Classical Music influences in Prog

Interesting topic, I think you got  bands who think horizontal, by harmonizing a  melody line in quiet linear fashion even when they get a very large orchestral sound ,and you have bands like Gentle Giant, Echolyn, Yes, Banco, Orme  who work vertically and horizontally at the same time by guiding and contrasting the voices in a composition like classical composers in  counterpoint . IMHO GG has the most traditional and the most dense classical(Baroque &Rennaissance) arrangements. Most of the keyboard players are classical trained and Know how chords fit together, which inversion works best etc(T.Banks for "moody" minor chords, Wakeman, King of scales and Emerson the  orchestral powerhorse) Keyboard players are kind of priviliged for the overall arrangements. Zappa is really an exception, being a composer in the most traditional sense of the word : putting black dots on sheet paper and having musicians perform it(more or less good). Zappa was influenced by Bartok, Stravinsky and Nancarrow but his music is so unique; He got a lot of problems with "classical trained musicians performing his compositions. (read the comments he made about it in "orchestral stupidities" in his biography)

i know ELP did loads of stuff with classical music....Emerson gets a lot of inspiration from it...Jazz also

Any more you can think of?

Here are a few more:

- MAGO DE OZ "La Leyenda De La Mancha" has a classical interlude in the track 'El Santo Gial', at machine gun speed using rock instruments and fiddle, playing a very well-known classical tune (Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5 in f sharp minor). This would be Type 1 (see my earlier post).

- LOS CANARIOS "Ciclos" is based around Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. This would be Type 2.

- ELP's s/t first album has ‘The Barbarian’, the trio’s heavy interpretation of Bartók’s "Allegro Barbaro. Type 2.

- ELP's s/t first album has ‘Knife-Edge’, the trio’s interpretation of the first movement (Allegretto, Allegro, Maestoso) of Janáček’s Sinfonietta for orchestra, Opus 60. Again. Type 2.

- ELP's "Tarkus" uses a snippet of Bach's Toccata in F and Prelude VI in the intro and bridge, respectively, of 'The Only Way (Hymn)'. Type 1, maybe 2, I suppose.

- ELP's "Trilogy" has ‘Hoedown’, ELP’s interpretation of modern American composer Aaron Copland’s ‘Hoe-Down’ from his ballet score “Rodeo.” 'That would be a Type 1. Abaddon's Bolero' on the same album is a bolero and thus a Type 3.

- ‘Toccata’ on "Brain Salad Surgery" is an adaptation of the Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera’s Piano Concerto No. 1 Opus 28, 4th Movement (Toccata concertata). Type 2 for this one.

- ELP's "Works Vol. 1" has several classical adaptations: 'The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits' is an excerpt from "The Scythian Suite" 2nd Movement by Prokofiev (Type 1 or maybe 2) and 'Two Part Invention In D Minor' is a percussion twist on a Bach piece, thus Type 2. And not forgetting the uber-famous 'Fanfare For The Common Man', which is a twist on Copeland's piece of the same name, so Type 2.

- ELP's ‘Canario’, the only decent track on "Love Beach" in my opinion, is an instrumental: the band’s interpretation of Rodrigo’s ‘Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre’ by Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. Type 2, I suppose.

- ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is ELP’s arrangement of the superb ‘Dance of the Knights’ from Prokofiev’s score for the ballet Romeo and Juliet (or the equivalent ‘The Montagues and Capulets’ from the orchestral suite Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2 Opus 64ter). This is a Type 1.

- 'Mars, Bringer Of War' is ELP's twist on Mars from Gustav Holst's The Planets.
 Type 2 here, I think.

There are loads more from many Progressive Rock groups.

Some more:

1. Cans & Brahms: Arrangement of Allegro Giocoso (third movement) of Brahms' 4th symphony
2. Night on the Bare Mountain: Par Lind Project on Mussorgsky's Night on the Bald Mountain..
3. Night on the Bald Mountain: By Fireballet idem N° 2
4. Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor: California Guitar Trio, a guitar arrangement for Bach's masterpiece.
5. In the Hall of the Mountain King: Played by Rick Wakeman in Journey to the Centre of the Earth, from Peer Gynt by Grieg
6. Gaudete: Medieval Gregorian Chant by Miranda Sex Garden, Galahad and Steeleye Span
7. William Tell Overture: PFM arrengement of the homonimous work by Rossini
8. Flight of the Bumblebee: By Dream Theater from the homonimous piece by Rimsky Korsakov.
9. Ride of the Valkyrie: Mastermind, from the Opera by Richard Wagner
10. William Tell Overture: By Mastermind idem N° 7

Iván

I'd like to add the splendid version of Debussy's "Clair de Lune" by SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DA TERRA... with beautiful lyrics in Portuguese - impressive, unique, fabulous!

PROCOL HARUM's "Whiter Shade of Pale" and more strongly "Repent Walpurgis"

Mars Volta-The Bach Song?

Mother Gong use the theme of Ravel's "Introduction & Allegro for harp, flute, clarinet & string quartet" for the track "The Three Tongues" from their album "Fairy Tales" and even improve the theme slightly (the first 4 bars of the beginning of the theme are repeated in Ravel's version; in Mother Gong's version the last note of these 4 bars goes up instead of down in the repetition, which is in my opinion an improvement)

Edited by BaldJean - September 20 2006 at 06:58

yesfan88 wrote: King Crimson did a version of Holst's "Mars" from the Planets suite. I heard it on a live album my friend had...I forgot what they called it. Apparently Metallica also did a version, but Metallica generally makes me want to vomit.

    

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oliverstoned wrote: [QUOTE=yesfan88] King Crimson did a version of Holst's "Mars" from the Planets suite. I heard it on a live album my friend had...I forgot what they called it.