For months Facebook has been harassing me with ads for a quartet punnily named Well-Strung. I checked it out, and it seemed interesting at the time, but as of yet haven’t caught them live. They recently released a music video, above, that blends classical music with pop artists such as Kelly Clarkson.
Why the name Well Strung? They’re gay (their site doesn’t say it, but the New York Times does), and that makes the pun work better for the audience that they’re trying to reach, I guess. It’s also much more attention-grabbing than a name like “String Theory,” as is anything with a sexual connotation. But I digress.
Creatively, it’s actually a nice take on the Clarkson song, and helps put a modern sheen on classical structure and music. As someone who ushered at the Greater Bridgeport Symphony when I was a high school student, I’m never against anything that helps keep classical music visible in some form. It’s also probably the best take I can recall seeing since the super-sexy, super dancified Bond, seen below.
Well Strung adds in some singing, something the Bond girls (ha!) didn’t have, but Bond’s music, with the insane dance beats generally draped behind them, were a bit more catchy overall. What’s your take?