The Trans Siberian Orchestra is like no other orchestra that I know of- maybe that is because of it’s unique origins. The Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) was founded in 1993 in New York City by a group of composers and heavy metal artists. Paul O’Neill brought together Jon Olivia, Al Pitrelli, and Robert Kinkel to collaborate their genres and make this unusual yet catchy music. The music they play incorporates classical, orchestral, symphonic, and progressive elements into hard rock and heavy metal.
The debut album for TSO was Christmas Eve and Other Stories followed by, The Christmas Attic, Beethoven’s Last Night, The Lost Christmas Eve, and Night Castle. TSO first started touring in 1999. Since then, they have hit many main cities, with a group who does the East Tour and a group who does the West Tour. They generally only travel in December and late November. I would love going to one of their concerts. Their use of stage effects makes their music even more drastic and fun to listen to. Here is the site for anyone who wants to learn more.
Below is a video from their site, it is a combination of their performances. It gives you a glimpse of how exciting they are to watch live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXJSCJPnYnI&feature=player_embedded
I wonder if the Juilliard Quartet ever considered smoke and fire machines (and ear splitting amplification) to “enhance” their stage shows? To me, the most thrilling concert we have seen this semester just might be the Assad Brothers. Volume, speed and technical display are generally NOT the most sophisticated attributes. It does look like they are having fun, but I wonder if the volume and frenetic pace of the show would tire after a bit?
I have heard of the Trans-Siberian Orhestra before, but I have never seen one of their performances. After watching that video above, I would really love to be able to watch this music performed live in front of my eyes.