Is combining classical music with other genres a good idea?

Guest Blog

Inspired by a recent question we posed on Twitter, one of our cellists, Matthew Forbes, has written these thoughts for our blog.

It's an important question. The history of Western classical music is one of adaptation and evolution. As any art form should, it has absorbed influences from so many other places and embraced them over the centuries. Many great composers (Haydn, Beethoven, Ravel, Messaien and so many others) borrowed from other forms of music and were influenced by other ideas, and yet their work remained individual and honest. 

As musicians, our frame of reference should be as wide as possible. We ought to be knowledgeable about many other types of music because they should be regarded as fuel for the fire of imagination. In a series of television lectures he once gave, Leonard Bernstein listed all the genres of music he could think of, then famously said "I love it all!" While I don't confess to loving all music that I hear, I concur wholeheartedly with the sentiment. Of course, this width of scope should combine with rigorous technical discipline. The purpose of technique is to allow us to play or sing anything we want, while remaining true to our individual selves. This is also evident in other spheres; W. H. Auden was always a proud craftsman, turning his hand to anything in verse, whilst retaining his distinctive voice. Alec Guinness could be anybody - playing every part (including the women) in "Kind Hearts and Coronets" - and yet was always recognisably himself. This approach, where the mind is both open and focused, should be our ambition, especially in an age of indistinct musical boundaries.

Another important concept is what I call 'ownership' of music. It is difficult to define, but essentially it is a feeling within a person which allows them to grasp a sound or style and 'own' it for themselves, allowing it to penetrate and be part of their own identity. One line in a Paul Simon song reads: "Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts". Parents do not like their children's musical tastes; they are not meant to. It is because these sounds belong specifically to a time, a place, and a set of people. Billy Connolly described his teenage years when "Elvis came and saved us all." Parents and the press might have been terrified and derisory, but the act of each generation owning its own musical culture is vital to its identity and development.

Additionally, I believe that cultural ownership goes further than listening. For many of us, that sense of belonging to the music comes from participation. If you ask any professional musician how they started playing their instrument, most answers you get are uninspiringly prosaic. But there does come a point where a player will develop a deep personal association with their instrument and its sound. I remember being very excited every time I heard a cello as a young player - that was MY sound!

Not everyone loves classical music - nor do they all love dubstep. But for some, a combination of these may be an expression of something very personal and meaningful. Who am I to make a moral judgement on their juxtaposition? I was asked if there were certain combinations I thought worked better than others. I can only answer for myself - I have enjoyed many classical/British folk collaborations, because I love both these elements. I love funk; using jazz musicians to play rock rhythms, as well as groups like the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, because they are both entertaining and skilful. I didn't enjoy the music of William Orbit (classical plus electronic dance) because, to me, the rhythmic fluidity of the the material he used was lost to compensate for the feel of his version. But if that was his expression of being a musician then it belongs in our culture and must stay there.

Finally, a few more aspects which I feel are crucial for a positive collaboration of genres:

1. It has to be good. The quality of the sound, the range of techniques, imagination and inventiveness have to be of the highest possible level, as the detail always matters. 

2. A musician is a listener first, and a player second. My definition of a musician is someone who is fascinated by why music does what it does, be that comfort, excite, move or repel.

3. Every genre of music shares the building blocks with all the others (melody, rhythm, structure etc.). Saying that, the most powerful element is rhythm, and is therefore the most important to get right.

4. People hear music in different ways. Some are fascinated by harmony, some by the immediate effect on the emotions, some even by a strong imaginary link between sound and colour. This diversity is a good thing, and must always be taken seriously.

5. Gimmicks never last. If a fusion of genres is created purely as a commercial venture or an attempt at adhering to fashion, it lacks integrity. Sincerity is essential. 

Who knows where the next great music will come from? I can't wait to find out!

Thank you to Matthew for writing this week's guest blog; do you agree with his thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. 

You can also get in touch with Southern Sinfonia through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To find our more about the orchestra please visit our website. 

Szymanowski - a shining light from the shadow of Chopin

By James Chater 

This weekend, as well as a performance of Bach’s St John Passion with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus in the wonderful Bath Abbey, Southern Sinfonia are extremely excited to be performing Rossini and Syzmanowski’s settings of the ‘Stabat Mater’ with the Exeter Festival Chorus in Exeter Cathedral. Szymanowski is one of a few shining lights of Polish composers from the late 19^th and 20^th centuries. The other is Lutoslawski, whose centenary was celebrated last year, albeit slightly overshadowed by Verdi, Wagner and Britten. What is it about Szymanowski that made him stand out from the preceding 60 years of Polish music and composers?

If you were put on the spot and asked to name the first Polish composer you could think of, I bet that name would be Chopin. A pianistic giant of the early 19^th century (and so celebrated in his home country today that Warsaw’s International Airport is named after him), he became prolific for, well…being different to Beethoven. He wrote almost exclusively for the piano, and it is by comparing the piano works of Chopin and Beethoven that one sees clearly the polarity in compositional style.  Take the final, apocalyptic piano sonatas by Beethoven and then the serenely melodic Nocturnes by Chopin, the first of which was written only 3 years after Beethoven’s death; they are both Romantic in essence, yet of unquestionable difference. On top of this, Chopin was the first major proponent of the Polish-originating forms of the Mazurka and Polonaise. So why is it that Chopin didn’t ignite a rich heritage of Polish composers that reached the same level of recognition as him?

