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Classical
Queen: An Interview with conductor and composer Tolga Kashif
of The Queen Symphony
by David Chiu
Eleven years after the death of lead singer
Freddie Mercury from AIDS, Queen's popularity continues to flourish.
Anthems like "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the
Champions" still get played in television commercials and
at stadiums, while the epic "Bohemian Rhapsody" is
a popular staple on FM radio. The group's legendary stature grows
with every year, which was confirmed by their induction to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and most recently receiving
a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and being honored at this
year's Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Although the surviving members--guitarist
Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon--rarely
record together or perform onstage since Mercury's passing in
1991, Queen had recently brought their music in new ways to their
audiences. One of them was the We Will Rock You musical,
which continues to be a smash sell-out in London's West End.
The other most recent live presentation
of Queen's songs was The Queen Symphony composed and conducted
by Tolga Kashif, and performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Recast in the classical realm of the Romantic Tradition, the
symphony was based on several Queen songs, including "Bohemian
Rhapsody," "We Are the Champions," "We Will
Rock You," "Bicycle Race," and "Save Me."
But they were not merely orchestrations of full songs but were
revised structurally and recast as themes, leaving it to be an
original work entirely in itself. The Queen Symphony will
surprise the most faithful fans who might not at first be able
to recognize a theme used (i.e. "One Vision," "Another
One Bites the Dust").
 Throughout
the six movements, The Queen Symphony reflect moments
of drama that Queen songs have been renowned for, found on tracks
like "Champions" and "Rock You," and "The
Show Must Go On." However, there are some poignant moments
incorporated themes from Queen ballads like "Love of My
Life" and the very moving "Who Wants to Live Forever"
(the latter featuring the beautiful violin showcase of Nicola
Loud).
The Queen Symphony
is just the latest addition to Maestro Kashif's impressive resume.
Born in London, Kashif studied at the Royal College of Music
and later at Bristol University. Appointed permanent guest conductor
of the Presidential Orchestra of Turkey, he has performed with
the Royal Philharmonic, the Polish National Symphony, and the
BBC Symphony. In addition to scoring for film and television,
he also served as musical director of the BBC Children in Need's
platinum single "Perfect Day," which also featured
guest artists David Bowie, Elton John, Bono, and Lesley Garrett.
The whole project started off by sort of
by accident. "I was working on a film score for Paramount
[Pictures] about two and a half years ago now," said Kashif,
"and I had a chance meeting with EMI who were talking about
having the Queen catalog and were looking to do something in
the classical genre with Queen. But not merely orchestrate or
do a 'Hooked-on-Classics' thing. Subsequently we had a discussion
about doing some sketches.
"Sitting down and playing the tunes,
I thought, 'Well this is quite inspiring,' and the fact that
it triggered imagery and musical ideas quite naturally. I got
back to them with sketches and they played that to Brian, Roger,
and John. They said they liked the sound of it and why not carry
on? It was quite an organic beginning for the project."
The surviving members of Queen did not
involve themselves in the creative process of the symphony, leaving
Kashif to have full access and control of how the songs were
to be used. The maestro explained, "They didn't have any
artistic input at all. I suppose they made a decision that it
was a personal reflection of their material. As originators of
their songs, it would actually become their project. In a way,
it has become their project but not from an artistic point of
view but a point of view of an endorsement--supporting me through
the process. Obviously it was a labor of love in itself."
As he was deeply immersed in the project,
Kashif learned that each song reflected the distinct style and
personality of each of Queen's members. "After working with
it for a while there seem to be a fingerprint to their melodic
structures," he explained. "Even when you go between
Brian, Freddie, Roger, and John's writing that they have their
individual approaches, there seems to be a Queen signature. I
can't put my finger on it exactly apart from saying there is
kind of a Romantic quality to the melodies, anyway. I really
got to know their sort of DNA in terms of their harmonic content
and the melodic ideas.
