From Western Classical to rock

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Having entered the realms of serious music-listening during the late 70s disco boom, listening to rock — let alone Western Classical — was furthest from my mind then. However, as I grew older and, hopefully, more mature, I realised if I was “serious” in learning about music beyond disco and pop, I would have to listen to other musical genres too.

The first serious exposition outside my usual palate of music was the very obvious rock and although I did not understand it at all the first time around — Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Alice Cooper, Queen — I did admit to saying that “I dig it” if only to feel like a part of the larger peer group. However, my true comprehension of rock took several listenings, spread over months (if not years!) before I could honestly admit I was a fan of a particular artiste or band.
As I began to investigate the influences behind these acts, I took a journey back in time where I discovered, among various genres, rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, folk, country, gospel and, of course, the blues. Reading about the genres, tracing music from that era, and discussions with seniors helped me grasp the magnitude of an ongoing journey. However, what was missing in all this was a genre that I had always been reliably informed was meant for an older — although not necessarily adult — audience, Western Classical.
Although I pursued the investigation with trepidation, for it was a genre that I never thought I would listen to, I decided to attend a six-week course on Western Classic Music Appreciation held by my namesake, Parag Trivedi, at Mumbai’s Max Mueller Bhavan during the 80s. Not only were the nuances of the genre explained in detail and music passages played or shown on video, but participants were encouraged to be interactive in terms of whistling or humming passages, identifying instrumentation, and identifying points/counter-points, among other interactivity. The memories of the sessions are still vivid and I am proud to admit that I have built a collection of Western Classical CDs as part of my music library. It is unfortunate that Mr Trivedi has since passed away. If only he had recorded his appreciation sessions on video, understanding Western Classical would have become easier for listeners to comprehend.
So, the whiff of a new genre ahead of me led to an amazing discovery when I was listening to a whole lot of rock (the disco era was short-lived and so was my interest) as I could gauge passages that were either lifted or warped into popular music.
In case further proof was required about Western Classical music directly influencing pop culture, look no further than Walter Murphy’s disco hit A Fifth of Beethoven — from the soundtrack of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ – which samples Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Rock ‘n’ roll icon Chuck Berry released his famous song Roll Over Beethoven as a single in 1956. While providing reference to Western classical composers such as Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, Berry’s hit song emphasised the need for them to “dig these rhythm and blues”.
While progressive rockers Emerson, Lake & Palmer are other “offenders” of utilising Western Classical sounds, more examples arrive through artistes as diverse as Procol Harum with A Whiter Shade Of Pale (based on Bach’s Orchestral No.3, Air On A G-String), The Beatles (check out the beginning of All You Need Is Love which contains a snippet of Bach’s 2 Part Invention No.8), Jethro Tull’s Bourree (Bach’s Suite In E Minor), Paul Simon’s American Tune (based on the hymn, O Sacred Head, by Bach), John Denver’s Annie’s Song (based on Tchaikovsky Symphony No.5, second movement), Barry Manilow’s Could It Be Magic (Chopin’s Prelude In C Minor), the very obvious Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and even Dire Straits who, at the beginning of Tunnel Of Love, borrow The Carousel Waltz liberally from Rodgers’ and Hammerstein II’s musical, Carousel. Oh, the list is endless…
So next time you listen to your favourite rock — or even pop — artiste, spare a thought for the listeners of Western Classic music. They’ve probably heard your favourite track well before you!