Well, it isn’t that he didn’t. It’s just that many of his Polish contemporaries held strictly conservative musical tastes, and in the socially and artistically progressive climate of the Romantic era being musically conservative was not the way to ensure European fame. It is wryly ironic then, that Chopin, famed for escaping the “shadow of Beethoven”, as Brahms once put it, created a type of shadow of his own for his compatriots to battle with. The latter half of the 19^th century is a relatively barren time in Polish musical culture, perhaps in part due to the political circumstances in which Poland found itself. It was not an independent state until 1918, and composers had to battle with this, as well as the might of Chopin, in their search for a truly contemporary Polish identity within their music.

Karol Szymanowski was born in 1882 in what is now Ukraine, but was educated at the Warsaw Conservatory. His early works are very much rooted in the Late Romantic tradition, influenced by the likes of Wagner and Scriabin. In fact, it is his early works that are some of his most enduringly popular, the Op.1 Preludes and the Op.4 Etudes, to be exact. Think the expanse of Rachmaninoff crossed with the harmonic experimentation of Scriabin; a wonderful concoction. However, it is the more mature works of Szymanowski which really dust the shadow of Chopin from his shoulders, as he develops a truly individual Polish style. It was in 1918 that Poland finally gained independent sovereignty, and perhaps it is that sense of his nation’s unity that spurred him to produce more nationalistic works. These were nationalistic in the celebratory sense, not the imposing one, and his Stabat Mater, written between 1925-26, is very much of this ilk. 

The most immediate characteristic of this work is the use of the Polish language throughout. Combined with the use of Polish folk melodies and rhythms, it is hugely effective, and that only emphasises its individuality. In terms of chronology, this piece was written when Szymanowski had begun to move more towards atonal harmony, and therefore the music has an unnerving quality to it – apt, when one considers the nature of the text. However, do not be mistaken into thinking this is esoteric music; it is challenging yet immediately beautiful. The opening epitomises this, being ethereal, unpredictable and achingly beautiful all at once.

Szymanowski, although now recognised as one of the greatest Polish composers, is still very much neglected in the concert hall. His name is a rarity on an orchestral programme despite his four symphonies and two violin concertos, and although his piano works are more popular, are still by no means canonical. Perhaps that is part of his appeal, though: it is always a welcome surprise to find great music from the lesser-known composers. If you have never heard Szymanowski before, I would strongly recommend making a trip down to Exeter this weekend.

The rather better-known Bach’s St John Passion in Bath will also be performed with The Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, a wonderful alternative for those that can't make it to Exeter!

To find out about further Southern Sinfonia concerts click here to visit our website. You can also find out more through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Clean Bandit – Shaping a new landscape with violins and synth blips

Photo: http://cleanbandit.co.uk/

By Chris Billingham 

“Op 132, the Beethoven string quartet, has the biggest drop on any song I've ever heard” 

…What? 

The above sentence is definitely one that you have to allow your eyes to adjust to for a second. I just haven’t heard classical music talked about in this way before. But is it an exciting, modern fusion or a clash of artistic genres?

Phrases and words such as “drop” are part of modern musical language: the quotation comes from a Guardian interview with Clean Bandit, a classical/dance crossover act founded at the University of Cambridge and about to release their first album next month. The album will feature the songs ‘Mozart’s House’, “Dust Clears’ and ‘Rather Be’, the single that gave the band mainstream success when it entered the UK singles chart at number one in January. How has the classical music world reacted to this crossover act? According to band member Grace Chatto, “in general, they've been positive. We were invited to collaborate with the OAE who are top-notch string players. We've also been asked to perform at the Lewes Chamber Music Festival - they want us to form a quartet and gradually bring drums in to make it a dance thing”. However, the band also admits that a small number of people have taken offence, claiming that sampling classical music is “wrong”. 

Photo: @cleanbandit

Are they correct? If creating music and art is about experimenting, using new technology and techniques to interpret things in a new way, then in many ways the work of Clean Bandit can be compared to placing a piano in St Pancras Station or blindfolding audiences and creating multisensory performance, as they present audiences with classical music in a unique and innovative way. The band doesn’t dress it up, however: the songs are catchy dance records that arguably suit a nightclub more than a Wigmore chamber audience. Perhaps this is the reason some members of the classical community object; instead of just showcasing classical music in a new way, they have edited its genre, so it becomes a                                                                        classical/dance crossover. 

Another element of Clean Bandit’s work that makes them one of the most important upcoming acts we have in the country is their ability to introduce new audiences to classical music, albeit in an altered form. Educating people about music is one of the most important aspects of the work we undertake at Southern Sinfonia and we’ve discussed ways to introduce younger audiences to music in the blog. However, adapting stories into music and the Doctor Who prom won’t have the same reach as number one singles and airtime on mainstream radio stations. Mozart’s String Quartet No.21 isn’t hidden within the single ‘Mozart’s House’; it is presented proudly and beautifully, a bespoke move for electronic music, potentially inspiring new audiences to listen to the full, original piece. As well as this, the instrumentation of ‘Rather Be’ combines a violin and piano with video game style synth blips – surely this is a truly exciting use of instrumentation?

Will Clean Bandit change the classical music landscape? Probably not, but they don’t give the impression that they particularly want to change it, after all “the biggest drop on any song I've ever heard” shows their sympathy for, and awareness of, classical music, which they then reflect in every song. The key thing is this awareness is put forward in a unique, modern way – whilst this won’t change the landscape, it could enhance it and create a whole new audience. Ultimately, whatever the genre, we’ve argued before that being aware of, and educated in, the origins and ‘nuts and bolts’ of music can only help to inform a songwriter or performer; Clean Bandit are a group which has this in abundance.

To find out more about Southern Sinfonia, our work and other upcoming concerts, please visit our website, Facebook or Instagram.