Topic: Keith Emerson (1944 - 2016) has died by his own hand ...

[Scion7]

While technically 95% a progressive-rock musician, Emerson adapted the Classics in his bands THE NICE and EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER and the spin-off's Emerson, Lake & Powell and the awful record Emerson and Palmer made with Berry.

However, he did dabble in the classical arena on his various solo albums - and on ELP's Works, Volume One in 1977 with the "Piano Concerto No.1" - derivative, yes, but still an enjoyable little piece.

He had been suffering from a degenerative nerve disease that was destroying his right hand and had been suffering from depression.  Single gunshot wound to the head - found dead in his home in California.  R.I.P.

By "borrowing" and adapting from Janacek, Bartok, Ginastera, Copland, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and others, he brought classical music awareness to many who would otherwise have blundered about in ignorance.

[The new erato]

I loved The Nice and ELP - one early LP bought with my hard earned cash as a youngster was Tarkus, and ELPs Pictures at an Exhibition played a major part in getting me into classical music. Along with Hendrix' "Are you experienced" it has probably given me more goose bumps than most rock albums.

[Mirror Image]

A terrible loss. He was a brilliant musician. I'll never forget the first time I heard Brain Salad Surgery. Truly an ear-opening experience. RIP Keith Emerson

[Scion7]

Emerson was responsible for being one of the few rock musicians (in ELP) to drag a full-piece symphony orchestra on the road for a Rock concert tour (for a while, until they started going bankrupt paying some 40 extra musicians) in the late Seventies.  Bands like Caravan had recorded with an orchestra, and Frank Zappa had done a couple of concerts with orchestras (and people like Zubin Mehta), but nobody has ever done it like ELP did.

While not totally responsible for my delving into Janacek, ELP certainly had a large hand in it.   

I saw them once in 1972 and it was one of the loudest shows I have ever seen.  Volume, of course, being no measure of quality, but it wasn't until Deep Purple's 1974 and 1975 tours that I was sure I'd heard someone louder.

Whether they are rolling in their graves or not is not possible to know, but surely Bartok and Janacek and Ginastera had more exposure to a larger group of people via ELP than almost any other Classical musicians.  And Aaron Copland certainly enjoyed the royalties he received from "Hoedown" and "Fanfare for the Common Man."

[vandermolen]

I loved The Nice and ELP - one early LP bought with my hard earned cash as a youngster was Tarkus, and ELPs Pictures at an Exhibition played a major part in getting me into classical music. Along with Hendrix' "Are you experienced" it has probably given me more goose bumps than most rock albums.

Can very much relate to this. Was a great fan of Hendrix in my youth. Was devastated when I heard, on my way home from school, that he had died (at a hospital up the road from where I lived). RIP Keith Emerson.

[kishnevi]

As a college student, I ushered at an ELP concert at the Omni in Atlanta.

Which gave me the chance to hear him warming up by playing Liszt.

Very good Liszt, too.

RIP.

[The new erato]

Can very much relate to this. Was a great fan of Hendrix in my youth. Was devastated when I heard, on my way home from school, that he had died (at a hospital up the road from where I lived).

I had just started my first semester at university, and me and my then girlfriend listened a lot to Hendrix. Sad day indeed, and the one early roch death that affected me most.

[The new erato]

As a college student, I ushered at an ELP concert at the Omni in Atlanta.

Which gave me the chance to hear him warming up by playing Liszt.

Very good Liszt, too.

RIP.

Great way to remember Keith. Thanks!

[snyprrr]

SoiundTrack for Agento's 'Inferno'...


Yes, the day of our death is more important than the day of our birth



Reminded me of Boston's lead singer Brad Delp- by all accounts such a nice guy- CO2 in the bathroom...



I do have to come down a little hard though- Emerson sends a very very very troubling messsage- impressionable people and such- "oh, hey, wtf?, why not?"

Yes, I understand he was ill-

Maybe I find the prospects more terrifying than others...mm... dont mean to sound distant here- yes, this seems to be more troubling news than many others'...