"That's why I ended up with the selections
that I did because I found a journey that could be had through
the symphony. Obviously recording Brian's guitar [parts], taking
away the rock and roll aspect of it, was very interesting as
well. Once you are behind the piano with these things, they began
to take on more intimate quality."
Queen's sound and the world of classical
music might seem as different as night and day, though both share
this affinity for drama and pomp. "They were were slightly
over the top, often parodying themselves. A lot of the bands
in the '70s like Genesis and Bowie as well, they were quite rhapsodic
in their thinking anyway. Quite often you'll find completely
something unrelated."
But the composer also wanted to challenge
the listener rather than merely rehashing familiar melodies and
structure. "I thought to sneak in little snippets of things,"
he explained. "Overall the thirteen songs that I draw sometimes
are not so obvious. That's something I wanted to do. For example
"Another One Bites the Dust" only appears as a little
bass motif . It's not necessarily something you'd expect. It's
more of a tip of the hat."
Since Queen had amassed a 30-year backlog
of songs, Kashif had to delete some songs that didn't fit. "I
still got quite a lot from the cutting room floor as it were,"
he said. "For structural reasons, certain songs were rejected.
"Good Old Fashioned Loverboy" was one. It was quite
a Noel Coward-esque '30s treatment. It was kind of quite a movement
in itself really. Quite often you have to be quite brutal with
yourself."
When asked if those deleted ideas might
see the light of day, Kashif commented. "When we came off
stage during the premiere, Brian said. "Well where's Queen
II ?" (laughs). "But I did [work on] two or three
other movements for which they may end up in a string quartet
one of these days."
Queen's association with pomp and theatricality
was largely due to Freddie Mercury, who was responsible for the
group's foray into English music hall and opera. "I think
Freddie particularly loved the high arts," Kashif said of
the flamboyant star who was also a huge opera fan. "He always
had this fascination with the theater anyway. That came through
in his writing, I think as well. As a band, the sound and scale
were pretty eclectic. But more than that, you find they had fickle
lyrics. For example [in] "We are the Champions," if
you strip away the rock and roll you end up with a sensitivity
and lyricism. I think that's the connection really. I try to
preserve that, put in completely different setting and genres.
Otherwise, why do it? I was lucky to have everyone's support
in doing it."
In celebration of the project and its accompanying
album, The Queen Symphony premiered live on November 6,
2002 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, performed by the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra. It played to a standing ovation. In attendance
were Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Freddie's mother Jer Bulsara.
"I asked her what she thought of it and what she thought
Freddie would think of it," remembered Kashif of the meeting
with Mrs. Bulsara. "She gave a real nice smile and said
I think he would love it."
He isn't the only one. Brian May expressed
his words of endorsement and praise, as he said in the liner
notes of The Queen Symphony album: "I am sure it
will become an immortal favorite in the repertoire of Symphony
orchestras, both amateur and professional because it will deeply
move an audience every time."
Although educated and trained in the world
of classical music, Kahsif had an ear for rock and roll as a
youth, particularly Queen's music. He first heard Queen's "Bohemian
Rhapsody" as he played on the soccer field and became a
fan ever since. The maestro still maintains that admiration for
the group's music which is reflected in the amount of care that
he put into the work. "It's been enormously enjoyable,"
he said. "The fact that Freddie Mercury passed away so tragically
added an additional responsibility which is why I draw a more
universal conclusion at the end of the symphony. It's my best
project to date--it definitely opened my mind."
So after 30 years, why does Queen's music
still resonate with millions across the world? Kashif offered
this answer: "The craft of melody. I think they had a signature
between them that can't be repeated. That's the whole beauty
of art. They were rock but at the same time they blended it with
an almost folklore language. I can't think of anybody else [who
does it] like Queen."
http://www.angelrecords.com
http://www.tolgakashif.com
http://www.queenonline.com
http://www.brianmaynews.com
http://www.queenzone.com
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