From Wendy Carlos to the Swingle Singers, artists have proven over and over again that great music is great music, regardless of instrumentation. (Music historians would be just as quick to point out that most Classical performances don’t really match the original instrumentation, anyway.) So, since it’s Monday and we’re due for a distraction, we have from reader Jack Stratton a delightful rendition of Bach on TalkBox. (BachBox?)
Something’s in the air, as our friend Synthtopia also shares novel instrumentations. Here, it’s Ravel:
Trois beaux oiseaux du paradis by Maurice Ravel – performed by thereminist, Randy George and the Gaudete Brass Quintet. download video in High Definition at: http://bit.ly/GBQRGM
Finally, I can’t embed the videos, but the wonderful Glockabelle – recently seen tearing through Classical favorites on her Casio VL-5 at Handmade Music NYC, confirmed on glock for our next event – has a terrific lineup of videos on her blog, recorded in her kitchen. Glocks, more Casios, and a keyboard with meow sounds. There’s music by the greatest composers of all time, and there’s a bit of punk, too. Public service: if it any moment in this week you find yourself grumpy, come back to these videos.
http://glockabelle.blogspot.com/
And, yes – it’s easy to dismiss novel instrumentation, but not if you talk to people who actually play the instruments. I do always slightly dread the association of Theremin and Halloween, one which I think doesn’t befit how lovely the instrument sounds. But music is all about novel instrumentation, and actually enjoying what you play. Great music works on different instruments.
We now return to our regularly-scheduled programming.