MUSIC lovers around the world can never get enough of the Fab Four, or better known as The Beatles.
Likewise the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), which has cleverly combined the best of classical music from Bach, Handel and Vivaldi, with the songs of modern rock music's most iconic British band.
Indeed, Malaysians who attended the MPO's recent concert, themed 'The Beatles Go Baroque' at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) had experienced a magical night with 26 Beatles hit songs, which were given a classical twist by composer Peter Breiner.
And the dynamic MPO band for the evening — comprising 12 violinists, five cellists, four violists, four double bassists, three hornists, three bassoonists, two oboists, a flutist and a clarinetist — got many fans humming along the music.
TWO HOURS
The MPO led by conductor Gerard Salonga had premiered 'The Beatles Go Baroque' back in 2022, but this two-hour concert, which began at 8.30pm, was brought back by popular demand.
The concert was divided into five segments, each with a creatively-titled description.
They were Beatles Concerto Grosso No. 1 In The Style of Handel, Beatles Concerto Gross No. 3 In The Style Of Bach, Beatles Concerto Grosso No. 4, Beatles Concerto Grosso No. 6 and Beatles Concerto Grosso No. 8 In The Style Of Vivaldi.
TOP FIVE
The first segment began with 'She Loves You', which was released by The Fab Four in 1963 and made it to the top five in the United States' music charts.
'Lady Madonna' came next and this less known Beatles number from 1968 had a boogie-woogie style.
The 1967 number 'Fool On The Hill' was beautifully delivered by the violinists, and this song written by Sir Paul McCartney was a tribute to their spiritual teacher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Another less-known 1968 composition, 'Honey Pie', paid tribute to actresses in Hollywood and the first segment was concluded by 'Penny Lane', a 1967 hit which paid tribute to a street in The Beatles' hometown Liverpool.
PAINFUL
The second segment opened with 'The Long And Winding Road', a painful song that premiered in May 1970, a month after the band called it a day.
'Eight Days A Week', a 1964 fan favourite, was arranged in the style of 'Rondeau' (French folk poetry).
The MPO then gave the Spanish Sarabande dance treatment to 'She's Leaving Home' — a 1967 single — and a French Bourree dance music style to 'We Can Work It Out', a 1965 Beatles number inspired by McCartney's then relationship with British actress Jane Asher.
'Hey Jude', a Beatles hit from 1968, was delivered in the Polonaise Polish folk dance music style. Legend has it that this song was dedicated to John Lennon's son Julian following the end of his first marriage to Cynthia Powell that year.
CHILDREN'S SONG
The MPO concluded segment two with the boisterous 'Yellow Submarine'.
Performed in the style of Badinerie French folk music, this 1966 children's song was one of the rare Beatles hits with drummer Sir Ringo Starr singing on it.
GRAMMY
The third segment kicked off with 'Here Comes The Sun', one of the best known songs written and performed by George Harrison in 1969.
'Michelle', a 1965 Beatles hit written by McCartney came next. This song with its famous "I Love You" chorus, won the Grammy Award for Song Of The Year in 1967.
The orchestra then ended this segment with 'Goodnight', a 1968 song performed by Starr and dedicated once again to Julian, and 'Carry That Weight', a 1969 song that marked their impending break-up.
BRITISH INVASION
Segment four opened after a half-hour intermission with 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', a much-awaited song which saw everyone swaying to its beat at their seats.
This 1963 hit song started the so-called "British invasion" of the American music industry.
Harrison's 'Something from 1969' proved equally sweet-sounding in classical style. This song was dedicated to his then wife Patty Boyd.
The MPO then took on the challenging 'Day Tripper' with gusto, and the double bass players truly shined here.
This 1965 song with its powerful electric guitar riffs, peaked at No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year.
BEE GEES
Eight songs made up the orchestra's final segment.
'First there was A Day In The Life', a 1967 number which was also covered by Sir Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees.
There was also 'Norwegian Wood', a 1965 song that made history by being the first English rock number with a sitar, played by Harrison, and 'Octopus Garden', which was written and performed by Starr in 1969.
The less known 1969 song 'Because' followed, and this single was inspired by Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
CHUCK BERRY
The MPO tackled yet another challenging rock song beautifully with 'Back In The USSR', a 1968 single which served as a friendship song for music lovers of both the West and Soviet Union.
VIETNAM
Three songs made up the orchestra's encore, and the first of these was 'Julia', a 1968 number dedicated to Lennon's mother who died at 44 in 1958, and was one of the few songs performed solely by himself.
The next was 'Get Back', a 1969 single which was a subtle opposition to the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War.
The MPO ended the evening on a happy note with 'Yesterday', the iconic 1965 hit which is one of the most covered pop-rock songs of all time.
It is not often that classical music is paired with Beatlemania, but the MPO took up this challenge and came up with splendid music.