They call him "The Mozart of the 80's" and he can play many different genres:

Pop, Rock, New Wave, R&B, Funk, Blues, Jazz, etc... but can His Royal Badness

contend with the likes of Johann Sebastian Bach or Ludwig Van Beethoven. I

know most of you probably thinking, "He doesn't have to he plays mainly Funk

& Roll" or "Why should he because he is Prince"?! But, I wonder if he's been

holding back on his genius from his fans all these years! I bet you he probably

has thousands of sheet music for the Phil Harmonic Symphony in his vault!

Prince doesn't know any woodwind instruments, so no.

I'm sure he could if he wanted to...or has if he wanted to in the past.

[Edited 8/26/10 17:16pm]

...but can they play Housequake?

That: http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related ?

or that: http://www.youtube.com/wa...RXZnrM11bQ ?

or that: http://www.youtube.com/wa...cpM0yN7p0c ?

A Viennese

Spinlight said:

I have heard bass clarinet here and there. I was surprised to hear it, too. Not really surprised, but intrigued?

Genesia said:

Spinlight said:

Prince doesn't know any woodwind instruments, so no.

Uhhhh...he plays piano.

jdcxc said:

...but can they play Housequake?

2 minutes of practicing and conducting for Mozart

THe closest i think he ever came to playing actual classical music within his own work, would be his extended ketboard parts that he would tag on at the end of songs such as Glam Slam and The Arms of Orion.

DarlingNikki1025 said:

They call him "The Mozart of the 80's" and he can play many different genres:

Pop, Rock, New Wave, R&B, Funk, Blues, Jazz, etc... but can His Royal Badness

contend with the likes of Johann Sebastian Bach or Ludwig Van Beethoven. I

know most of you probably thinking, "He doesn't have to he plays mainly Funk

& Roll" or "Why should he because he is Prince"?! But, I wonder if he's been

holding back on his genius from his fans all these years! I bet you he probably

has thousands of sheet music for the Phil Harmonic Symphony in his vault!

You totally missed the point of the statement about "the modern day Mozart".

Bach and Beethoven were the Prince of their day. They wrote the popular and edgy music. I mean, some of these guy's music was banned because it was considered vulgar, or too forward thinking, and not traditional enough. "But it's all just classic music," you say? Well at the time, it was the Pop music of the day. The POPular music. There was a style to it, and when someone pushed that genre, they were considered - well, whatever. THAT is the comparison that was made. Mozart was a mad genius who wrote until he died. His music wasn't as appreciated in its time (and he damn near went broke at a few points in his life because of it).

Hmmm, all this sound familiar at all? Music being banned? The mad genius drives himself into near bankrupcy? The people don't understand him, or appreciate him until years, or even decades later?

Genesia said:

Spinlight said:

Prince doesn't know any woodwind instruments, so no.

Uhhhh...he plays piano.

Well, the piano is a chordophone instrument, silly.

But can Prince play a woodwind? I think he can probably play a saxophone, but I don't see him on bassoon or clarinet anytime soon.

Genesia said:

Spinlight said:

Prince doesn't know any woodwind instruments, so no.

Uhhhh...he plays piano.

He plays guitar, too. What's your point?

It's really an unanswerable question. It all comes down to how you define "classical" music (something that even music historians have a hard time doing), and how you define at what point can he "play" a particular instrument. Some people consider Kamasutra his "classical" album, where as others consider that a stain on the genre .

I'm sure if he was asked to sit in with a classical orchestra and improvise or play lead lines over the top with his guitar or piano then I'm sure he'd do a good job. He has a good enough ear to do that. Something like "Alexda de Paris". But is that "classical music"? I'm not sure. Obviously if he was asked to play a Paganini concerto, then he might have a bit of practice to do

[Edited 8/26/10 20:12pm]

Spinlight said:

Genesia said:

Spinlight said: Uhhhh...he plays piano.

He plays guitar, too. What's your point?

I think her point is that knowing a woodwind instrument is not necessarily a requirement to play classical music.

toejam said:

Spinlight said:

He plays guitar, too. What's your point?

I think her point is that knowing a woodwind instrument is not necessarily a requirement to play classical music.

