# Great rock versions of classical compositions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2020, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423 "2020-06-11T01:38:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/42 "2020-06-13T02:21:30Z")
On the off-brand ELP (Emerson Lake and _Powell_), there’s a nice cut on the B side of Holst’s “Mars, the Bringer of War”. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/43 "2020-06-13T14:05:06Z")
[“Sabre Dance”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpqYU3Nzbts) was Dave Edmunds’ signature guitar piece. Isao Tomita’s “Snowflakes Are Dancing” (Debussy) made the U.S. top fifty, but that was basically a form of synthpop, not rock. ---
**Author:** ![Moris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moris/32/2846_2.png) [@Moris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moris)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/44 "2020-06-16T13:17:09Z")
Adaptation of classical pieces in rock never really worked for me, unless it’s a well-rounded, coherent piece of pop, such is “Whiter Shade of Pale”. I don’t know any others that come close. Out of the sung pop context, there’s otherwordly ELP’s “Toccata” and “Pictures at an Exhibition”. Great momements there, but leaves a lot to be desired. The Nice’s “Karelia Suite” and “Rondo”…meh. Jethro Tull’s “Bouree” is rather pointless, save for the excellent live version from “A Little Light Music”. The Pentagles’ “Three Dances” work really well, but that’s stretching the term “classical” since it’s renaissance music. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/45 "2020-06-16T14:53:55Z")
Mannheim Steamroller has a bunch of rocking classical tunes on their Christmas albums, particularly, [“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNKc_6ZqxrY&list=OLAK5uy_n9niibpVcNuOxPinMP99AsVw80o15FuOU) ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/46 "2020-06-16T20:31:11Z")
> [@Moris](#): > > Jethro Tull’s “Bouree” is rather pointless, save for the excellent live version from “A Little Light Music”. Lenny Breau and Buddy Emmons did a jazzed-up version that’s worth seeking out, on electric guitar and pedal steel. I can’t find it on Youtube. I did find [Leo Kottke’s lovely take on Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhejDugHzHc) ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/47 "2020-06-16T21:16:45Z")
[Frederic’s Dream of Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtYwhPrgTMA) Luca Sestak’s re imagining of Chopin’s Nocturne in E flat Major Opus 9 #2 ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/48 "2020-06-16T21:26:47Z")
Well since we’ve beyond “Rock”, here’s Angelique Kidjo singing Ravel’s Bolero [https://youtu.be/8eWJtZlrSGI](https://youtu.be/8eWJtZlrSGI) ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/49 "2020-06-17T07:38:29Z")
If we can do R&B versions of Baroque \*\*Lover’s concerto \*\*, _The Toys_ [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IjDoXXY5Jg) ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/50 "2020-06-17T07:40:16Z")
If we can do R&B versions of Baroque **Lover’s concerto** , _The Toys_ [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IjDoXXY5Jg) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/51 "2020-06-17T09:28:43Z")
If you can’t have Germans doing Wagner then it has to be Germans doing Schubert: [Nargaroth - Der Leiermann](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwrJ4VHobfI). ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/52 "2020-06-17T18:15:25Z")
For the umpteenth Emerson, Lake & Palmer reference in this thread, there’s their rock arrangement of Béla Bartók’s “Allegro Barbaro,” retitled “The Barbarian.” Just so you know, Bartók invented classical heavy metal in 1911 with “Allegro Barbaro.” He had in mind the 9th-century invasions of Europe by Magyar horsemen. This predated Stravinsky’s _Rite of Spring_ by two years. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/53 "2020-06-17T23:20:03Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > For the umpteenth Emerson, Lake & Palmer reference in this thread, there’s their rock arrangement of Béla Bartók’s “Allegro Barbaro,” retitled “The Barbarian.” From the same album, Janacek’s “Sinfonietta” transmogrified into “Knife Edge” with an unmodified (and uncredited) excerpt from one of JS Bach’s “French Suites” pasted in as short keyboard solo. ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423/54 "2020-06-18T15:08:08Z")
Yes! B. Bumble and the Stingers! The only version one needs to know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-rock-versions-of-classical-compositions/855423.md?page=2)