Flavorwire has offered up “The Cultural Omnivore’s Guide to Classical Music.”  Having laid around in the ’60s listening to our father’s Tchaikovsky, Grieg, and Rachmaninoff, and then spending portions of the next four decades familiarizing ourselves with every genre and facet of classical music (and opera), we laud this post and effort (minor quarrel: no prog-rock-n’-rolling Stravinsky or Janacek at Step 3, dear Flavorizers?).

While we appreciate Flavorwire’s effort (and many others’ efforts–notably Alex Ross’s “The Rest is Noise” blog), we’re not sure how we feel about various classical ensembles (and individuals) “covering” modern music.  We have a hard time determining whether or not this activity is a waste of talented musicians’ and listeners’ time or a worthy exercise in the effort to bring new listeners to classical music, or somewhere in between or outside that spectrum.

To gauge your reaction, check out the Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra (pictured above) performing Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit below and let us know what you think.  Other examples of this genre are Vitamin String Quartet.  You can check out their take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah after the Jingle Punks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2pAnF1o_JY