Reena Esmail (Photo courtesy of artist)
In the classical music world, we know that folk music has inspired some of the genre’s greatest compositions: from Antonín Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony to Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. Some composers made up their own folk melodies; others like Béla Bartók and Percy Grainger traveled the countryside and preserved their authenticity. Yet equally as fascinating are the new interpretations of Western classical music, arranged and played in traditional folk styles from around the world.
Many music groups have adapted and arranged beloved classical music works to complement their cultural traditions. Mariachi bands shine a spotlight on their strong string and brass players with rhythmic interpretations of Mozart. Hindustani singers add Indian classical ornamentation to their interpretations of Schubert lieder. And a Baroque music group travels to China to reimagine a cultural exchange brimming with underlying political tensions.
Here are just a few pieces that combine cross-cultural elements.
Ya Ana Y Ana - Fairuz
Fairuz was a well known Lebanese singer of the 20th century, best known for her work in traditional Arabic music. She was particularly known for her study of Maquem: the modal system that makes up the heart of nearly all Arabic music. One of her most famous songs, Ya ana Ya ana, puts words to the central melody from Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. The title translates to “It’s me or nothing” and laments a love that’s growing distant.
Rondo alla Mambo - Sarah Willis, Havana Lyceum Orchestra
Horn player Sarah Willis was surprised to find a statue of Mozart on her very first trip to Havana, Cuba. This unexpected discovery led her down a series of musical paths that resulted in a curious project: infusing joyous Mozart pieces with the joyous music of Cuba. For this piece in particular, Willis was inspired by the fiery, fast, and fun nature of the Cuban mambo. Its energy lended itself well to the third movement of Mozart’s iconic Horn Concerto K. 447.
Concerto for Oud and Piano No. 23 (after the “adagio” from Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 23 in A Major, K. 488) - Hughes de Courson, Orchestre Symphonique de Bulgarie
More than just playing Mozart on traditional Egyptian instruments, Hughes de Courson reimagines them completely, marrying moments of Mozart’s most famous pieces with Egyptian compositions. This work uses the Adagio movement from Mozart’s 23rd piano concerto as its basis while adding a completely improvised opening on the oud - a Middle-Eastern short-necked lute.
Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971: 1 (by Bach, arranged by Braga) - Camerata Brasil
The reason behind this Bach and Brazil pairing is simple: a movie! Bach in Brazil is a 2016 release, based on a true story, about a retired music teacher who educates kids in a juvenile detention center. The soundtrack predominantly consists of Bach played on traditional Brazilian instruments. This arrangement of the Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major interprets the piece in the manner of a choro, an improvisational Brazilian music form that was popularized near the end of the 19th century.
Im Wunderschönen Monat Mai - Reena Esmail, Saili Oak
Composer Reena Esmail’s approach to this classic Schubert lieder is almost identical to the original, with one exception - the vocal line. Hindustani classical singer Saili not only sings the tune entirely in Hindi, she also expertly deploys the intricate vocal ornamentation for which the genre is known.
Erbarme Dich / Have Mercy (Aria: MP 39) - Sarband
This work comes from an album by German music ensemble Sarband titled The Arabian Passion According to JS Bach - a work containing selections from J.S Bach’s two Passions, sung in both Arabic and German. Sarband’s music director Vladimir Ivanoff wanted to create a musical project combining the Arabic world with the Western world, confronting some of classical music’s most beloved worlds with “the disastrous present-day situation in Jesus’ native land.” While this interpretation is pretty close to the original piece, evidence of Arabic stylization can be found in the ornamentations added by the violins as well as subtle vocal choices made by Fadia el-Hage.
Ave Maris Stella - Choeur du Beitang Pekin, Athanasius Kircher
A fascinating piece, this traditional Jesuit hymn was translated to Chinese by Jesuit missionaries who went on missions to China during the 17th and 18th centuries. It’s part of a larger album that attempts to aurally reconstruct what a Jesuit mass in China might have looked like, using arrangements from monks as well as traditional mass music that was popular during the Baroque era. Many works on the album reference Chinese qupai (曲牌): short, melodic structures in Chinese traditional music that form the basis of longer instrumental piece,. Qupai are also used often in Kunqu (崑曲) opera or Chinese classical theater.
In C (Irish version) - Terry Riley, Various Artists
Terry Riley really hit it out of the park with his 1968 composition In C. Often cited as one of the foundational pieces of the minimalist classical movement, In C allows an ensemble of any size to improvise with a series of melodic fragments throughout the piece. The only rules are as follows: the 53 fragments must be played in order, and the piece must end when every last player has arrived at the 53rd pattern. Because of its simplicity and openness, In C has often been a popular piece to show off native instruments of various cultures. Here is an interpretation that uses exclusively Irish instruments!
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