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| Neo-classical metal | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Speed metal Progressive rock Classical music |
| Cultural origins | 1970s-1980s, Great Britain, Sweden, United States |
| Typical instruments | Electric guitar - Bass - Drums - Keyboards |
| Mainstream popularity | Low-mid, popular amongst fans of shred |
Neo-classical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that is heavily influenced by classical music. It refers to a very technical performance[1] consisting of elements borrowed from both classical and heavy metal music. Yngwie Malmsteen, the most notable musician in the sub-genre, contributed greatly to the development of the style in the 1980s.[1]
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Definition
Neo-classical metal takes its name from a broad conception of classical music. In this it is a concept distinct from how neoclassicism is understood within the classical music tradition. Neoclassical music usually refers to the movement in musical modernism in which composers gained influence from the Classical period. This period roughly spans the years from 1750 to 1810 with the best known composers of strictly classical music including Mozart and Haydn and also Beethoven during the early part of his career before he laid the musical foundations of the romantic movement in music. The classical period was a time in which rigidly structured musical forms such as the sonata, symphony and string quartet were developed. Musical Neoclassicism developed roughly a century after the end of the classical period and peaked during the years in between the two World Wars. It was a reaction against late 19th and early 20th Century romanticism as embodied in the works of composers such as Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler who had stretched both musical language and musical form to produce massive works where the limits of tonality were broken. Neoclassical composers include both Igor Stravinsky[2] and Paul Hindemith[3] who fused elements from the Classical period, such as a "common practice" harmony and strict adherence to form, with their own unique "advanced" harmonic vocabularies and rhythmic variety.
On the other hand, neo-classical metal music does not restrict itself to a return to classical aesthetic ideals, such as equilibrium and formalism. Its influences include both the Romantic musical period and the Baroque period[1] of the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth centuries. The music of late Baroque composers such as Vivaldi, Handel and Bach was often highly ornate. Neo-classical metal musicians such as Yngwie J. Malmsteen are inspired by this aspect of Baroque music[1], and also by later virtuoso composers such as the violinist Niccolò Paganini in using runs and other decorative and showy techniques in their performances. Indeed several neo-classical Metal musicians have performed their own versions of Paganini's famous 24th caprice.
Neo-classical metal music thus looks to classical music as broadly understood by the general public and not to the more specialist technical definition used within classical circles. Because of its breadth of influence and avoidance of simplicity, neo-classical metal music is not a form of Neoclassicism by its traditional definition. Due to this confusion, some see the label "neo-classical" as improper, misleading and even pretentious.
History of the genre and influences
The 1980s and beyond saw the most pure form of neo-classical metal[1], although the influence did exist in other musician's styles as early as heavy metal itself. Early classical influences within hard rock and heavy metal are most notably found in the playing of Ritchie Blackmore[1], Uli Jon Roth, and Randy Rhoads[1]. The styling existed mainly with guitarists but was also present with other instrumentalists such as keyboardist Rick Wakeman. Since the beginning of rock guitar the techniques used on the electric guitar have developed rapidly, and prior to the 1970s, the level of technique needed for the genre was not present. Rock guitar technique developed well into the 80s where it peaked. Neo-classical metal has always been known for its advanced technical[1] as well as theoretical aspects, originally found in classical music. The popularization and growth of neo-classical metal is closely related to the ascension of the guitar shredding movement[1], as many neo-classical metal guitarists took inspiration from classical virtuoso musicians such as Niccolo Paganini and Frederic Chopin.
Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is considered by most to be the king and creator of neo-classical metal's purest form[1][4]. He was brought to the United States by Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records in 1982. Yngwie found influence both within the rock and classical idioms at a young age.
The golden age of neo-classical metal was the late 80s with the many solo guitarists signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records. Musicians like Yngwie Malmsteen[1],Tony Macalpine[1], Vinnie Moore[1], Paul Gilbert, Randy Rhoads, Joey Tafolla, David Chastain, Jason Becker[1], and Marty Friedman[1], were all part of the scene. Most of these musicians followed the format left by Yngwie J Malmsteen in the early to mid 80s[1].
Recently, the genre has mostly been enjoyed by guitarists in more of an underground setting as the style is not well known outside of the realm of guitarists. Today, there are many more bands that contribute as a whole as opposed to solo musicians in the past. Some of today's notable neo-classical metal performers are Michael Angelo Batio, Vitalij Kuprij, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Joe Stump, Symphony X, Stratovarius, Necrophagist, Rhapsody of Fire, Galneryus, Versailles, Adagio and Rata Blanca. Even more recently there has been a sudden burst of slight neo-classical influence within mainstream metal acts such as Children of Bodom, Protest The Hero and The Human Abstract.
A common practice in the genre is to transcribe classical pieces and play them in a rock/metal band format. The Baroque and Classical periods have been particularly influential to the genre due to their unique sound and techniques that blend into a rock setting effectively. Some of the techniques used include counterpoint and pedal point.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Stephan Forté, « Metal néoclassique » in Guitarist Magazine Pedago, Hors Série #29, « Les secrets du metal- Etudes de Style », March 2009, pp.14-15
- ^ http://www.azstarnet.com/public/packages/reelbook/153-4062.htm
- ^ http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/Cambridge/entries/084/Neoclassicism-music.html
- ^ Yngwie Malmsteen biography, Shredaholic.com, retrieved 13-9-2009
External links
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