpDRg
We showed Totoro at our local cinema recently and at the end many of the kids were singing along with the theme song. Swedish toddlers are pretty fluent Japanese speakers.
Sing along! I know you want to.
Mike_H says
Not pop, but still..
Béla Fleck – JS Bach: Prelude from Partita No.3 for Solo Violin
.
Miles Davis (with Gil Evans) – Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez – Adagio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OKfViShCa8
Kaisfatdad says
When the classical element is a string quartet, the chances of success are far greater.
But a brass band (not really classical perhaps) can also work wonders.
Mike_H says
Norwegian guitarist/composer Terje Rypdal has written quite a few orchestral and chamber works.
(Symphony No. 2 – 1st. movement)
Kaisfatdad says
That was interesting, Mike. I had no idea he had written symphonies.
A quick google and I stumbled across this list of “Eno-esque” music on ECM.
https://www.manafonistas.de/2012/09/10/the-ten-most-eno-esque-albums-of-ecm-records-with-a-short-inteoduction/
Brian Eno is definitely someone who is to be found in a borderland between pop and modern classical music.
Here is one of the Eno-esque pieces named on that list. Hans Otte sounds very promising.
fentonsteve says
KFD’s mention of Eno reminds me: the Philip Glass Low & Heroes symphonies are both great. Lodger coming soon, apparently.
Moose the Mooche says
That’ll be good. Wonder if he’ll do Outside?
Bartleby says
The Low one was superb. Heroes one not so much. Curious what he might do with Lodger.
Kaisfatdad says
Duke Ellington wrote works that neared classical music. Like Black, Brown and Beige,
Here he is with another expert in this field having their say….
Freddy Steady says
Does this count? The Church of course. Live at Sydney Opera House with the George Ellis Orchestra.
Mike_H says
Of course there;s that old stalwart Procol Harum – Live In Concert With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
retropath2 says
Most of these aren’t remotely classical tho’, they are orchestras playing pop/rock, diluting and spoiling 2 music groups, in the way shandy is a waste of 2 drinks.
The trouble is that modern classical is not particularly classical either, but there is a big crossover wherein the likes of Jonny Greenwood and Bryce Dessner can produce works and be members of rock bands contemporaneously. The late Johannes Johannson started off as a drummer in a rock band, as did Olafur Arnalds. On another tangent, Killing Joke’s Jaz Coleman has written a number of orchestral pieces, and orchestrated rock music for symphonic playing. Without any bloody drum kit thumping away.
The violin player on this is Nigel Kennedy, who enjoys bouncing between the classics and eastern european jazz, with always a side order of Hendrix.
Freddy Steady says
You know Retro2, you’re right. I was usure if I should post my Church clip but you’re bang on. Must do better.
Bartleby says
This is the Daddy for me, Terry Riley’s A Rainbow in Curved Air. No Terry, no Philip Glass, no Baba O’Riley, no Steve Reich, no Tubular Bells (hmm…). And Krautrock looks very different.