Russian Composers You Hear In Pop Songs

Russian composers and pop music - it is hard to know where one finishes and another begins. I love to listen to Russian music. Great music with great melodies by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky Korsakov, Mussorgski, Prokofiev - they are ALL wonderful, the best great composers! Russian music and Russian composers seem to have taken all the best tunes, so pop music loves to crib from Russian composers.

This page is about the best Russian music used in pop songs. It is humorous, but also carries a serious message for music lovers searching for classical music online. An enormous amount of chart topping music is "recycled". Many buy classical music without realizing!

Only this week, I was watching the movie Shine about David Helfgott and what happened when he played Rachmaninov as a student. There is no doubt that Russian music has immense emotional power. Tin Pan Alley knew that, and many writers of popular music quote from Russian composers. Although I would not knowingly steal a Russian composer's tune as many rock and pop songwriters have, I confess to a fondness for Tchaikovsky which sometimes leaks through into orchestrations for my own recorded music. Here I show how some of the great Russian composers have contributed to the history of popular music. I hope you enjoy it!

Radioactive ice cream designed by me for Reggae Sundae sheet music! Please do not copy

Good news for those searching for a Prince Igor mp3! 1955 was a good year - it was the year my parents got married, and Stranger In Paradise was one of their favourite songs. "Hold my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise.... da daaaa da da da da daaaaaaa"

Well, LOADS of people recorded that song, one of whom was Tony Bennett who did quite well with it! He got it to Number 1 in the charts, Bing Crosby, Don Cornell, Eddie calvert, The Four Aces and Tony Martin also made a packet as did the writers of Kismet! So, who wrote Kismet? It was a joint effort, but poor old Borodin, the chemist from Russia who composed part-time, was too dead to collect his royalties. Such is the way of genius....

If Tony Bennett and the great Bing Crosby are too ancient history for you, I could maybe sell Borodin now with Warren G's version of Prince Igor from 1998. Although Borodin's opera Prince Igor is very long Warren G knocks it off for the impatient or operatically challenged in the space of a few minutes with this very street-wise rap number, happily cloned here by somebody else....

Related to Borodin?

Related to Borodin? Wear this with pride!

Borodin Family Crest by coatsofarms

I adore the original. Not to say I didn't enjoy the cheerful sound-a-likes too, but Borodin gives me a tingle every time....

Here's a shorter version of the tingly, pretty bit! If this tune doesn't make you smile you must be made of marble!

Straight and swing scores of Borodin's Polovtsian Dances

"C.F. Peters Corporation presents "Polovtzian Dances (from Prince Igor)".

This product contains music composed by Borodin.

Peters' scoring: 3322 4231 T,P,Hp,Str (SATB ad lib)"

Mike Lewis arrangement based on Alexander Borodin's "Polovtzian Dance," is a swing version for young players, ranges are modest, rhythms basic and solos are written out to give all the brass players a chance to solo.

Busts of composers are made of unbreakable vinyl plastic which is attractive, durable and washable.

Don't we just love modern instrumental versions of great classics? Even those for whom the orchestra holds no charm can be swept away by creamy electric guitars and honky saxes. Tchaikovsky was on to such a good thing here, not to mention Khachaturian. Again, it is a great pity they never lived to cash the royalty cheques preferring cholera and other sticky ends to the pop music industry!

The early great versions by The Cougars and The Cats may have slipped into obscurity, but the great switcheroonie goes on and on perpetrated by such celebs as Thomas Tantrum. Keep it up guys, you might just make number 1,000,000 in the Amazon Hit Parade soon...

I have all the Tchaikovsky Symphonies on vinyl - he was a favourite always!

Didn't I say not to mention Khachaturian? Well, I can't let the opportunity pass without pointing out the ballet Gayaneh or the wonderful Theme from the Onedin line TV series - Spartacus that is....

Greg Lake took the Troika theme from Lieutenant Kije, which is gorgeous in its own right, and turned Prokofiev's Sleigh Ride into one of the biggest Christmas Hits ever! Well done Greg!

Well, I thinkI need a whole series, not just one lens and guess what? I STILL have the great Sergei Rachmaninov to come! I have the feeling that he will be so collossal I need to do a lens all about him. However, here is a little Prokofiev to leave you with for now as it is well past pumpkin time and my eyeballs are falling out.

If not, can I interest you in a radioactive ice-cream then? Thank you for calling in and I hope you found this lens entertaining.