Woodwind instruments are nigh-required for classical music. It's ALMOST like slide guitar and country.

Well, even if Prince doesn't dabble in Classical music, I'm sure he has

a great appreciation for it!

DarlingNikki1025 said:

Well, even if Prince doesn't dabble in Classical music, I'm sure he has

a great appreciation for it!

And he's at least mentioned it in a song like "Good Love". Anyone have other examples of him mentioning a classical composer?

Technicolor children in Picadilly Square
Whisper words, erotica, when U kiss me there
Gustav Mahler #3 is jamming on the box
I'll have another glass of U, this time on the rocks

Does Billy Joel play any woodwinds? I didn't think he did, and he's dabbled in composing classical music. I have no idea how it was, though.

Spinlight said:

toejam said:

I think her point is that knowing a woodwind instrument is not necessarily a requirement to play classical music.

Woodwind instruments are nigh-required for classical music. It's ALMOST like slide guitar and country.

Again, it all comes down to definition. Many people would consider a Mozart piano solo work "classical music". Many people would consider a string quartet "classical music"... No woodwind involved there...

toejam said:

Spinlight said:

Woodwind instruments are nigh-required for classical music. It's ALMOST like slide guitar and country.

Again, it all comes down to definition. Many people would consider a Mozart piano solo work "classical music". Many people would consider a string quartet "classical music"... No woodwind involved there...

Classical music with no clarinet is absurd!

can play all music.

Spinlight said:

toejam said:

Again, it all comes down to definition. Many people would consider a Mozart piano solo work "classical music". Many people would consider a string quartet "classical music"... No woodwind involved there...

Classical music with no clarinet is absurd!

Is a classically trained pianist, playing a Beethoven piano concerto alongside an orchestra, who may not know how to play any woodwind instruments himself, still not playing "classical music"? Again... it all comes down to definition. Where in the original poster's question does it specify playing all the instruments on his own? It only asks "can he play classical music?"

[Edited 8/26/10 22:08pm]

In a word: NO.

And in reference to the OP statement, he CAN'T play jazz as well.

And he's at least mentioned it in a song like "Good Love". Anyone have other examples of him mentioning a classical composer?

Technicolor children in Picadilly Square
Whisper words, erotica, when U kiss me there
Gustav Mahler #3 is jamming on the box
I'll have another glass of U, this time on the rocks

Wasn't there a version of 'i hate you' on 'rock 'n roll's alive" where he said;

"remember the time we did it on Mahler"?

Or did i make that one up?

No way, his tone formation is totally different!

toejam said:

Spinlight said:

Classical music with no clarinet is absurd!

Is a classically trained pianist, playing a Beethoven piano concerto alongside an orchestra, who may not know how to play any woodwind instruments himself, still not playing "classical music"? Again... it all comes down to definition. Where in the original poster's question does it specify playing all the instruments on his own? It only asks "can he play classical music?"

[Edited 8/26/10 22:08pm]

That's true, but considering Prince's personality I think he would want total control over his band when they play music, and I guess he makes all the arrangements as well. So I think he could manage himself in an orchestra, but his effort on classical music with his own band would probably not work out that well. Although I must add that we don't know a lot about Prince's opinion on classical music, he might be a big fan in secret.

Piano is the only instrument Prince plays that could fit 4 clasical music so the question fits only 4 solo piano material such as Debussy, Satie or similar stuff.

Prince cannot read a musical sheet so he'd have to learn it by ears, which sounds almost impossible even if u're Prince. But admitting that he could learn a piece only by hearing it, or if he was to learn how to read the music, i don't doubt that he'd have the playing-skills.

"Curious Child" sounds like classical music. Beautiful. Me thinks P could play anything except the saxaphone...all hot air. No Maceo or Candy. Otherwise, with those fancy fingers and quick wit he could proally play any other instrument quite well. IMHO.

Spinlight said:

toejam said:

I think her point is that knowing a woodwind instrument is not necessarily a requirement to play classical music.

Woodwind instruments are nigh-required for classical music. It's ALMOST like slide guitar and country.

A lot of classical music features stringed instruments. He can play violin (as seen in the Face Down video). Also, in the same video, he plays saxophone..which is a woodwind instrument.