Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen played by 1000 musicians | Rockin'1000

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For the first time in history, Bohemian Rhapsody played live by 1,000 Musicians at Rockin'1000 For Romagna, July 29th 2023, Orogel Stadium Dino Manuzzi, Cesena (ITA)

Classical Mercury: Freddie and the Bohemian Rhapsody

 

by Maureen Buja, Interlude

Freddie Mercury

We don’t think of the late Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) in the realm of classical music except for his duets with Montserrat Caballée. Secretly though, the world of classical music has been looking at the music of Freddie Mercury and dragging it over to the classical side.

Queen

Looking at A Night at the Opera (1975), Queen’s breakout album, we have to focus on the most memorable piece of that album, Bohemian Rhapsody, which had the whole world singing both the solo and supporting voices. And, of all the songs by Queen, this song has had, for better or worse, the most classical makeovers.

Danny Saucedo (2013) (photo by Frankie Fouganthin)

The problem with the song is that someone has to be Freddie Mercury and very few singers can or want to take on that responsibility. The Swedish singer Danny Saucedo, who made his name in 2006 winning the Swedish version of Idol, took it on with a backing choir with some success. You want the choir to be a bit more precise, particularly at the beginning, but the recording itself seems to be a large part of the problem.

Freddie Mercury: Bohemian Rhapsody (arr. A. Goransson and P. Olofson) (Danny Saucedo, soloist; Adolf Fredriks Gosskor; Pelle Olofson, cond.)

Forestella

The K-Pop group Forestella got around the soloist problem by having all members of the group take the lyrics, either singly or together.

Sebastian Di Bin

Solo piano versions make up for the big size of the performing ensemble by changing the character of the work.

Anderson and Roe Piano Duo

Duo piano versions give us a bit more.

Freddie Mercury: Bohemian Rhapsody (arr. G. Anderson and E.J. Roe for 2 pianos) (Anderson and Roe Piano Duo)

Philharmonix–The Vienna Berlin Music Club

Chamber ensembles give us a different reflection, but we’re still lacking that solo sound. This one, German/Austrian group Philharmonix (The Vienna Berlin Music Club) add an intro by Bach with curious modulations.

United States Air Force Band of Mid-America

As good as the United States Air Force Band is, their version is just a little feeble and too square.

David Garrett

When the soloist is not a vocalist but an instrumentalist, some interesting versions start to emerge. With violin soloist David Garrett, who, after his childhood start as a classical player, turned to the crossover side to add pop and rock music to his repertoire, we have a virtuoso player taking on a virtuoso apart. For his performance he is backed not only by a rock band but also a chamber orchestra, who seem to be adding all the parts previously played on synthesizer.

Rick Wakeman

The final version we’ll look at, although it’s certainly not the end to all the versions of Bohemian Rhapsody, is one done by Rick Wakeman. Wakeman, who has his own reputation as a progressive rock musician, being part of the group Yes on and off for more than 30 years, is also a formidable keyboardist. His solo channels not only Freddie Mercury’s original music but also adds in a bit of Mozart, a bit of his own music, a bit of prog-rock, and re-orchestrates the piece sometimes in the style of the Beatles. It’s a curious mix of classical and pop styles.

There are still other versions out there for clarinet ensemble, marching band, for full symphony orchestra, and so on, even the Muppets complete with singing chickens, singing bananas, and explosions.

The work itself was radical on so many fronts. Its video was credited by Rolling Stone as ‘practically inventing the music video seven years before MTV went on the air.’ Its construction without a refrain chorus that was the standard for pop music at the time, its ballad section, its operatic section, its hard rock section, the coda and its length of nearly 6 minutes were all unique at the time. Initially, Queen’s label EMI, didn’t want to release it as a single due in part to the length, but the work has gone on to be considered (and voted) as the greatest song in popular music.

Jodie Devos (photo by Domique Gaul)

Belgian soprano Jodie Devos closes her 2021 album of love songs, And Love Said…, with You Take My Breath Away, a track from A Day at the Races. She’s able to give the song a musical and vocal drama using rubato and other tempo changes that are effective in making this a classical vocal work. It’s a lovely, delicate performance.

The King’s Singers (2019)

From the same Queen album, the British ensemble The King’s Singers change another song, Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy, into an a cappella version that just comes across as slightly smarmy and too cute.

Stephanie Szanto and Simon Bucher

One way that Freddie Mercury’s songs were rarely taken was into a much more operatic style. He didn’t have the voice for it and few of the classical versions of his music want to take it in that direction, However, in their over-the-top version, Swiss mezzo Stephanie Szanto and pianist Simon Bucher transform Bicycle Race into a number of other vocal styles. It is nearly indescribable. We open with Chopin and close with a bit of Mozart and in the middle, a whole lot of other composers get channeled.

