The merging of rock with classical music has been tried from time to time over the years, dating back at least as far as 1967\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Classical Gas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Mason Williams and Walter Murphy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disco entry, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A Fifth of Beethoven,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d both based on instrumental, rather than vocal works.
\n Rock operas such as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hair\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jesus Christ Superstar\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and virtually everything by Andrew Lloyd Weber represent original compositions done in semi-operatic style. The East Village Opera Company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s effort is different in that it consists of faithful versions of classical operatic arias performed in true rock style, both vocal and instrumental.<\/p>\n
The ensemble consists of a drum set, electric piano played by the EVOC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mastermind Peter Kieswalter, two guitars, a bass, three violins and a cello, plus two vocalists, one male and one female.<\/p>\n
The performance opened with Mozart\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Marriage of Figaro\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as shaved-headed, mod-attired vocalist Tyley Ross bounded on stage, strutting like a young Mick Jagger while the music swelled in a bombastic Queen-like accompaniment. Next followed the Puccini aria \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Che Gelida manina\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from Boheme and a bluesy \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Questo o Quello\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from Verdi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Rigoletto. <\/p>\n
The music turned funky for a duet from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lakme\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in which Tyley was joined by the incandescent AnnMarie Milazzo whose vocal skills just barely exceeded the appeal of her dangerously hot, wet-tee-shirt-worthy physique.<\/p>\n
Just before the first intermission, Tyley went solo for an upbeat version of Puccini\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s triumphant \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nessun\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Dorma,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d made the most popular tenor aria by Luciano Pavorotti a generation ago.<\/p>\n
They returned with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Appari\u00e2\u20ac\u009d a familiar melody that everybody knows, but few have heard performed in art rock style. The ironic \u00e2\u20ac\u0153La Donna e Mobile\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and venerated songs from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Carmen\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Madame Butterfly\u00e2\u20ac\u009d received the classic rock treatment. <\/p>\n
The EVOC was joined by an actual diva from the New York City Opera company to sing an up tempo aria from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153La Traviata,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and the audience got an opportunity to listen in awe to a real operatic singer whose voice and vocal skills literally dwarfed those of the gracious and humble EVOC. <\/p>\n
A Neapolitan song, \u00e2\u20ac\u009dMattinata\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Pearl Fishers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d brought a temporary close to the show, but they returned to thunderous applause with Wagner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ride of the Valkyries,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d then did some tongue-in-cheek rap and the rockingest \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Vesti La Giubba\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I Pagliacci\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ever.<\/p>\n
A packed house at NYC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Town Hall roared their appreciation repeatedly, and this uniquely talented ensemble eventually brought both young hipsters and gray-haired baby-boomers to their feet in a foot-stomping, hand clapping, and head-bobbing frenzy.<\/p>\n
At first it seems like the ultimate clash of styles. Antiquated, somber and aristocratic opera meets lurid, exuberant and radical rock. But both rely heavily on passionate, vehement and intense expression. The combined style takes advantage of the most delicious melodies ever written —sometimes rousing, often exquisitely heart-breaking— but couples them to the compelling rhythms and the freedoms that go with rock— freedom to twist and bend notes, modulate keys and accelerate rhythms for emotional effect. The EVOC does this with fantastic artistry, mastery, and loving respect for both genres.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The merging of rock with classical music has been tried from time to time over the years, dating back at least as far as 1967\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Classical Gas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Mason Williams and Walter Murphy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disco entry, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A Fifth of Beethoven,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d both based on instrumental, rather than vocal works. Rock operas such as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hair\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jesus Christ […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doktorjohn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}