Classical composers – and the pop stars who channel their moves

For Liszt, read Jimi Hendrix … for Wagner, Kanye West? Canadian MC and songwriter Chilly Gonzales – who learned his craft through classical piano – reflects on the crossover between the pop and orchestral worlds

I grew up with my grandfather teaching me the great European tradition of composers. But when I wasn’t at the piano I was watching Lionel Richie dance on the ceiling, and I told myself there had to be a way to combine these two worlds. All music is connected, and I’ve reflected on what the equivalencies might be between my favorite composers and my pop heroes. Composers were our first musical celebrities, and the 19th century brought us the idea of a “musical genius”, a role which I happen to play on stage. If these master composers were to have been pop icons or MCs, we might find that not much has changed since a demonic Liszt broke piano strings back in the 1850s.

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by Chilly Gonzales via Electronic music | The Guardian