Symphony Orchestras & Classic Rock
Can an orchestra cover rock music and do it justice?
When thinking of Classic Rock, I see visions of Queen, Meatloaf, Van Halen, Bon Jovi — the kind of music that demands strong vocals, heavy guitars, a sold beat — that sort of thing.
There is a form of Classical Rock, where a Symphony Orchestra puts its thumbprint on Rock’n’Roll music. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
It seemed to work perfectly well for Deep Purple in 1969 when they performed with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold in The Royal Albert Hall, London, producing a live recording — ‘Concerto For Group And Orchestra’.
They were one of the first rock bands to perform with a full orchestra and their album peaked at #26 on the UK chart in January 1970.
Why would a classically trained group of musicians even want to interpret a genre such as Rock’n’Roll? Was it out of a genuine respect for the artist and their music? Or was it to make easy money for themselves and their record label?
