In part 1, I presented eight rock and roll or folk songs that were based on classical music from as far as back as the early 1000’s. In part 2, I’ll let you hear the original classical works they were based on. Obviously, you should read part 1 first, which I’m certain you did. You did read part 1 first, didn’t you? What? You didn’t? Then get your ass over there and read it!
The Apollo 100 song “Joy” and the Beach Boys song “Lady Lynda” were both based on a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. A cantata is a work of choral music accompanied by orchestra with multiple movements and some sort of theme. The word cantata is Italian for “sung.”
Bach’s cantata was called Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, which I translated in part 1 (go read it!) These two modern songs were adapted from the last movement called “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire.” Unlike the pop versions, it’s a solemn piece of music sung at a slow pace—much slower than the lightning fingers of Apollo 100 played it.
Classical music doesn’t only include sweeping concertos and symphonies and operas. There were also mere songs themselves that were popular in their day, but because of their age, are thought of as classical music today. One such song was a love song from France called “Plaisir D’Amour” (read guess-what for the translation), written in 1784 when America was brand new and still suffering under the Articles of Confederation. Its music was written by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini, a man with a mouthful of a name, but who didn’t look like someone who’d particularly inspire romance.
He was helped along by a poet who wrote the words for the song, Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian, a man who did look like he could make the ladies swoon, Kirk Douglas chin and all. 75 years later the great Romantic composer Hector Berlioz orchestrated the song, placing it firmly into the category of classical music, in case a mere love song doesn’t fit your definition of classical.
Have a listen to what 18th century France considered a romantic song, see if it puts you in the mood. Elvis Presley’s modern version with brand new words, “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” sure gets the job done.
Paul Simon wrote “American Tale” as a melancholy statement on America. For the melody, he chose an ancient passion hymn from the early 1000’s originally written with Latin words. Yeah, that ancient. The words come from a poem that discusses all the different parts of Christ’s body as he hung on the cross. Those medieval folk sure knew how to party! The last stanza of the poem contributed the words to the hymn, titled “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.”
On YouTube you can find traditional performances of the song with a choir like it would have been sung in the 1100’s (except in English instead of the original Latin). But we already know what classical choir music sounds like (boring!), so I chose a modern cover of it that is faithful to the ancient song, but is sung beautifully.
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the “Choral Symphony,” is a mighty, sprawling work and his crowning symphonic achievement. He died before he could finish his 10th one. It stands out as one where he included four solo singers and a huge chorus behind them in the 4th movement. That part of the movement is known as the “Ode to Joy” from a German poem Beethoven used as the words.
Julio Iglesias sang it as “A Song of Joy,” mostly using Beethoven’s orchestration, but substantially massaging the words into a more modern form. Miguel Rios, Hispanic rocker, did a similar cover, and that became his only hit in America, plus very popular in the rest of the world, especially Germany, Beethoven’s fatherland. The “Ode to Joy” portion is often performed as a standalone work, even within classical music circles.
Another mondo famous work of Beethoven’s is “Moonlight Sonata,” officially and more cryptically known as Piano Sonata #14 in C Minor, “Quasi una fantasia.” Probably every piano student on earth has played this. That second half of the title means “in the manner of a fantasy,” possibly suggesting “as though improvised.”
Guitarist Tina S on YouTube certainly did some improvising when she gave us a raucous version of the 3rd movement on distortion guitar, but Beethoven’s Piano version of that movement isn’t a whole lot less energetic.
Barry Manilow stole Frédéric François Chopin’s “Prelude Opus 28, No. 20 in C minor” to be the introductory instrumental part of his and Tony Orlando’s “Could It Be Magic.” Chopin was born and raised Polish in Warsaw as Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin. Hard to say whether his orginal name or his francophone version is the bigger mouthful. He’s Mr. Piano to classical enthusiasts, so it’s nice to have his work represented in a piano arrangement of a modern pop song.
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer brought Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” into the age of rock, giving it a sizzling new feel. Copland’s original version inspires in a way more suitable for Conan the Barbarian or Greek gods or something. It was motivated by a speech from the Vice President in 1942, Henry A. Wallace, titled “Century of the Common Man” and delivered when the USA entered World War II. Rather ironic that a countercultural rock band adapted a song designed to celebrate war.
Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra conductor Eugene Goossens, the one who commissioned the work, loved it so much, including the creative title, that he decided to honor it with a special premier—during income tax time! Don’t ask me.
Copland eventually included the fanfare in the 4th movement of his 3rd symphony.