Recently we talked about musical fusions between rock and classical music, this time we focus on numerous and diverse classical-pop integrations. We will find some that probably most of us are not even aware of, pieces inspired by classical music, utilizing classical instruments, or simply classics with an added beat... Maybe to start, an overture from the opera Carmen in a Belgian version by Adya Classic:
Here we have that last category, unfortunately with a thoughtless beat added in the vocal parts, overall somewhat like a fair... The same art but much better executed by Luis Clark (one of the creators of Electric Light Orchestra), who in '81 started releasing a series of albums titled 'Hooked on Classics' and here I suggest 'Hooked on Bach'
a mix of the most famous Bach pieces in a disco style. You can find more similar arrangements on youtube... When it comes to POP songs inspired, or even based on works related to classical music, probably the most frequently used is Pachelbel's Canon in D major. The Canon from 1680 is the basis for hits like:
or:
but many more can be mentioned such as:
... until finally it's hard to believe they made so many ;) A baroque canon over 300 years later rolls on endlessly, but even older pieces have broken through to pop culture, such as the English ballad 'Scarborough Fair' from the late Middle Ages most famous in the version by Simon & Garfunkel:
Among the often smuggled pieces, the famous 'Air on the G String' by J.S. Bach appears
this aria is also the basis for the hit by Procol Harum - A whiter shade of pale
If Bach were alive, he would have made a lot of money from royalties for many works - for example this prelude in F minor:
Among the composers of the classical era, there are many arrangements of Mozart's Lacrymosa, for example: