When electronica-artists turn to the classics, I grow suspicious. You might get something awful like William Orbit's Pieces in a Modern Style, in which the ambient-king butchered masterpieces like Adagio for Strings (later on, both trancemeisters Tiesto and Ferry Corsten dragged it through the mud with their godawful remixes). Using classical themes or melodies is not a problem, Gainsbourg did that masterfully, but when I read the bio for Private Domain, alarmbells go off: 'The idea is simple but ambitious: to take a new look at some great works of the apst in the light our modern digital era, bring together the art of singing from yesterday and today, and help a whole new generation brought up to beats, breaks and loops of today's music discover or rediscover certains works of the classical repertoire.' Producer Iko invited, among others, Mexican techno-star Murcof, Marc Collin and Emilie Simon. I already posted a song from this project here, but the involvement of Emilie Simon makes it more interesting, ofcourse. She redid pieces from Purcell's Dido & Aeneas, and Faurés Après un rêve.
I love Emilie's voice, and the electronica-meets-strings-thing is her natural habitat, but compare her Rêve, to what Barbra Streisand did with the same piece.
Iko, Emilie Simon - Un Rêve
Barbra Streisand - Après un rêve
I love her voice too.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThey trample on some of my favourite Purcell and Monteverdi tunes on this Portrait record. It's really quite painful. I'm no musical purist and enjoy the odd pop version of a classical tune every now and then - jazz pianist Uri Caine's weird, but smart and highly musical take on Mahler is a gas, if you're up for it - but this stuff is seriously dumbed down. Dido's Lament with a beat? What were they thinking?
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThere is a wonderful version of this song on the Melodies Françaises record, which features artists like Marie Modiano, Holden, Emily Loizeau, Helena Noguerra, Dorval, among others, all covering a classical french melody from the end of the 19th-beginning 20th century. You can listen to Franck Monnet's version here :
BeantwoordenVerwijderenhttp://www.myspace.com/melodiesfrancaises