Most Classical Prog Albums?
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Topic: Most Classical Prog Albums?
Posted By: Oceansizzle
Subject: Most Classical Prog Albums?
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 14:56
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I'm presently in a classical music appreciation class at my college and I just had to fill out a questionnaire about myself. One of the question's asked what my favorite music was, so I proceeded with writing a short essay about Progressive Rock and how I think it relates to classical music. Now my teacher is interested and I'd like to bring her a couple of prog albums that represent classical music the best, without losing the rock element. So my question is what albums do you think I should bring? My thoughts so far are: Genesis - Selling England by the Pound Focus - Hamburger Concerto and either PFM's Per Un Amico, or Storia Di Un Minuto |
Replies:
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 15:01
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Go to my collaborators profile. There`s a little story in there. ------------- |
Posted By: Chicapah
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 15:27
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You might do better to limit yourself to individual pieces like Yes' "Awaken" or Dream Theater's "Six Degrees" to make a stronger link to classical structures. ------------- "Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain |
Posted By: yesman1972
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 15:35
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Yes from 72 to 74, Genesis from 71 to 74, The first 3 Crimson albums,
Hamburger Concerto, Moody Blues from 67 to 72, Procol Harum beginning to
end. |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 15:46
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I`d disregard the Genesis. But I agree with you on the Yes 72-74. Close To The Edge follows Sonata forms in a way. Same with Crimson, particularily Lizard. Hamburger Concerto isn`t really a concerto but it does borrow heavily from classical themes and motifs which make it a good example of "neo-classical rock ". How open minded is this teacher ? Tabernakel by Jan Akkerman also comes to mind. He collaborated with a classical arranger on that one. ------------- |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 15:46
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RPI, especially the obvious Rovescio della Medaglia and New Trolls. ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: February 01 2008 at 15:49
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Emerson Lake and palmer debut and Trilogy or Brain Salad. Tarkus?
Genesis Foxtrot and SEBTP Yes Tales or Relayer? The Yes Album or Fragile or Close to the Edge. |
Posted By: KeleCableII
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 01:59
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You could try ELP for their rearrangements of classical works, like Pictures at an Exhibition. Perhaps the song Larks' Tongue in Aspic by King Crimson as well. I recently listened to some of Banco's Darwin! and it seemed to very classical sounding. |
Posted By: weetabix
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 02:14
| Rick Wakeman -- Six Wives of Henry the 8th |
Posted By: Sckxyss
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 03:04
Well, if 20th century classical counts, Univers Zero, or one of the many chamber prog bands would qualify... Although, it may scare away your teacher 
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Posted By: Avantgardehead
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 03:28
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The flute break from "The Musical Box" for 19th century avant-garde classical!
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Avantgardian |
Posted By: T.Rox
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 04:08
Is the Five Bridges Suite from The Nice worth a mention ... band and orchestra together  ------------- "Without prog, life would be a mistake." ...with apologies to Friedrich Nietzsche |
Posted By: Tarkus31
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 14:42
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Jethro Tull did an arangment of a Mozart peice, problem is that I cant remember what it was called. ------------- ~~~Brian~~~ "And if we all did the things we knew to be right, left would be the childish fears of danger in the night." -Graeme Edge |
Posted By: jplanet
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 14:48
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ELP - Works (black album). Seems to very deliberately sell the band as classical artists...
------------- https://www.facebook.com/ShadowCircus/" rel="nofollow - ..::welcome to the shadow circus::.. |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 15:00
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Try "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Peter Hammill in the 1999 version. It is as close to opera as prog can come. That album is, however, currently only available via amazon at horrendous prices.
-------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 15:04
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Univers Zero - Ceux du Dehors!
It might be too much for your teacher though, but it's probably UZ's best album that blends Classical and Prog together. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 15:24
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Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans, Close to the Edge, Relayer
Focus - Hamburger Concerto
Gentle Giant - Octopus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - ELP
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Posted By: Anaon
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 15:35
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The Concerto from Deep Purple maybe? Or just for being one of the first band to use one, the Moody Blues "Days of Future Passed" with an orchestra... ------------- My music: http://spleenarcana.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - http://spleenarcana.bandcamp.com/ My blog: http://groovesandmemories.com/" rel="nofollow - http://groovesandmemories.com/ |
Posted By: JLocke
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 20:42
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Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
Yes - Relayer
Dream Theater - Six Degrees
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: February 03 2008 at 20:48
| The Six Wives of Henry VIII would be an obvious choice here. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: February 05 2008 at 12:48
This may need topping; the classical music critic of the London Times reviewed this album last week, giving a good 4 star rating - and even commented that Lord's 'rock-based' solo didn't feel out of place... :
 ------------- The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS. CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php - http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php Host by PA's Dick Heath. |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 05 2008 at 17:53
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Numerous albums by Renaissance for a start. I would recommend either 'Ashes are Burning' or 'Schehrazade & other stories' The classical elements on these albums are very prominant, including orchestras and pastiches of specific composers. 'At the Harbour' opens with a piano piece based on a Debussey work.
Also, 'In the region of the summer stars' by The Enid. It's one of the most symphonic, classically influenced prog albums I've heard. |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: February 05 2008 at 19:54
Your own suggestions aren't too bad, and maybe its best to stick with albums you already know already for this? Do you know the early, classic albums by Gentle Giant? Nothing's really extreme there, or to heavy to scare your teacher. Albums like Acquiring the Taste or Octopus might impress her, and they are still rock-music. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Oceansizzle wrote:Posted By: Nightfly
Date Posted: February 06 2008 at 15:35
I was just about to mention that one; totally agree and an absolutely brilliant album which they never matched IMO.
