# Classical Music on the Banjo - Does it Work?



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Thoughts?


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Vivaldi - Mandolin Concertos | Fabio Biondi Europa Galante
This will do .


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

It’s very good. The second half of Bela’s performance he’s improvising on the Bach. I consider him a tremendous musician and it’s rather imaginative of him to do this on banjo, though there’s probably not an instrument in the world that Bach hasn’t been performed on.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Larkenfield said:


> It's very good. The second half of Bela's performance he's improvising on the Bach. I consider him a tremendous musician and it's rather imaginative of him to do this on banjo, though there's probably not an instrument in the world that Bach hasn't been performed on.


I too think Bela is a fantastic musician, but I just don't like hearing the banjo without other instruments. Here is Bela with a full band doing Bach, but I still find something amiss:


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


> Vivaldi - Mandolin Concertos | Fabio Biondi Europa Galante
> This will do .


I didn't know mandolin was around back then! Thanks for sharing.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Well, it sounds better than a harpsichord.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I didn't know mandolin was around back then! Thanks for sharing.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandolin
Lots of background if your interested Captain .


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

As talented as Bela Fleck is..... No! I'm not into these classical crossovers even if it's just for a small piece.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Merl said:


> As talented as Bela Fleck is..... No! I'm not into these classical crossover even if it's just for a small piece.


I at least agree here.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Thoughts?


Bad performer and bad instrument for the music.

The performance is mechanical, shallow.

The strings all sound the same, and that makes it hard to do counterpoint.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Mandryka said:


> Bad performer and bad instrument for the music.
> 
> The performance is mechanical, shallow.
> 
> The strings all sound the same, and that makes it hard to do counterpoint.


I agree, unfortunately.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

Mandryka said:


> Bad performer and bad instrument for the music.
> 
> The performance is mechanical, shallow.
> 
> The strings all sound the same, and that makes it hard to do counterpoint.


Perhaps the banjo solo in this one will change your mind.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I am going to spin this later, cheers for the tip Captain .


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Banjo and mandolin (and double bass).


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

More on the mandolin.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Perhaps Hayseed Dixie should be commissioned to perform _Pierrot lunaire_...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I enjoyed the second half which sounded a lot more fun and uninhibited compared to the straitjacketed Bach performance. Fleck is a jazz musician who writes his own material. He has a classically influenced original piece called UFOTOFU which I think is brilliant and it sounds much better on the banjo than that solo Bach he was playing here.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Barney McKenna of the Dubliners is another who does (did) crossover work


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

starthrower said:


> I enjoyed the second half which sounded a lot more fun and uninhibited compared to the straitjacketed Bach performance. Fleck is a jazz musician who writes his own material. He has a classically influenced original piece called UFOTOFU which I think is brilliant and it sounds much better on the banjo than that solo Bach he was playing here.


Big Country is another great one from the Flecktones.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

I saw the Flecktones live a few years ago. One of my favorite parts of the program was some ethnic music Fleck played solo. I want to say it was Hungarian folk music, but maybe I think that only because I assumed he was of Hungarian descent.

I can't find a trace of him doing this kind of thing on youtube nor in his discography. It's probably not commercial enough to play often, only to be slipped into a live concert when he feels like it.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Open Book said:


> I saw the Flecktones live a few years ago. One of my favorite parts of the program was some ethnic music Fleck played solo. I want to say it was Hungarian folk music, but maybe I think that only because I assumed he was of Hungarian descent.
> 
> I can't find a trace of him doing this kind of thing on youtube nor in his discography. It's probably not commercial enough to play often, only to be slipped into a live concert when he feels like it.


Makes sense. He was named after Bartok.


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

The banjo is a drone instrument so for me it does not work well with more complex music. To play Bach or Bartok, you have to negate everything cool about the instrument and make it sound like a bad guitar


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Taggart said:


> Barney McKenna of the Dubliners is another who does (did) crossover work


Ah, dear old Barney could make the banjo sing, but even he couldn't make it sound like anything other than a folk/jazz instrument.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

jegreenwood said:


> Banjo and mandolin (and double bass).


The whole album is terrific! One of Bela's better collaborations.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

starthrower said:


> The whole album is terrific! One of Bela's better collaborations.


I've seen Bela and Edgar in concert twice. Memorable both times.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Edgar Meyer is an amazing musician and bass player. I used to see him on the Nashville Network with Bela, Mark O'Connor, and all the other new grass cats back in the 80s before that channel dumbed down their content.

Unfortunately I couldn't seem to get into the CD I bought by Edgar and Chris Thiele. I'll have to try it again. I think maybe I just got burned out on that kind of music.


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