Mar. 24, 2010 - Issue #753: Zion I

The Classical Score

Classical Remixs

A few weeks back, I wrote about classical covers of rock / punk / metal songs, or metal covers of classical works. This week, I turn my attention to another form of music-alteration: the remix. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, people even remix classical music, believe it or not; after listening to a bunch of these remixes on YouTube, I realized that they’re not universally good or bad. Some are actually pretty good, while others might sound bad in principle, but actually do work—and well, too—in practice. And yes, there are some remixes that—both in idea and practice—are just bad, bad and worse. 

Let’s start with some of the good remixes. Dipping into one tune from Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld,” the melody we think of when we hear “can-can,” is not a bad place to start if you want to remix something classical. I mean, hearing this tune evokes for us a dance, and a saucy one, too. And people dance to club remixes, so the two seem like a logical pairing. Snooping through some online clips, I found a decent remix of the can-can, one that adds the oomph that a remix provides, but without overwhelming the melody with thump-thump. This one’s a winner.
Now, some of the remixes don’t sound like a hot idea, but end up pleasantly surprising me.

One example: a trance version of the first movement of Beethoven’s fifth symphony. Now, I admit that I’m not a big fan of trance music anyway, so I was a bit appalled to think that someone could take Beethoven and do such a thing to the wonderful first movement of the fifth. Well, after listening to the remix, I heaved a huge sigh of relief. And I mean huge. This remix pleased me; furthermore, it probably marks the first time that I’ve ever enjoyed the trance style. As before, the background electronics don’t overpower the music, and somehow the feel of the actual music remains. In fact, if anything, the background synths could even be a bit more powerful; fortunately a few stronger beats do work their way in periodically and match the force that Beethoven’s music conveys in this movement.

Now, some remixes sound like a bad idea, and when I listen to them I wonder why someone would ever consider this work. With dismay, I note just how many remixes of this tune are out there. Seriously: why, why why would anyone think that a techno-trance remix of Mozart’s Requiem is a good idea? I’m sorry, but while a techno beat might match the can-can, a requiem is a funeral mass.

And for some reason, I’ve also run across a whole bunch of different remixes of just the “Lacrimosa” from the Requiem—these range from an ambient remix to a hip-hop one. No matter what the remix, they’re all abysmal. The hip-hop remix simply places the synths behind the music, not even trying to match the electronic beats with the classical music. Listening to this work feels as disjointed as having two CDs playing at the same time. The ambient one is so weird that I’m think that I’m tripping on acid and listening to the soundtrack from a sci-fi film. And I can’t even find the “Lacrimosa” among all that beeping and wailing.  

Wailing, I return to the can-can remix, noting that naughtiness outweighs bad musical choices any day of the week for me. V

 


Listings:

Fri, March 26 and Sat, March 27 (7:30 pm)
Manuel Barrueco and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Winspear Centre, $20 – $69

Playing works by Vivaldi, Stravinsky, Respighi and Sierra. The piece by Stravinsky, Petroushka, is a ballet that stems from a Russian tale about a puppet that’s brought to life. I don’t know about Russian, but in Ukrainian, the word Petroushka means parsley. Just sayin’.

 


Sun, March 28 (8 pm)
University of Alberta Madrigal Singers
All Saints’ Anglican Cathedral, $10 – $15

Works by Mendelssohn, and contemporary composers Jonathan Dove, Leonard Enns, Ola Gjeilo and Sven-David Sandström.

 



Mon, March 29 (8 pm)
University of Alberta Symphonic Wind Ensemble with University of Calgary Wind Ensemble
Winspear Centre, $10 – $15

Works by Estacio, Grainger, Bryant, Schwantner, Hatzis and Bernstein.

If you have any listings you’d like me to mention, please e-mail them to me at  classical@vueweekly.com
 

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