TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA Guitarist AL PITRELLI - "It's Like Having The New York Philharmonic And Them Putting On A KISS Show"
November 23, 2008, 15 years ago
Angela Simental at the Las Cruces Sun-News recently spoke with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA guitarist Al Pitrelli. An excerpt from the story is available below.
When you think about an orchestra, you might imagine a couple of cellos and violins playing classical songs you can't even pronounce. That may be the case for most orchestras, but not the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Departing from the common perception of what an orchestra is, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a mixture the classical with the contemporary — like mixing Michelangelo with Andy Warhol.
Their secret ingredients? They add classical melodies a la Mozart and Strauss, the progressive rock of Queen, the metal edge of Black Sabbath and dustings of musical spices that range from gospel to Celtic to Motown to jazz, in an explosion of sound — better known as "symphonic rock."
"We take different styles of music — Broadway, jazz, rock, classic — and present it in a very large stage with a laser show and special effects," explained Al Pitrelli, TSO director."It's like having the New York philharmonic and them putting on a KISS show."
TSO appeals to a varied audience, exposing different groups to music they might not otherwise listen.
"We want the audience to appreciate music for being good music, not for its style," Pitrelli said.
Go to this location for the complete story.
