I remember an old thread about a year ago concerning that. This is an attempt to bring it back. I'm far from being a classical music expert but I'll try my best.
Definitely Fred was more influenced by that than the others. And in a more conscious level as well. A song I can relate to classical a bit is Slighlty Mad using pedal points here and there. Of course the song sounds "rock" but if you change the arrangement you can notice the artistic elements.
Even We Are The Champions is a little classical if you change the tempo and took out the guitars. Any contributions are welcome.
A couple of the choir vocals on BoRhap's opera section were inspired by some of Monteverdi's operas. More specifically the way the voices on the word "Magnifico-o-o-o" come together one at a time, to eventually form a chord. It's the same with the "Let me go-o-o-o" part.
I once made a presentation with a basic analysis of Bohemian Rhapsody for my Musical Appreciation course. I took some info (and sound clips) from Brian's bit in the GVH1 DVD and from several Internet sources. It was quite good, but I don't know a lot about classical music. I enjoyed the course very much but I haven't listened to a lot of that kind of music since then... :S
See ya..
Wiley
I'm not a classical music expert at all and I gave up being a professional pianoplayer many years ago. But lots of his compositions remind me of classical music e.g. Chopin who was Freddie's favorite classical composer. (Personally, his music has never reminded me of Beethoven.) And besides, whenever I listen to his songs such as WATC or LOML, I feel as if I played some classical tune by myself. Since I began to listen to Queen, what has impressed me especially is his way of expressing his emotion found out in his songwriting, singing and pianoplaying. I mean, he is outstanding in expressing the surge of his emotion, which was influenced from classical one. As we follow the swell of his song, we can feel the surge of his emotion, which arouses various feelings in our minds. His way of expressing his emotion influenced from classical music gives Queen music great depth and uniqueness.
p.s.I feel the limit of my poor English. I wish I could express my thoughts much better...
Probably most of you know that It's A Hard Life intro is influenced by classical music. Melody is taken from the famous Leoncavallo's aria "Vesti la giubba" from "I Pagliacci" opera. You can download the corresponding part here (by Jose Carreras):
link
I don't know if there are any other DIRECT examples of Queen doing classical music (except for The Blue Danube waltz in Brian's solo in Vienna :)
Sebastian wrote:Even We Are The Champions is a little classical if you change the tempo and took out the guitars
Agree. Freddie's songs or piano pieces were rather simple compared to classical pieces, but there was this unique, kind of "classical" musical taste in his songwriting.
Using a 6/8 meter in WATC may already be a classical influence, since 99% of rock songs are in 4/4 (OK, maybe not 99%, but anyway a lot of them :)
Freddie is influenced by : Pucchini and Rachmanichov.
Many of Freddie's songs are clearly baroque in sturcture and style (a bit contradictive considering the the beforementioned composers are not baroque)
- The Milionaire Walts is both baroque and wienercalssical at the same time.
- Bohemian Rhapsody is of course very operatic with many signs of baroqe style.
- Lily of the valey is like a serenade.
- We are the champions is waltz but with huge signs of baroque style.
(Baroque is often identified by Bach and Händel)
I would say that Seaside Rendevouz remind very moch of something that could been written in the romance era of classical music. Of course it's linked more to the 20-30s music, but some small elements is quite romantic in style.
On the Freddie Mercury solo box, you'll find Rachmanicovs revenge. That is completely romatic era with signs of baroque. The romantic era is often very complex and hard to play, as Chopin and Liztz.
deleted user 14.07.2005 05:14
A lot of classical elements. Freddie mixed them with Rock. Freddie mixed everything with rock. Opera, classic music and even arabian. Great mixer.
Love of my life is interesting. To me it sounds like a fusion of different classical eras. The solo and instrumental theme reminds me mostly of wienerclassical style, but some baroque signs. The strange thing is that the songs as a whole reminds me of something written in the romantic era... Yes he mixed a lot!!!
The classical part in Was it all worth I got to give some time. It's been long since I heard that song, but I think it's quite influenced by the wienerstyle, but I have to give it some listen....