Classical Crossover, Neoclassical, and Classical with a modern beat

Hi

This brings me back some childhood memories.. When a teenager 10~14 I was a big fan of Paul Mauriat .. He has an interesting album in which he wrote and perfromed Orchestral arrangements for Chopin pieces that were originally written strictly for piano ...
Other Trials I remember were a Deutsch group called the EKseptions which rose to some prominence in the mid-70s and Waldo De Los Rios who re-aranged CLassical pieces in contemporary tones... I remember vividly his Moartmania and his (now to me very bizarre) re-arrangement of Wagner Valkyries
I must say that these have not held much of the magic they had when I was teenager ... maturity?

Frantz

Just put Escala in my cart at Amazon and spent half hour watching their Britain Got Talent videos. As I suspected, it is more fun watching them play but still, the album is quite fresh take on classical music turned modern. Love the haunting and darker tones in there.

So thanks for the introduction!

Escala's take on Robert Miles' Children was fantastic. Thanks for the intro!

Hi

I did enjoy some of these in my youth .. I must say however that they are the equivalent of Tang for the most part ... If you have aqccess to Real Orange Juice, better have it .. It's the real thing .. These are as far as they can be from the Real thing too.. They can serve as fun introduction but be careful not to take them more seriously than they are really worth .. Caveat Emptor

Frantz

Frantz, I don't think any of us confuse these pieces for classical music. But rather, we hear them as enjoyable modern creations which happen to be based on classical themes as their root. I think the best analogy is liking Coke versus Orange Juice.

I only listen to a bit of classical music (Vivaldi, etc) that I enjoy. For the rest, it just isn't for me. But I do enjoy modern creations of the same.

I see it in a more positive perspective.

What I like about classical crossover is that it is a musical two way street. We can have modern songs done in a classical style or classics done in a modern style. When done right it can be very refreshing. Like any other genre, when done wrong..............

As for real orange juice, even on a purely performance basis not counting the quality of the recording one could have a wide range of preferences between interpretations of various conductors and soloists. This also makes it extremely enjoyable for me and keeps the pieces fresh. A reason I have many recordings of my favorite pieces done by different conductors/orchestras/soloists. I must confess that never has a crossover version toppled a classic rendition of a classical piece in my book and this includes works of crossover vocalists like Jenkins, Sissel, Church et al. Yet, thanks to this thread, the crossover rendition of the Dance Anthem "Children" gobsmacked the original modern song by Robert Miles, so much I think I am now loath to listen to the original which now comes of as emotionally flat and somewhat contrived despite almost two decades of dance culture cult status. And even if none of the crossover takes has gotten the top spot, it hasn't stopped me from enjoying said versions given a particular mood or within the context of different playlists under construction.

What I find best about it is that crossover artists serve to broaden the classical market and this will hopefully make more people seek out their local orchestras and buy tickets. To keep classical music alive, the houses must keep their doors open. Where else can the conservatory graduates go to mature and master their crafts? Surely not at corporate events and weddings!