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Posted By: Imadofus
Date Posted: February 06 2008 at 22:10
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Islands, by King Crimson |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 11 2008 at 07:03
I agree, they never topped it, although 'Airee Fairee Nonesense' and 'Six Pieces' were very good. My favourite Enid track is actually 'Summer' from their 1984 album 'The Spell' although the overall standard of that album is sadly mediocre IMO. |
Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: February 11 2008 at 07:50
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If you're trying to impress a classically inclined person, perhaps it would be better to concentrate on instrumental albums? I've found that vocals tend to scare.
Camel - Snow Goose
Focus - Hamburger Concerto (even with Cathedral.. on it)
Gryphon - Red Queen to Gryphon Three
or, if you have to have something with vocals, how about one of the later Therion albums?
|
Posted By: everyone
Date Posted: February 11 2008 at 13:02
| I cannot believe that no one has mentioned the 60's/70's band Ekseption. They progged up actual calssical music like Keith Emerson and the Nice. My only disappointment with Keith Emerson's arrangements from classical music is that he never "jazzes" them up any. They are pretty much played note for note. |
Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: February 11 2008 at 13:24
I can't believe that no-one has mentioned Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Centre of the Earth yet  It may not seem blindingly obvious, but Still Life - VDGG is very classically influenced. Whereas most of their albums are jazz and psychadelic influence, Still Life is very classical indeed. The title track is very much like traditional church music (the beginning anyway), pilgrims without a doubt has many classical chord changes and Childlike Faith is one big operatic piece which juggles classical and jazz perfectly. As for the other two, they have some very strong classical moments (especially La Rossa). Have a listen carefully, you will soon see what i mean. Another classical album which is not mentioned is The Masquerade Overture - Pendragon. The majority is classically orientated. In Guardian of My Soul, they even improvise along lines of the romantic era for christ sake! ------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
Posted By: reality
Date Posted: February 22 2008 at 20:58
| Very few Prog bands do anything more than mimic a classical sound, but I do not see any relation (do not argue with that, we have been over it in hundreds of threads). So saying these albums are "classical" may be confusing to our student here. If we must choose, The Enid or Renaissance. |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: February 22 2008 at 21:38
That album is too much for a lot of us!  Na, its a great album and Dense is my favorite UZ song... good stuff!!!------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: February 22 2008 at 22:07
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Murple - Io Sano Murple
That 'The Enid' album is also a good choice. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: February 22 2008 at 23:05
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I'd agree with Dick's rec of Jon Lord, also Isildurs Bane, in particular Cheval-Volonte de rocher |
Posted By: kiwi
Date Posted: February 23 2008 at 19:52
JT did some Beethoven? on "Living in the Past". ------------- We, verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high.. (Baha'u'llah) music |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: February 23 2008 at 19:55
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oh and we mustn't forget MO's Apocalypse ..not your average classical prog but a must hear eventually |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: February 23 2008 at 20:00
 
Give this 2 a try. Being less progy but still. 
This one being a mix prog/orchestra/small pop roots. |
Posted By: ES335
Date Posted: February 23 2008 at 22:52
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I'll second Gryphon. Most of band members have a classical background and they used bassoons and krumhorns as part of the instrumentation.
------------- Bible-thumping heavyweight evangelistic boxing kangaroo |
Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: February 23 2008 at 22:56
| Christian Vander's solo release, Les Cygnes et Les Corbeaux, is supposed to be classical music for keyboard-oriented instruments and the voice, but I've yet to hear it... |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 18:16
| Another interesting possiblity here would be Concerto Grosso by the New Trolls. |
Posted By: ten years after
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 06:59
| I'm suprised no-ones mentioned Mekanik Destructiw Kommandoh |
Posted By: ten years after
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 07:03
Though looking passed the obvious distractions, I suppose Shakespeare did two posts ago.
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 16:44
| Albums by the Czech group Collegium Musicum may be something? |
Posted By: sean
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 18:23
My copy of aqualung has them doing an arrangement of J.S. Bach's Bouree. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: March 07 2008 at 07:42
That's probably Stand Up.
After three classical composers and 4 Jethro Tull albums I think we're there
 , though I suppose Living In The Past has Bourée on it as well. |
Posted By: Mecropolis2112
Date Posted: March 21 2008 at 22:27
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mm lets see.. From YES: Close to the Edge (obviously) and Fragile .. the principal and most important GENESIS: Foxtrot , Selling England by the Pound, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway RUSH: 2112, Caress of steel, Moving Pictures. JETHRO TULL: Thick as a Brick, Aqualung. KING CRIMSON: In the Court of the Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon, Red ------------- [Me¢яøpølis] |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: March 22 2008 at 02:49
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I am surprised no-one but me mentioned "The Fall of the House of Usher", which is a lot more classical than any of the other releases mentioned. is it because the album is too little known?
-------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: March 22 2008 at 05:11
My guess is that that's the reason: that not many people have tried the album. An album which sounds like a real opera is a challenge even to many progressive ears, I think.
Good example, BTW.
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: March 22 2008 at 05:31
| If you are looking for a classically inspired prog album. you can't go wrong with the New Trolls -- Concerto Grosso per I. |