Symphonic rock

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Symphonic rock
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
early 1970s, England
Typical instruments
Guitar - Bass - Keyboards - Piano - Drums - Violin - and other acoustic and electronic instruments
Mainstream popularity western culture, 1970s
Fusion genres
Symphonic metal

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 the more classically influenced progressive rock from the more psychedelic and experimental offerings, though some use the term to refer to any type of progressive rock.

In recent years, symphonic rock has been more clearly recognized as one of a number of progressive rock subgenres, although the lines that separate symphonic rock from other types of progressive rock are often difficult to see, since relatively few progressive bands ever set out to make a symphonic album, as opposed to a progressive one. Symphonic rock is more often a device that a progressive band may employ on certain tracks when it is appropriate to the concept of the piece, while other tracks on the album may or may not feature anything of a symphonic or classical nature.

This makes it difficult to pigeon hole any progressive band as being specifically a symphonic rock band, with the exception of rare bands such as Renaissance, England's The Enid, and Switzerland's Flame Dream who used symphonic orchestration and classical styles in almost every composition, clearly embracing what is the principle of the term.

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, Jon Lord, who has composed symphonic rock concertos and suites as solo projects, is better known as a member of the hard rock band Deep Purple. 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, has composed an album of rock variations on a theme by Paganini.

[edit] Attributes of symphonic rock

Symphonic rock is best described as the combining of rock and classical music traditions. Classical devices often employed in symphonic rock include the following.[citation needed]

  • Rock arrangements of themes from classical music.
  • Classical composition structures.
  • The accompaniment of a symphony orchestra.
  • Use of classical instruments, such as cello and harpsichord.
  • Higher complexity than other types of rock and popular music.
  • Elaborate compositions in the formats of concertos, suites, symphonies, tone poems and operas.
  • Prominent use of the synthesizer as a substitute for symphonic orchestration.[citation needed]
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[edit] Artists

Certain neo-prog bands, such as Glass Hammer, Arion, Apocalypse, and Par Lindh Project, continue the traditions of 70's symphonic rock.[citation needed]

However, symphonic rock has never been exclusive to progressive rock artists. In the late 1960s, The Who presented the first rock opera, and in the 1970s, many popular artists experimented with symphonic rock, such as Queen, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Gino Vannelli and Stevie Wonder. Symphonic rock is also often heard on movie and video game soundtracks.[citation needed]

One of the most successful bands to employ symphonic rock as a regular feature was The Electric Light Orchestra.[citation needed]

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, Trans-Siberian Orchestra was founded which took Christmas music and turned it into the rock sensation it is today. Today, the group has four albums, a DVD and a trilogy available. The albums are entitled: Christmas Eve and Other Stories, The Christmas Attic, The Lost Christmas Eve and Beethoven's Last Night.

[edit] See also

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