We’re going way back on this one…I mean way back, all the way to 1839. Yes the inspiration for this hit recording for both Barry Manilow and Donna Summer comes from Frédéric Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 28 specifically No. 20 in C minor. So just to set the record straight Hip-Hop producers are not the only ones who “sample”, quite to the contrary there is a very long history of re-interpolation of Classical and other forms of music. We wear our influences on our sleeves and Barry Manilow being a classically trained pianist well… sometimes the standard repertoire just happens to sneak into pop music.
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
