Klaus Schulze: Klaus Schulze Goes Classic (1994)

Klaus Schulze - Klaus Schulze Goes Classic

KS Canon 38

Track Listing:

1.	Die Moldau (Friedrich Smetana)	12:00
2.	Rosamunde (Franz Schubert)	07:53
3.	Der Freischütz: Ouvertüre (Carl Maria von Weber)	10:22
4.	Lautenquintett (Klaus Schulze)	10:53
5.	Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 2 (Johannes Brahms)	09:01
6.	Norwegische Tänze Nr. 1-3 (Edvard Grieg)	10:33
7.	Violinkonzert op. 61, 1. Satz (Ludwig van Beethoven)	17:18

Rating: 4 Stars

This is the 28th solo album recorded by Klaus Schulze. The discrepancy with the album's official (canon) numbering is because of the release of the "Silver Edition", as explained in my review of "Le Moulin de Daudet". It was released on CD on the German label ZYX in 1994. Since then it has never been re-released on CD, but it was re-released as a double-LP in 2012 with the title "Midi Klassik".

"Klaus Schulze Goes Classic" is unique among his albums as a collection of musical pieces written by other people. It consists of small pieces written by classical composers. Klaus claims the writing credits for one of the seven tracks, but even this piece is strongly influenced by other composers. This album is his homage to those he considers the greats of classical music. Rather than jazzing up the pieces, he plays the notes without alteration, with the instruments replaced by computer midi voices. This retains the power of the original music. It doesn't sound like Klaus Schulze's music, but it's very, very good.

The original CD release sold out quickly, and there were requests from fans for a new release for years. KDM refused, claiming that the CD had sold badly and that no record label would release a CD that would make a loss. This was evidently untrue, as proved by the fact that it had sold out. It seems that KDM personally didn't like the album, so he assumed that everyone else would share his opinion.

The second proof that KDM was wrong was the release of illegal bootleg copies of the album in the late 1990's. If you want to know what music fans want to buy, look at the bootleg market.

The third proof that KDM was wrong was the request from the Russian label Vinyl Lovers to make an official release of the album as a double-LP. There is definitely a market for "Klaus Schulze Goes Classic", as long as KDM doesn't wait until everyone has bootleg copies.

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This is a translation of the album's liner notes:

"Klaus Schulze Goes Classic" is a co-production of Klaus Schulze and the expert computer programmer Werner Eggert. Together they have attempted to weave new sounds and (to a lesser extent) interpretations into historical compositions.

The originality of the old music has purposely been respected. At the same time, they have deliberately avoided conventional hackneyed "pop versions", which simply add a percussion track to the main melody, all squashed into three minutes. The aim was to maintain the serious character of the compositions, but to heighten listening pleasure by using modern technology.

Schulze's approach involved the exclusive use of electronic instruments, although not in the "highly respected" style established by Walter Carlos and Tomita. The less said, the better! Klaus Schulze is considered internationally to be the pioneer, if not the founder, of modern electronic music, and has been successfully composing for modern instruments for the past 25 years. In the early days of his career he used synthesizers. Today, of course, it's computers.

Schulze says, "I felt very drawn to the old composers and wanted to combine their music with my musical and technical experience. I am well aware that these recordings will not necessarily be appreciated by hardcore fans of classical music or even fans of electronic music. But over the last 25 years I have grown accustomed to this type of resistance, and I don't need to apologise for my work in any way. Nevertheless, I offer one apology for this particular project: experts in electronic music in particular should remember that the children of today can only gain access to the beautiful music of the past via suitable technology and a contemporary approach. I myself have two boys aged 13 and 15, who, like all their friends, listen to today's music, Techno and Trance; in other words, electronic music".

Sir George Solti once said, "If we don't try to find access to young people, the whole classical system will disappear when the last classical music concert-goers have died".

Klaus Schulze is trying to build such a bridge with this album, not as a saviour but as a servant who's delivering and translating creativity.