Classical Queen: An Interview with conductor and composer Tolga Kashif of The Queen Symphony

by David Chiu

Eleven years after the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury from AIDS, Queen's popularity continues to flourish. Anthems like "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" still get played in television commercials and at stadiums, while the epic "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a popular staple on FM radio. The group's legendary stature grows with every year, which was confirmed by their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and most recently receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and being honored at this year's Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Although the surviving members--guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon--rarely record together or perform onstage since Mercury's passing in 1991, Queen had recently brought their music in new ways to their audiences. One of them was the We Will Rock You musical, which continues to be a smash sell-out in London's West End.

The other most recent live presentation of Queen's songs was "The Queen Symphony" composed and conducted by Tolga Kashif, and performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Recast in the classical realm of the Romantic Tradition, the symphony was based on several Queen songs, including "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Are the Champions," "We Will Rock You," "Bicycle Race," and "Save Me." But they were not merely orchestrations of full songs but were revised structurally and recast as themes, leaving it to be an original work entirely in itself. The Queen Symphony will surprise the most faithful fans who might not at first be able to recognize a theme used (i.e. "One Vision," "Another One Bites the Dust").

Throughout the six movements, "The Queen Symphony" reflects moments of drama that Queen songs have been renowned for, found on tracks like "Champions" and "Rock You," and "The Show Must Go On". However, there are some poignant moments incorporated themes from Queen ballads like "Love of My Life" and the very moving "Who Wants to Live Forever" (the latter featuring the beautiful violin showcase of Nicola Loud).

"The Queen Symphony" is just the latest addition to Maestro Kashif's impressive resume. Born in London, Kashif studied at the Royal College of Music and later at Bristol University. Appointed permanent guest conductor of the Presidential Orchestra of Turkey, he has performed with the Royal Philharmonic, the Polish National Symphony, and the BBC Symphony. In addition to scoring for film and television, he also served as musical director of the BBC Children in Need's platinum single "Perfect Day," which also featured guest artists David Bowie, Elton John, Bono and Lesley Garrett.

The whole project started off by sort of by accident. "I was working on a film score for Paramount  about two and a half years ago now," said Kashif, "and I had a chance meeting with EMI who were talking about having the Queen catalog and were looking to do something in the classical genre with Queen. But not merely orchestrate or do a 'Hooked-on-Classics' thing. Subsequently we had a discussion about doing some sketches."

"Sitting down and playing the tunes, I thought, 'Well this is quite inspiring,' and the fact that it triggered imagery and musical ideas quite naturally. I got back to them with sketches and they played that to Brian, Roger, and John. They said they liked the sound of it and why not carry on? It was quite an organic beginning for the project."

The surviving members of Queen did not involve themselves in the creative process of the symphony, leaving Kashif to have full access and control of how the songs were to be used. The maestro explained, "They didn't have any artistic input at all. I suppose they made a decision that it was a personal reflection of their material. As originators of their songs, it would actually become their project. In a way, it has become their project but not from an artistic point of view but a point of view of an endorsement -- supporting me through the process. Obviously it was a labor of love in itself."

As he was deeply immersed in the project, Kashif learned that each song reflected the distinct style and personality of each of Queen's members. "After working with it for a while there seem to be a fingerprint to their melodic structures," he explained. "Even when you go between Brian, Freddie, Roger, and John's writing that they have their individual approaches, there seems to be a Queen signature. I can't put my finger on it exactly apart from saying there is kind of a Romantic quality to the melodies, anyway. I really got to know their sort of DNA in terms of their harmonic content and the melodic ideas."

"That's why I ended up with the selections that I did because I found a journey that could be had through the symphony. Obviously recording Brian's guitar [parts], taking away the rock and roll aspect of it, was very interesting as well. Once you are behind the piano with these things, they began to take on more intimate quality."

Queen's sound and the world of classical music might seem as different as night and day, though both share this affinity for drama and pomp. "They were slightly over the top, often parodying themselves. A lot of the bands in the '70s like Genesis and Bowie as well, they were quite rhapsodic in their thinking anyway. Quite often you'll find completely something unrelated."

But the composer also wanted to challenge the listener rather than merely rehashing familiar melodies and structure. "I thought to sneak in little snippets of things," he explained. "Overall the thirteen songs that I draw sometimes are not so obvious. That's something I wanted to do. For example "Another One Bites the Dust" only appears as a little bass motif . It's not necessarily something you'd expect. It's more of a tip of the hat."

Since Queen had amassed a 30-year backlog of songs, Kashif had to delete some songs that didn't fit. "I still got quite a lot from the cutting room floor as it were," he said. "For structural reasons, certain songs were rejected. "Good Old Fashioned Loverboy" was one. It was quite a Noel Coward-esque '30s treatment. It was kind of quite a movement in itself really. Quite often you have to be quite brutal with yourself."

When asked if those deleted ideas might see the light of day, Kashif commented. "When we came off stage during the premiere, Brian said. "Well where's Queen II ?" (laughs). "But I did [work on] two or three other movements for which they may end up in a string quartet one of these days."

Queen's association with pomp and theatricality was largely due to Freddie Mercury, who was responsible for the group's foray into English music hall and opera. "I think Freddie particularly loved the high arts," Kashif said of the flamboyant star who was also a huge opera fan. "He always had this fascination with the theater anyway. That came through in his writing, I think as well. As a band, the sound and scale were pretty eclectic. But more than that, you find they had fickle lyrics. For example [in] "We are the Champions," if you strip away the rock and roll you end up with a sensitivity and lyricism. I think that's the connection really. I try to preserve that, put in completely different setting and genres. Otherwise, why do it? I was lucky to have everyone's support in doing it."

In celebration of the project and its accompanying album, "The Queen Symphony" premiered live on November 6, 2002 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It played to a standing ovation. In attendance were Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Freddie's mother Jer Bulsara. "I asked her what she thought of it and what she thought Freddie would think of it", remembered Kashif of the meeting with Mrs. Bulsara. "She gave a real nice smile and said: 'I think he would love it.' "

He isn't the only one. Brian May expressed his words of endorsement and praise, as he said in the liner notes of "The Queen Symphony" album: "I am sure it will become an immortal favorite in the repertoire of Symphony orchestras, both amateur and professional because it will deeply move an audience every time."

Although educated and trained in the world of classical music, Kahsif had an ear for rock and roll as a youth, particularly Queen's music. He first heard Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" as he played on the soccer field and became a fan ever since. The maestro still maintains that admiration for the group's music which is reflected in the amount of care that he put into the work. "It's been enormously enjoyable", he said. "The fact that Freddie Mercury passed away so tragically added an additional responsibility which is why I draw a more universal conclusion at the end of the symphony. It's my best project to date -- it definitely opened my mind."

So after 30 years, why does Queen's music still resonate with millions across the world? Kashif offered this answer: "The craft of melody. I think they had a signature between them that can't be repeated. That's the whole beauty of art. They were rock but at the same time they blended it with an almost folklore language. I can't think of anybody else [who does it] like Queen."

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