The music of rock group Queen was distinguished by its harmonic sophistication and occasional operatic allusions, reflecting the classical background and training of lead singer Freddie Mercury. Hence, it’s not too far fetched to contemplate a symphony based on some of Queen’s hit songs. Tolga Kashif has undertaken just such a task, and the result is this big, sprawling, dramatic work that’s more symphonic than rock. Kashif lays the piece out in five movements, combining modernist, classical, and romantic compositional techniques. This is the same approach currently popular with film composers, and the music here easily could find a place in many a big-budget fantasy film (think Lord of the Rings).
The symphony’s grandiose opening movement comprises a medley of “Radio Gaga”, “The Show Must Go On”, “One Vision”, and “I Was Born to Love You”, which employs massive orchestral tuttis and sweeping crescendos, dramatically enhanced by cymbals, tam-tam, and double chorus. Occasionally, Kashif welds the songs so seamlessly into the symphonic fabric (“Another one bites the dust” gets only a fleeting mention on the trombones) that it might be hard for all but committed Queen fans to recognize them. Otherwise the composer’s transformations are quite clever (“Bicycle Ride” becomes a scherzo with piano obbligato), even if they’re best appreciated by listeners with some prior classical experience. “We are the Champions” receives the most straightforward treatment, forming a great ending anthem to the symphony. The Royal Philharmonic seems to have cornered the market on these “crossover” projects (remember Hooked on Classics?), and performs here with enthusiasm and bravura under the composer/arranger’s leadership. EMI’s well balanced, large acoustic recording has impressive impact. Of its type, this is both a well realized and fun assemblage of some very good tunes.
