[La Mano Gaucha]

I've been listening to Aural Moon and ocassionally requesting items from time to time for about four or five months. It's a terrific site and the lists are generally great. Kudos to the administrators!

Regarding classical music, I came across a tiny selection by two composers, namely Mozart and Beethoven. The Mozart was most, perhaps all of his Symphony No. 40, while the Beethoven was the scherzo and finale of the 9th Symphony, if I remember correctly. Although these pieces are very important to the history of music, especially the LvB 9th, they demonstrate little connection toward Progressive Rock, in my opinion.

I feel that certain well-known twentieth century works are much more closely related to Prog Rock, generally speaking.

For example, the King Crimson of the Larks' and Starless period would be practically unthinkable without the quite direct influence of Stravinsky. (I don't think I saw any Stravinsky on the lists, but if I overlooked it, please let me know.) Especially important are obvious pieces like The Rite of Spring, from 1911-13. Its agressive use of rather highly dissonant and rhythmically dislocated ostinati were probably very much on Fripp's mind while composing Larks' Part II and Fracture. This goes hand in hand with a certain Englishness to the KC sound that is perhaps related to the darker or more aggressive works of Holst (like Mars and Saturn, from The Planets, Op. 32), or of Vaughan-Williams (Fourth Symphony). The atonality of guitar lines like the big solo on Larks' Part I should be put into perspective by offering some standard examples of atonality in a classical context, especially early atonality. Some short works, or movements of works, by Schoenberg, Berg and Webern should be represented for comparison. That is works from around 1909 to 1920... Actually, parts of Berg's Violin Concerto, from around 1935, would be great examples of the atonality of some of Fripp's guitar solos. Now, the Berg lines are much more lyrical, but if one adds the metronomic quality present in some of the rhythmic forms of the less frivolous neo-classical composers of the 20s and 30s, like Hindemith, to the atonality of Berg, one has a rough blueprint for some of Fripp's aesthetic tendencies.

As far as older work is concerned, the keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, some of the simpler two and three-part invention by J.S. Bach, and some of the later choral writing of Handel are probably not too far removed from some of the work by Wakeman, particularly some portions of Six Wives, Journey and King Arthur. This is coupled with a barely assimilated sense of the "nobilmente" of Elgar (Enigma Variations) and the accessibility (but lack of vulgarity, fortunately) of someone like Grieg (Peer Gynt, from which Wakeman took, almost without any change, in certain portions of Journey).

ELP is another obvious example, and the finale of the Ginastera Piano Concerto No. 1 should be on AM's list, this in order to compare the original and the ELP rendering. (The Ginastera is from the early 60s -- he was a fairly conservative composer, but not too much so, especially in his later years.) I think it would be very interesting to serious listeners. The same applies to other things ELP reconstructed, such as Copland and Prokofiev (The Enemy God Dances with the Black Spirits, which is in reality a rendering of the second movement of that composer's Scythian Suite, and which is far more aggressive and brutal in its original form, even if from 1914). Emerson's own Piano Concerto No. 1 shows plenty of influence from some composers. His concerto does not even come close to the concertos by these composers, but at least he showed an awareness of them; the third movement of his concerto shows obvious debt to Prokofiev (but alas, not nearly as bold or as formally disciplined yet inventive). Bartok in a gentle mood too...

For the more adventurous listener, Varese's Ameriques, Arcana and Integrales are essential, and any listener of the more complex types of Prog Rock should listen to these.

My point is, Mozart and Beethoven are great but a little illogical on the list. If the administrators would like, I could make particular recomendations of pieces and recordings. Just ten or twenty pieces would make a huge difference, and not only serve a great educational purpose which would share a perspective on one of the most important of the myriad origins of Prog Rock, but also deliver a good deal of enjoyment as well. It would only be a purchase of a few CDs, probably ten or fifteen... Please let me know if you would be interested -- I would be glad to contribute my pinch of salt.