2Cellos

Freddie Mercury’s final song, written by all of Queen together, was The Show Must Go On, recorded in 1990 and released just 6 weeks before his death of AIDS. A reference to his own illness and his efforts to maintain a performance presence, the work has moved through other performers with Queen, such as Elton John and Adam Lambert, each of whom fail to reach Freddie Mercury’s impassioned performance level. However, the Slovenian cellist Luka Šulić and the Croatian cellist Stjepan Hauser, who make up the duo 2Cellos, bring back some of that emotion we miss in the other performance.

Their video for the work is set in an end of the world scenario – even while the Earth is doomed to destruction from a collision with an asteroid…but the show must go on.

The Making of Legendary Band Queen ...

... In "Bohemian Rhapsody" Movie

BY WHATSHAPPENING     
Published · Tuesday, October 16, 2018 09:30 AM 

ThThe ground-breaking and iconic band Queen have defied the odds, remaining vanguards of music and pop culture over the decades.  In the trendiest clubs around the world, DJs frequently play Queen hits, along with music from many contemporary artists whom Queen inspired.  Meanwhile, until today, in football stadiums round the globe, fans stomp-stomp-clap in unison, and chant Queen's anthemic 'We Will Rock You'.  Queen's brand of music and beat is irresistible, the style, timeless. Transcending generations, unlike many 70s and 80s groups that came and went, Queen remains as relevant today as they were then.

Gwilym Lee, Rami Malek, Ben Hardy in BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Directed by Bryan Singer, "Bohemian Rhapsody" stars Rami Malek in an uncanny performance as Freddie Mercury, charting Queen's extraordinary story, from the band's roots as bright London college students, to the dazzling heights of international stardom, when they filled stadiums across the world at record-breaking concerts, including the legendary 1985 performance at Live Aid, which was watched by a global audience of 1.9 billion and raised money for the famine in Ethiopia. As the story unfolds, it becomes crystal clear why the band had such lasting appeal. The film also stars Gwilym Lee who plays Queen's lead guitarist Brian May, Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor, and Joe Mazzello  as bass guitarist John Deacon, as well as Mike Myers and Tom Hollander.   

More than 20 years after Freddie's death, the band and their songs remain hugely popular until today, "Bohemian Rhapsody" now takes the audience on how four talented musicians, 3 academics and an art student, came together to form 20th century's greatest band of all time who broke boundaries in the music industry.    

Queen band (actors) Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee, Joe Mazzello, Rami Malek in BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Real life Queen lead guitarist Brian May and drummer guided the filmmakers throughout and Jim Beach (Queen's lawyer-turned-manager) produces with award-winning Graham King.  Certainly the cast made a lasting impression on Brian May. "When I first walked on the set and saw Gwilym Lee in his costume and wig, it was almost like looking in the mirror!" says the musician. "He did a very good job of being me! And Rami Malek is so convincing as Freddie, down to the body language. And Joe Mazzello as Deacy is uncanny. John wasn't a very outgoing personality, but he had a very distinct way of performing, and Joe got it down, just as Ben Hardy completely absorbed Roger Taylor's spirit in his performance."

Tasked with creating the look of the film was production designer Aaron Haye, and call it serendipity, his team team included two members of the construction team that built the real stage for Live Aid in 1985. Freddie Mercury's personal assistant Peter Freestone, who was with him for 12 years until his death, was an advisor on the film, and his personal knowledge was invaluable.

Joe Mazzello, Ben Hardy, Rami Malek, Gwilym Lee as members of Queen band in BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

"As soon as we arrived, we felt the excitement," recalls Freestone of that epic day in July 1985. "There was a good atmosphere. It was really friendly, and there was no competition, which quite often can happen when you have this sort of lineup. Queen took to the stage, and the audience went wild right from the start of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. And the atmosphere backstage changed; it became electric. Something had happened. Eighteen minutes later, the band came off stage and they'd nailed it. The audience was going wild, and backstage people were applauding."

Queen's Brian May, producer Graham King, actor Gwilym Lee - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

All that hard work paid dividends. "It was amazing," says May. "The moment I walked onto that stage, it was surreal because it perfectly replicated what the stage was like in 1985 - every last detail down to the amps behind me, pedals and even the cloth and back stage with the cigarette butts and the ashtrays and the coke bottles. What a wonderful job they did!"

Peter Freestone was taken aback by the set's authenticity. "It was a déjà vu moment," he says. "The first time I saw the set I just couldn't believe it. It's exactly the same size. Everything was right, from the stage to backstage even to the peeling paint off the walls and the rust coming down from water pipes. It got the goose bumps going."

Get ready to step in the most jaw-dropping nostalgic walk down memory lane as 20th Century Fox releases "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Philippine cinemas on October 31.

Follow @20thcenturyfoxphilippines on Facebook and  Instagram for more of the latest news and updates on "Bohemian Rhapsody". 

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (piano cover)

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen