Due to extreme laziness I'm virtually retired from Ciao, although I'll still read and post the odd o...
Due to extreme laziness I'm virtually retired from Ciao, although I'll still read and post the odd op every now and then......
Member since:16.01.2001
Reviews:369
Members who trust:124
When the world found out that Dance/Ambient producer William Orbit (who produced Madonna's excellent "Ray of Light" album and was responsible for at least some of the "Music" album) was going to release an album of electronically produced classical pieces, the world was impressed. This has been done many times before. Wendy (then Walter) Carlos produced a series of clascical albums ("Switched on Bach" etc) in the late sixties and early seventies which were entirely electronic, in the seventies we had Tomita ("Snow Flakes are Dancing" etc) who's releases were on the RCA Red Seal classical label. In the late eighties and early nineties Frank Zappa used the synclavier to produce his own classical pueces because very often orchestras couldnt play what Zappa wanted (very often they could, listen to "The Yellow Shark" and "The LSO play Zappa" albums.
So to the music on this album, what do you get? Everything is played in exemplary fashion, but this becomes pointless when real orchestral recordings of songs are available that sound as good as if not better than the Orbit versions.
The pieces on the album are divided into three sections:
Barber's "Adagio for Strings" (Even the single remix was a terrible kludge, taking the intro from the album and tacking on a rave beat to it, so hardly a remix.), Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante defunte", Mascagni's "Cavaliera Rusticana" and "Xerxes" by Handel .
2: - More Obscure Stuff , Therefore giving exposure to pieces that may not get it, although real renditions would still be prefereable
These are:
John Cage's "In a Landscape, "Ogive No 1" by Satie, and "Piece in the Old Style 1 and 3" (so guess where he got the title from) by Gorecki.
3: - Music Box STuff - That sounds like it was played on a beefed up bedside music box, therefore not very good at all.
Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" and "Opus 132" and "L'Inverno" by Vivaldi.
So why did he do it. Because he could. The albub is very pleasant to listen to , comes in a nice slip case and is still in the Classic FM charts, but is ultimately a very disposable artefact.
William Orbit's solo albums are excellent, and his production likewise. Technically this is a triumph, point ultimately it's a pointless and fruitless excercise.
See if you can borrow it before you buy it.
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The thing is this isnt even fusion between styles, it's playing the same thing on different instruments that sound the same as the original, therefore pointless in my view. Malcom McLaren's Fans and Waltz Darling were attempts at Rock/Rap/Hip Hop/ Classical fusion that worked gorgeously in some parts and failed miserably in others.
CareBear 13.03.2001 15:19
I loved the Barber but have heard the rest and can't help but agree with you. Fusion between styles rarely works and here I fear that we have anoter attempt that whilst listenable to will not set any music scene on fire. great op!
mikeydred 12.03.2001 08:33
The singles, I think were dance remixes , ie a bit of Orbit's stuff with some techno added on. The album is perfectly pleasant and relaxing , but ultimately dispensable. IT is aimed more at the classical market than dance market.
Wiliam Orbit 's "Pieces in a Modern Style is an ambient album that rejigs 11 works by ... more
classical composers in a particularly tacky fashion. Even though Orbit has proved his mettle as an innovative and exciting producer for others--Blur's 13 and Madonna'...
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Adagio For Strings-Samuel Barber In A Landscape-John Cage Ogive Number 1-Erik Satie ... more
Cavalleria Rusticana-Pietro Mascagni Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte-Maurice Ravel L'Inverno-Antonio Vivaldi Triple Concerto-Ludwig Van Beethoven Xerxes-George F...
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Mar 12th, 2001
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