# Pop meets the Classics



## 2011 (Jan 30, 2011)

On the link below, a Playlist of 15 pop songs that cross the border into classical music.

http://200-percent-blog.blogspot.com/2011/01/pop-meets-classics.html

Anyone has a good suggestion for another pop songs that cross the border into classical music?


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## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

The two are not compatible as they have completely different agendas. There is just as much “popular” music that really seeks to explore and experiment and create work that is refined and courageous as there is “serious” music that panders to the audience of its day and is completely disposable. If the two meet, one agenda is going to be compromised, and I think we all know which one.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

The list seems to suggest that a backing string section makes a piece more classical somehow. I agree with what Elgar says above.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Edward Elgar said:


> The two are not compatible as they have completely different agendas. There is just as much "popular" music that really seeks to explore and experiment and create work that is refined and courageous as there is "serious" music that panders to the audience of its day and is completely disposable. If the two meet, one agenda is going to be compromised, and I think we all know which one.


It probably depend also by what one consider as popular music. Is jazz popular? Do you know the works of musicians like alec wilder or frank zappa?


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

> On the link below, a Playlist of 15 pop songs that cross the border into classical music.


No they don't!

I'm afraid all this does is help perpetuate a misconception held by many people - that if you add a string orchestra to a piece of music is suddenly gains classical (or near classical) status. This is a nonsense that quite annoys me. If I play a Bach cello suite on the electric guitar (perish the thought, but it's just an example that popped into my head), does it suddenly become rock or jazz music? No, of course not - it remains classical music (generic sense), albeit played on an electric guitar.

I know all the songs on the list. I am actually a great admirer of many of the artists featured (Björk, Anne Dudley, David Bowie, John Cale (a classical violist by training), Elton John, Richard Ashcroft (The Verve), Scott Walker and the sublime Radiohead), but NONE of them would pretend to be classical artists (except perhaps Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood - an accomplished 'classical' composer outside his rock work) and none of them would pretend that any of these songs 'border into classical music'. A few violins and cellos do not a classical piece make!

Interestingly, I was the manager of the London chamber orchestra that played on the featured Radiohead track and all of the _Amnesiac_ and _Kid A_ albums. A nice lot, those Radiohead lads. It STILL doesn't make it classical music (or even bordering on it), though.


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## Chris (Jun 1, 2010)

I was in a charity shop yesterday and they we playing something over the speakers it took me a few seconds to place. Then I realised it was the Dream movement from Schumann's Scenes From Childhood, arranged for what sounded like a synthesiser and an electric guitar. I've never exited from a shop so quickly. Given that I'm probably wrong about the instruments, can anyone identify the perpetrators of this horror?


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## gr8gunz (Jan 19, 2011)

Edward Elgar said:


> The two are not compatible as they have completely different agendas. There is just as much "popular" music that really seeks to explore and experiment and create work that is refined and courageous as there is "serious" music that panders to the audience of its day and is completely disposable. If the two meet, one agenda is going to be compromised, and I think we all know which one.


What do you mean by "serious" music?


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

gr8gunz said:


> What do you mean by "serious" music?


Art music. Ie. not pop music.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*My son*

My son was always borderline...He studied piano when he was a kid.

People told me I was speaking too much about him. I won't give you a specific site.
If you want you can see him on youtube, a classical song "crash and burn", his name *john nathaniel*....also on google

up to you, no preasure.

Martin


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## 2011 (Jan 30, 2011)

Delicious Manager:

_Interestingly, I was the manager of the London chamber orchestra that played on the featured Radiohead track and all of the Amnesiac and Kid A albums. A nice lot, those Radiohead lads. It STILL doesn't make it classical music (or even bordering on it), though._

What was it like working with Radiohead. Can you share something about the creative process?


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

They are a bunch of quiet, intelligent boys who would rather have a nice cup of tea than live-up to the usual rock star image. Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway worked-out the string arrangements in consultation with the conductor, John Lubbock. The orchestra wasn't involved in the 'creative process' at all, they simply turned up at Dorchester Abbey (a beautiful medieval abbey near Oxford, England - Radiohead is an Oxford-based band), rehearsed and recorded the tracks with Lubbock having the click-track for the tempo. After the various sections were recorded, everyone parted company and left the Radiohead guys to match the arrangements to the tracks on which they would appear in the studio.

Phil Selway later collaborated in one of the orchestra's acclaimed education projects - a _Drumathon_ - while Thom Yorke had vocal coaching from John Lubbock's singer wife. He said it greatly enhanced his technique and stamina to get through live gigs once he had proper singing lessons.


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## 2011 (Jan 30, 2011)

Thanks for sharing Dilicious.

I can recommend you to read Alex Ross’s new book “Listen to This”. In his writings for the New Yorker and his new book, Ross covers the whole music scene from Bjork and Bob Dylan to Schubert and Verdi. Ross is interested in pop musicians who use classical elements planted at the core of their music, like The Beatles, Radiohead and Bjork.

On the ‘200% Meets’ blog he commented on The Beatles song “A day in the Life”: They used the orchestra as a medium of chaos and not just as a grandiose, richly varied musical picture. When the orchestra appears in the song it seems to erupt from the nature of the song. It is part of what the song is aiming to express.” 

“Listen to This” is a good read and offers refreshing insights into pop and classical music.


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## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

gr8gunz said:


> What do you mean by "serious" music?


Art music. I.e. music.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Could someone post the list of songs here - I cannot access blogger for another 2 weeks. Just out of curiosity.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

1. ABC - All of My Heart - Orchestration by Anne Dudley

2. Björk - Joga - Orchestrated by Eumir Deodato

3. David Bowie - Space Oddity - Arranged by Paul Buckmaster

4. John Cale - Paris 1919 - Arranged by John Cale

5. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Rattlesnakes - String arrangements by Anne Dudley

6. Bryan Ferry - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Strings arranged by Ann Odell

7. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - String section of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gordon Staples

8. Elton John - Madman Across the Water - Arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster

9. The Knife - Tomorrow, In A Year - Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson

10. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy - Arranged and conducted by Wil Malone

11. Radiohead - Pyramid Song - Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood

12. The Rolling Stones - She's a Rainbow - John Paul Jones  

13. The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone - Norman Whitfield

14. The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony - Arranged and conducted by Wil Malone

15 Scott Walker - It's Raining Today - Accompaniment directed by Wally Stott



I've always disliked 14, not really a fan of the 90s music in general. Never understood why that song was popular.

Lots of 70s ballads actually had string arrangements I think, I quite like ballads from then.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

No-one's saying these are classical works, just pop songs that have been influenced by classical. Don't get on your high horses, now.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Thanks Starry. I know about half of them and would not have taken them as examples. There are I think far more obvious ones, including early Beatles (Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby), Deep Purple's Child in time, Procol Harum's A whiter shade of pale, and Japan's Nightporter. No, these do not cross into classical music (neither do the examples given), but there is a clear classical music influence there.

Other examples would be cross-fence cooperations such as Deep Purple's Concerto for orchestra, Pink Floyd's Atom heart mother, Philip Glass' Songs from liquid days.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Interesting list. I watched an interview with Arvo Part on youtube a while back done by none other than Bjork. She's a huge fan of Arvo Part as well as John Cage.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Old thread, but this "classical treatment" of Manhã de Carnaval arranged for viola da gamba and guitar is surprising and successful.


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## Lucifer Saudade (May 19, 2015)

norman bates said:


> Old thread, but this "classical treatment" of Manhã de Carnaval arranged for viola da gamba and guitar is surprising and successful.


A shameless necro, but thanks I really enjoyed that! A lot of Portuguese stuff, it seems.


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