Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2006-06-20 13:30
While few people can name John Williams, I'd be willing to bet that most anyone on the street would recognize the music to Star Wars, Superman and any number of other scores he has written. Bernard Hermann would be in the same situation with older listeners, particularly with his score to Psycho.
Today we tend to define classical music too narrowly. As an example, while most movie scores are forgettable, some are the equals of Rossini or VonWeber. One day this music will be recognized as 20th century classical right along with Gershwin’s “Concerto in F” or Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite albums featured a string quartet playing Beatles tunes, one of which was actually from Eric Coates “London Everyday” suite, via the Beatles. To me, it was just as classical as any Schubert quartet.
I’m not so sure that people want to hear just what they know, but hearing what they know gets them in the door and provides the performer a chance to push a little beyond the audience’s familiar ground.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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