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Trans-Siberian Orchestra

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Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (often abbreviated as TSO) is a rock orchestra founded by Paul O'Neill, Robert Kinkel, and Jon Oliva in 1996. The band's musical style is often described in different terms, it incorporates progressive rock, symphonic metal, power metal and heavy metal, and influenced by classical music. Trans-Siberian Orchestra is well known for its renditions of classical Christmas songs.

Biography

Cover of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Beethoven's Last Night album
Cover of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's The Christmas Attic album

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra was founded in 1996 in New York City by composers Paul O'Neill and Robert Kinkel, and Savatage lead singer Jon Oliva. The group's name is inspired by the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia which Kinkel says connects many cultures otherwise isolated, much like music.

O'Neill had managed and produced rock bands including Aerosmith, Humble Pie, and Scorpions, later writing for and producing Savatage, where he began working with Kinkel and Oliva. The concept for a band playing Christmas carols in a rock opera style was not received warmly by the industry, but quickly proved a success with adults as well as young people.

In the recording studio, Trans-Siberian Orchestra uses a full 60-piece orchestra and a choir. As of 2004, their touring band included fourteen vocalists, fourteen musicians, two narrators and Conductor Clinton W. Beard

Trans-Siberian Orchestra released their debut album Christmas Eve and Other Stories in 1996, and it remains their best-selling album. Their 1998 release The Christmas Attic was similarly a concept album with a Christmas theme. In 2000, they released their first (and to date only) non-Christmas album, Beethoven's Last Night, a concept album about Ludwig van Beethoven's last night on earth, during which he meets Fate, her son Twist, and Mephistopheles.

After several years of touring, they returned to the studio and subsequently came out with another full-length album, Lost Christmas Eve, and the accompanying DVD/3-CD release The Christmas Trilogy, which contained all three of their Christmas albums to date.

The band is, as of early 2005, working on a new non-Christmas album, Night Castle. It is projected to be released sometime in 2007 and is expected to feature the band's rendition of "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, performed as a preview by the band during their 2004, 2005, and 2006 tours.

Their 2005 tour placed twenty-first on the list of the most successful concert tours of the year, earning just over US$21 million.[1]. The string section comprises local musicians. Live shows are known for their extensive use of pyrotechnics, lasers & lights, all in sync with the performance. Shows are divided into two halves: the first consisting of the story and songs of Christmas Eve and Other Stories, the second a mix of songs from The Christmas Attic, Beethoven's Last Night, The Lost Christmas Eve, and a couple of miscellaneous covers (including Layla), finishing with a reprise of Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24.

Members

Discography

Studio albums

Videos

Box sets

  • Christmas Trilogy (2004) – Contains all 3 previous Christmas CDs and one DVD

Non-album Tracks

See also

Further reading

  • Van Pelt, Doug (2007). "Live Report: Trans-Siberian Orchestra". HM Magazine (124): 19. ISSN 1066-6923. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
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