Many of the artists that appear on the iTunes or Billboard classical charts could be considered crossover artists; in fact, I think iTunes identifies them as such. The “crossover” moniker works nicely with our categorical perception approach: there are liminal works that have features of both classical and popular music to such a degree that differentiating the work from one category or the other becomes difficult. To facilitate discussion, I would like to outline four categories of crossover in this section: 1) newly composed classical music that has popular features; 2) newly composed popular music that has classical features; 3) classical music transcribed into popular idioms; and 4) popular music transcribed into classical idioms.
1) Newly composed classical music that has popular features. The harmonic and melodic content of this music is probably tonal or modal. The meter is probably regular and danceable, although one might find irregular meters used to parody danceable meters. Instruments might include those most closely associated with popular music, including electronic keyboards, turntables, electric guitars, or drum sets. Subject matter and/or lyrics might be drawn from contemporary popular culture. Ensembles are probably non-standard, more like a rock combo than a conventional orchestra or string quartet. Forms may be simple strophic, verse-chorus, or other repetitive types. These works may quote well-known popular riffs or “topics” (cf. Ratner). Some representative pieces include Michael Daugherty’s What’s That Spell? (a three-movement work about Barbie dolls), Michael Torke’s Adjustable Wrench (based on a riff by Madonna’s one-time producer Jellybean), Laurie Anderson’s Only an Expert Can Deal with the Problem, and Sarah Kirkland Snider’s song cycle Penelope.
2) Newly composed popular music that has classical features. The harmonic and melodic content of this music is probably chromatic and/or atonal. Meter can be regular or irregular, often featuring rhythmic complexity. Conventional popular instrumental combinations may be augmented by the addition of orchestral instruments (either live or synthesized). Subject matter and/or lyrics can vary widely. Forms tend to be longer than conventional pop song formats and thus will feature more variety and/or development. These works may quote popular classical themes. Examples of this crossover include Muse’s “Exogenesis Symphony” from their album The Resistance; Bjork’s “Hunter” from Homogenic (which owes considerably to Ravel’s Bolero), and Sting’s “Russians” from the album The Dream of the Blue Turtles (which is based on the Romance from Prokofiev’s Lt. Kije suite).
3) Classical music transcribed into popular idioms. In these instances, a preexisting classical work is transcribed for a popular ensemble. The classical work remains largely intact. One key to the success of these transcriptions is the use of an established popular artist and/or instrumental grouping. Instrumental melodies may be transcribed for voice, and lyrics may be added. Examples of this include Carlos Santana and Dave Matthews’ “Love of my Life” from Supernatural (which features material from the third movement of Brahms’s third symphony, rewritten in duple meter), Walter Murphy’s “A Fifth of Beethoven” (which sets the well-known first movement of the symphony to a disco beat), and DJ Tiësto’s techno version of Barber’s Adagio for Strings.
4) Popular music transcribed into classical idioms. In these instances, a preexisting popular work is transcribed for a classical ensemble. The popular work remains largely intact. Key to the success of a transcription such as this is the use of a standardized classical ensemble that is recognizable as a classical ensemble: examples include orchestras, string quartets, woodwind quintets, and the like. Very often in these transcriptions, the lyrics of the original song are removed; the vocal line is often rewritten for an instrument. Examples of this include the Kronos Quartet’s version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” 2Cellos’ version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” David Garrett’s “Rock Symphonies,” and Christopher O’Riley’s transcriptions of Radiohead songs.
1) Newly composed classical music that has popular features. The harmonic and melodic content of this music is probably tonal or modal. The meter is probably regular and danceable, although one might find irregular meters used to parody danceable meters. Instruments might include those most closely associated with popular music, including electronic keyboards, turntables, electric guitars, or drum sets. Subject matter and/or lyrics might be drawn from contemporary popular culture. Ensembles are probably non-standard, more like a rock combo than a conventional orchestra or string quartet. Forms may be simple strophic, verse-chorus, or other repetitive types. These works may quote well-known popular riffs or “topics” (cf. Ratner). Some representative pieces include Michael Daugherty’s What’s That Spell? (a three-movement work about Barbie dolls), Michael Torke’s Adjustable Wrench (based on a riff by Madonna’s one-time producer Jellybean), Laurie Anderson’s Only an Expert Can Deal with the Problem, and Sarah Kirkland Snider’s song cycle Penelope.
2) Newly composed popular music that has classical features. The harmonic and melodic content of this music is probably chromatic and/or atonal. Meter can be regular or irregular, often featuring rhythmic complexity. Conventional popular instrumental combinations may be augmented by the addition of orchestral instruments (either live or synthesized). Subject matter and/or lyrics can vary widely. Forms tend to be longer than conventional pop song formats and thus will feature more variety and/or development. These works may quote popular classical themes. Examples of this crossover include Muse’s “Exogenesis Symphony” from their album The Resistance; Bjork’s “Hunter” from Homogenic (which owes considerably to Ravel’s Bolero), and Sting’s “Russians” from the album The Dream of the Blue Turtles (which is based on the Romance from Prokofiev’s Lt. Kije suite).
3) Classical music transcribed into popular idioms. In these instances, a preexisting classical work is transcribed for a popular ensemble. The classical work remains largely intact. One key to the success of these transcriptions is the use of an established popular artist and/or instrumental grouping. Instrumental melodies may be transcribed for voice, and lyrics may be added. Examples of this include Carlos Santana and Dave Matthews’ “Love of my Life” from Supernatural (which features material from the third movement of Brahms’s third symphony, rewritten in duple meter), Walter Murphy’s “A Fifth of Beethoven” (which sets the well-known first movement of the symphony to a disco beat), and DJ Tiësto’s techno version of Barber’s Adagio for Strings.
4) Popular music transcribed into classical idioms. In these instances, a preexisting popular work is transcribed for a classical ensemble. The popular work remains largely intact. Key to the success of a transcription such as this is the use of a standardized classical ensemble that is recognizable as a classical ensemble: examples include orchestras, string quartets, woodwind quintets, and the like. Very often in these transcriptions, the lyrics of the original song are removed; the vocal line is often rewritten for an instrument. Examples of this include the Kronos Quartet’s version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” 2Cellos’ version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” David Garrett’s “Rock Symphonies,” and Christopher O’Riley’s transcriptions of Radiohead songs.