# Have you listened to any of Paul McCartney's "symphonies"?



## ericdxx (Jul 7, 2013)

Are they all laugh out bad and amateurish like the critics said back in the day? 

I believe he has released three works that he composed on his own:

Standing Stone (1997) 
Working Classical (1999) 
Ecce Cor Meum (2006)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

There is also the Liverpool oratorio. I think in all cases he got help, especially wrt orchestration. I have listened to the Standing Stone CD, and thought it just OK. Then again, I have no detailed theoretical knowledge.

PS: I don't think anyone, including Paul, claimed these to be symphonies.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

They're classical works, but they're not symphonies, that's for sure.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

Oh a similar thread, Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd fame) wrote an opera a while back, apparently it actually got decent reviews from some of the critics. He said he was surprised since he expected it to be ridiculed by them. I never saw it myself though.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I have heard something from McCartney called "A Leaf." I think it was a free download or some such. I agree with Art Rock. It is okay. Not life changing, but not really laughable.

If we are discussing pop stars writing classical music, many of them aspired to classical and just did the pop thing to make money. Certainly Zappa comes to mind, and Jon Lord. I've heard a few Jon Lord works and they too are often just okay, with the possible exception of Concerto for Group and orchestra which even Malcolm Arnold was kind enough to appreciate. Lord did write his own orchestrations throughout.

I am also very fond of Keith Emerson's piano concerto. If you heard this on a blind listening, you would think it is Copland, it is that impressive and weirdly a bit American. I think he too got a little help with the orchestration though. I have it classified with my classical rather than my rock catalog.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Must admit, I don't like any of Paul McCartney's classical works. 
However, I do like the early Jon Lord compositions such as the "Gemini Suite", "Windows" and the "Concerto for Group and Orchestra". I really think the latter deserves to be heard more often and would be great Proms showpiece. I have the original live recording on vinyl, CD and DVD but sadly the DVD version trims the drum solo in the last movement. I also have a more modern recording of the piece (again, live); wouldn't it be nice to hear a good studio recording?
Keith Emersons' piano concerto, again, is actually a reasonable work that deserves attention.


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## Andrei (Sep 11, 2013)

No. I did give the Liverpool Oratorio a go and did not like it. I got the feeling that there was not much there and so have not tried anything else of his. A bit snobbish I suppose because I know it can take a few listens to "get" some music.


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