Symphonic Rock

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Symphonic rock is a subgenre of rock music, and more specifically, progressive rock. Since early in progressive rock's history, the term has been used sometimes to distinguish more classically influenced progressive rock from the more psychedelic and experimental offerings.

Symphonic rock is best described as the combining of rock and classical music traditions. Some artists perform rock arrangements of themes from classical music, or compose original pieces in classical composition structures. Others play with the accompaniment of a symphony orchestra or use a synthesizer to emulate orchestral instruments.

Artists

According to critic Bruce Elder, "Back in 1970, it seemed as though any British group that could was starting to utilize classical elements in their work." As early as 1967, the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" incorporated significant orchestral passages. In the same year, The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed, especially the popular single "Nights in White Satin", merged rock playing with orchestral accompaniment.

Groups such as Emerson, Lake, and Palmer performed classical compositions such as Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition with electric instrumentation, while others such as the Electric Light Orchestra played rock music with orchestral backing. Likewise, Jon Lord of the hard rock band Deep Purple wrote a Concerto for Group and Orchestra. In the same era, many popular artists experimented with symphonic elements, including Queen, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Gino Vannelli and Stevie Wonder.

Some of the best examples of a completely symphonic rock album are done by artists who are better known for other types of music. For example, Joe Jackson, who is better known in the New Wave genre, has recently released a rock symphony. Alan Stivell's Celtic Symphony (1979) is mainly based on the fusion of Rock and Symphonic music, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, primarily known as a musical theatre artist, composed Variations, an album of rock variations on a theme by Paganini.

In the late 1990s, the London Symphony Orchestra produced a series of symphonic rock albums, and in the early 2000s, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra also produced a series with the shopping firm Marks and Spencer called Symphonic Rock which featured many classic rock songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Everybody Hurts, Bittersweet Symphony and Bat out of Hell. In 1996, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra was founded. The Japanese bands Malice Mizer, and Moi Dix Mois are also considered symphonic rock.

See also

• Symphonic metal
• Neo-classical metal
• Wagnerian rock
• Piano rock
• Progressive rock
• Italian progressive rock
• Art rock
• List of popular songs based on classical music