I was reading a fascinating article from Symphony Magazine’s (July/August 2008 Issue) recently about the tensions between the world of classical music and the world of rock/pop music. The article addressed the times over the past several decades when the two would have confrontations to times when they would try to work together. Recently, though, a number of indie rockers have been working small chamber ensembles or, in some cases, full orchestras into performances with great success. Symphony orchestras have been stepping out of the box, too.
The article addresses the blurring lines between the rock/pop and classical worlds citing such instances as Sufjan Steven’s work The BQE and the score for There Will Be Blood, composed by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. One of the definitive quotes in the article came from indie musician Sufjan Stevens: “I think some of these artists…who perform with orchestras are only doing what’s natural and within their creative scope…It probably has less to do with reconciling genres than with satisfying a creative vision. Their endeavors with the classical world are not a diplomatic move, but a creative impulse.”
I recommend the article as a fun, but not too lengthy read:
http://www.americanorchestras.org/july_august_2008/all_together_now.html
-Colton
