Walkinat9
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
I think many of us here are aware of a few Carpenters recordings that were (partly) inspired by classical music pieces.
The ones I could think of and found mentioned here on the forum are:
From This Moment On (1976, live)
Prelude & Fugue in C Minor, BWV 847 (J.S. Bach)
Intermission (1972)
Crucifix (Antonio Lotti)
Another Song (1970)
"Messiah" (G.F. Händel) (but I don't know which part of it)
Crescent Noon (1970)
similar style to Gymnopedie No. 1 (Erik Satie)
Does anyone know of other Carpenters recordings with references to classical pieces?
I think I found one more myself...
During the pandemic I listened to a lot of classical piano music through adding concert dates to the Setlist.fm website by famous composers like Edvard Grieg, Alexander Scriabin and duo concerts by Frédéric Chopin & Franz Liszt. I had heard of their names before and also some of their works, but it was interesting to read in old newspapers about concerts they gave themselves and how they were received.
Besides these composers I also added dates by 2 French pianists who were famous around 1900, but practically completely forgotten now, so I decided to try and drag them out of oblivion by adding their concerts too; Francis Planté and Léon Delafosse. And this is where Richard comes in...
These 2 pianists were 35 years apart and performed together at a special concert for/by French composer Camille Saint-Saens who celebrated his 60 year musical career. Must have been a special sight, seeing those 2 greats of 2 different generations, Planté in his late 60s and Delafosse in his early 30s (dare I make a comparison, age-wise, to Olivia dancing with Gene Kelly in Xanadu?
).
One of the pieces they played together was Saint-Saens' Scherzo for 2 pianos. When I heard the first 8 seconds (and only *that* bit), that going up and down the scale (don't know the musical term) sounded so familiar to me:
And then I realized what it reminded me of.... Might be a bit far-fetched perhaps and it's not the exact same notes, but I do think it's even in the same key as this bit here (at 0:23) :
Pure genius of 19-year old Richard to let that bit inspire him to write a whole new jazz tune around it (or incorporate it in a composition he had already been working on). Unless of course this is all pure coincidence and then it would just be a case of "great minds think alike" 🤓
Btw, that Saint-Saens piece has become one of my favorite classical pieces now. It starts out a bit rainy and dreary, but after less than a minute it becomes a lot more light-hearted
Greg
I think many of us here are aware of a few Carpenters recordings that were (partly) inspired by classical music pieces.
The ones I could think of and found mentioned here on the forum are:
From This Moment On (1976, live)
Prelude & Fugue in C Minor, BWV 847 (J.S. Bach)
Intermission (1972)
Crucifix (Antonio Lotti)
Another Song (1970)
"Messiah" (G.F. Händel) (but I don't know which part of it)
Crescent Noon (1970)
similar style to Gymnopedie No. 1 (Erik Satie)
Does anyone know of other Carpenters recordings with references to classical pieces?
I think I found one more myself...
During the pandemic I listened to a lot of classical piano music through adding concert dates to the Setlist.fm website by famous composers like Edvard Grieg, Alexander Scriabin and duo concerts by Frédéric Chopin & Franz Liszt. I had heard of their names before and also some of their works, but it was interesting to read in old newspapers about concerts they gave themselves and how they were received.
Besides these composers I also added dates by 2 French pianists who were famous around 1900, but practically completely forgotten now, so I decided to try and drag them out of oblivion by adding their concerts too; Francis Planté and Léon Delafosse. And this is where Richard comes in...
These 2 pianists were 35 years apart and performed together at a special concert for/by French composer Camille Saint-Saens who celebrated his 60 year musical career. Must have been a special sight, seeing those 2 greats of 2 different generations, Planté in his late 60s and Delafosse in his early 30s (dare I make a comparison, age-wise, to Olivia dancing with Gene Kelly in Xanadu?
). One of the pieces they played together was Saint-Saens' Scherzo for 2 pianos. When I heard the first 8 seconds (and only *that* bit), that going up and down the scale (don't know the musical term) sounded so familiar to me:
And then I realized what it reminded me of.... Might be a bit far-fetched perhaps and it's not the exact same notes, but I do think it's even in the same key as this bit here (at 0:23) :
Pure genius of 19-year old Richard to let that bit inspire him to write a whole new jazz tune around it (or incorporate it in a composition he had already been working on). Unless of course this is all pure coincidence and then it would just be a case of "great minds think alike" 🤓
Btw, that Saint-Saens piece has become one of my favorite classical pieces now. It starts out a bit rainy and dreary, but after less than a minute it becomes a lot more light-hearted
Greg
