CLASSICAL MUSIC AND POP SONGS

CLASSICAL MUSIC AND POP SONGS

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THE INFLUENCE OF "classical music" on pop music has been great. This is strange because many people who say they don't like classical music enjoy listening to the music when adapted as a pop record! There are many examples of pop music adapted from the concert repertoire, in fact too many to mention. "Don't You Know," for example, became a big hit for Della Reese in the 1950s, adapted from Musetta's Waltz in Puccini's opera, La Boheme, which inspired the Broadway musical, Rent, which however (apart from a brief quotation of the waltz) has no musical relationship to Puccini's opera.
    We've already seen how Neil Diamond adapted the second movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto in C Major for his hit record, "Song Sung Blue." Here we'll listen to three more pop hits adapted from classical tunes.

NIGHT

This song, sung by the Afro-American soul singer, Jackie Wilson, was adapted from the famous love duet from Saint-Saens' opera, Samson et Delia, based on the biblical story. Wilson had a powerful voice and could sing either rhythmic soul or semi-operatic ballads, as in "Night." Elvis Presley admired Wilson and said he used to study his stage performances. When Wilson was permanently disabled following a heart attack in his early 40s, Presley helped pay his hospital bills. This record, released in the late 1950s, has a superb vocal and a lush string arrangement.

Night, here comes the night,
Another night to dream about you.
Night, each lonely night,
The only time I'm not without you.

Once more, I feel your kisses.
Once more, I know what bliss is.
Comes dawn, my darling, you're gone
But you come back into my arms each night.

Once more, I feel your kisses.
Once more, I know what bliss is.
Comes dawn, my darling, you're gone
But you come back into my arms each night.

ALL BY MYSELF

This song, originally adapted and charted by Eric Carmen was later covered by Celine Dion. It's adapted from Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto (1900), which may be the most popular piano concerto of the 20th century. After receiving poor reviews from music critics, Rachmaninov went into a depression and was unable to compose. He underwent psychological therapy (presumably hypnosis) and came out of his depression able to write this great concerto, which has been featured in several movies and has been the source of several hit records. The first movement was featured in the Marilyn Monroe film The Seven Year Itch; the second movement was the source of Eric Carmen's song ("All By Myself"); and the final movement produced a big hit for Frank Sinatra in the 1940s under the title, "Full Moon and Empty Arms." Yet the same people who buy these records would never think of listening to the original piano concerto from which the tunes come! Many people think of "classical music" as "serious" music when actually it's a bunch of tunes just like pop music. In fact concert composers were the Rock stars of their time.

THAT'S LOVE

This song is based on the famous habanera from Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen. The habanera is a Cuban dance that spread across Europe the way the Argentinian tango did later. Actually the melody is not original with Bizet, who adapted it from another composer. But today it's associated with Bizet's opera. In America, the lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein (famous for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals) decided to adapt the opera as a black musical with English lyrics, titling the habanera song, "That's Love" and calling the musical, Carmen Jones. Dorothy Dandridge played the role of Carmen in the film version that can be seen below, with lyrics. There is a brief exchange of dialogue before the famous habanera rhythm introduces the song at around 1:14.