pop; riffs
Roy Harper on Leopold Stokowski's Symphonic Synthesis of Parsifal
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.I don't have a single favourite piece of music , but Stokowski's precis of Wagner's Parsifal had a massive effect on me when I was a teenager. As a rule I hate opera - in particular the kind of pulp pop-opera that does such a lot for our national balance of payments - but I've liked Parsifal ever since I bought this as a cut-price record when I was 16.
It's a precis of the full opera condensed on to two sides of an LP. It contains all the major elements of the music; a brilliant piece of editorial work, both frightening and very moving. As a 16-year-old I was very affected by the grandiosity of it all.
Other important pieces of music to me are Miles Davis/ Gil Evans's Porgy and Bess, which is another way of doing opera in a populist style, with artistry. Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry": great song. Led Zeppelin's "Four Sticks" I like partly because I was there in the studio - saw Bonzo come in with two drumsticks in each hand, which suddenly explained everything. And Stephen Stills's "Black Queen", which is just brilliant improvisation by a man out of his head on Tequila.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments