Why do some classical artists attempt making a foray into some other music genre? I find the thought of it slightly offensive and, to my
mind, crassly commercial.

Lesley Garrett seems a good example of that sort of thing. Singing torch songs? Please! I no more want to hear her warbling Porter or
Gershwin or Kahn any more than I want to hear Nina Simone or Julie London having a crack at Brunhilde.

In general, a classically trained voice is NOT what these kinds of composers had in mind. In their own way, non-classical music makes
its own (different) demands on voice (and instruments) which classically trained artists haven't mastered. As great as Heifetz and
Oistrakh might have been, can you really see them in a jam session with Venutti or Grappelli?

I'm sure other performers (vocalists or instrumentalists) have tried to bridge the divide between classical and jazz or rock or pop, etc.

Do these things ever really work?

Henrietta Schlossberg

Hey, Wynton Marsalis did it. Andrea Bocelli, the three Tenors, the Bond String quartet as well. a few well know british sopranos that are pop icons there put out a classical CD which was the top seller lately in the UK. but... that is the UK. heh.

BTW - Andrea Bocelli got a million dollars to perform at an outdoor concert in Fresno, CA and they show was a complete sellout. so, selling out sometimes is a good thing. but hopefully not always.

Classical music, especially in the UK is still not reaching a mass market. It needs a stronger image and not by just putting crossover artists in the public eye. Bond are a good example. Great musicians but giving the general public the impression that this is classical music. We need to hear the classic symphonies and works of the late 19th and early 20thc.

This will awaken the sleeping public!

Cheryl

hey, whatever works is what i say.

Blair - Tuba

Dear Henrietta,
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It seems to me that nowadays defining the boundaries of Classical Music is becoming more and more difficult, especially with the rise of the music of diverse cultures. For example we usually consider Brahms' Hungarian dances as "classical music", and were never bothered by the fact that he uses folk idioms in a totally different medium.
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As more modern examples we can think of Tan Dun's guitar concerto, which uses elemens of the Chinese music; tangos which are composed by conservatory educated Argentine musicians - sometimes seen as pop by "classical musicians"; or Kurt Weill's songs which can both work in a voice recital or in a cabaret setting.
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As a result I think it is totally appropriate to play or sing different styles of music as long as we study and understand the particular style extensively by listening, researching and collaborating. Afterall, that is the definition of versatility, which has been one of the common traits of world class performers throughout history!

Cem Duruoz, www.duruoz.com
guitarist, (one of those who play or try to play pretty much any music!-)

Duruoz,

I agree with you to a point. I would break this down to three sections:
1. Classical works composed using certain thematic cultural folk idioms interwined in the work, like the ones you had mentioned.
2. Pop music like Paul Simon who integrated South African musical styles into his Graceland album, thereby blending American pop with South African traditional music.
3. Classical crossover where a Classical composition is re-arranged to "popularize" it with the masses. Charlotte Church, Andrea Bocelli do this quite a bit. I think that is the point of discussion here. Is it right to re-arrange a classical composition to make it more appealing to listeners outside the realm of classical music?

Rob Nesmith