Masterworks Reworked: Remixes for a New Generation (CD) by Various Artists

CD. Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news. And spread the word to Bach, Puccini, Ravel, Schubert, Rodrigo, Grieg, Dvoràk, and Rimsky-Korsakov, as well. All outraged, thrashing around in their mausoleums, caskets, and crypts. But maybe not. The cover art for this CD includes several fanciful depictions of a bewigged 18th century composer type either standing ready at the turntables or listening thoughtfully in a Louis XIV chair while some dude from the 'hood gives him a turntable education. Humor is the operative work throughout this collection, as 11 remixers fabricate witty, skillful distortions of musical warhorses such as "Bolèro," "Moonlight Sonata," "Swan Lake," "Flight of the Bumblebee," and so on. And while some classical music enthusiasts won't be able to take the joke, these remixes demonstrate far more creativity and style than the typical synth orchestra's ersatz homage to the classics, where a misguided reverence usually turns gold into new age iron pyrite ("fool's gold" to the uninitiated). This CD, on the other hand, can be loaded into the changer to amaze (and perhaps dismay) your friends, but it will give broadminded listeners some real delight. The two Bach pieces (one by Zigo, one by Maya F.S.) capitalize on the highly rhythmic nature of Bach and Baroque music in general. Likewise, the popularly named "Moonlight Sonata" (more accurately, Beethoven's Op. 27/2), has its own built-in hypnotic groove, and of course, Ravel's "Bolèro" is so relentlessly rhythmic in its original form that it was regarded by contemporary music critics as an aberration and a monstrosity. Today it just sounds like techno minus the beatbox, which Jazzelicious ably supplies (along with a touch of vibes and a nice bit of trumpet). Tangerine D'Or's schizophrenic remix of the Rodrigo piece "Concierto de Aranjuez," alternates between several almost literal reproductions of the guitar's lovely melody line and contrasting choked, sputtering sequences where only tiny fragments of the melody manage to emerge. Classical pieces of a traditional romantic sensibility generally have wide variations in tempi (lots of expressive rubato, etc.), and so the remixers employ different strategies for the likes of Tchaikovsky, Schubert, and Dvoràk. "Anita's Dance" (from Grieg's "Peer Gynt") occupies a middle ground, with remixer $Kathie Talbot using the source material's rhythmic energy as best she can, but grounding it with a steady Latin beat over which she cuts and pastes motifs from of the original. Schubert's "Kyrie (Piano Mass No. 6)" is represented by an ascending, two-chord orchestral phrase and several recurring choral fragments. (Given its overtly religious source, this remix certainly qualifies as the least reverent of an irreverent group, with its bouncy techno rhythms, turntable scratching, and vocalized "yeahs" and "get its"). Morgan Page's remix of Dvoràk's "Symphony No. 9" makes economical but telling use of another two-note ascending motif that will be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the original. And the Tao of Groove switches between a straight operatic rendition of "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot" (with funky beatbox accompaniment, of course) and a rapper's approximation of the original lyric's romantic musings. Twelve tracks -- 12 cheeky, cheesy, clever, and affectionate desecrations of the classics. ~ Bill Tilland, Rovi