INDIANAPOLIS — He is the king of the art of the mashup - you've heard them before; Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" meshes perfectly with "All I Want For Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey." But Steve Hackman doesn't call what he does for part of his living 'mashups.'
"We call them fusions theses days. We've elevated the title a little," Hackman said before launching into a description of his latest work that may sound like it wouldn't work. "The Resurrection Mixtape", which will premiere with Hackman conducting the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra this week, is a combination of Gustav Mahler's Symphony #2 and the music of two of hip hops biggest icons - the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.
Mahler was a Bohemian - literally. He was born in Bohemia, at the time part of the Austrian Empire, in 1860. His Symphony #2 is known as the Resurrection Symphony, which matches perfectly with the music of Biggie and Tupac continuing to hold sway over generations of performers long after each was murdered. "The Resurrection Symphony of Mahler, the narrative, it begins with funeral rites and it ends with resurrection and transcendence," Hackman said. "So marrying the music of Tupac and Biggie to that narrative was a unique challenge, and one that was extremely rewarding and fulfilling."
"The Resurrection Mixtape" will have its world premiere, conducted by Steve Hackman, on Wednesday March 16th with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at Hilbert Circle Theatre. The show begins at 7:30pm. Click here for information on how to get tickets.
