Most of the time it sounds like garbage, but I think sometimes if it's played live it's not bad, because the performers tend to put more actual thought into it if they're in front of a live audience.

What makes you say that?

I agree, a lot more bad then good. But then, I'd go so far as to say that most classical music in general is, if not out-right bad, mainly bland and/or derivative. Any genre, in fact. That said, composing certainly takes more dedication than remixing/adding beats.

The topic seems to have split into two topics, remixes, and classical with electronics. The former, I will agree, has to be VERY well done to be interesting.

The latter, I happen to love. If we're talking well done modern music, composed for synthetic or electronic instruments, I'm all in! (Go figure, that's a lot of what I've been writing lately...)

Anyway, there's my two cents. Re-mixes should be approached with as much taste, passion, skill, and creativity as original compositions, and I firmly believe that Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, and Chopin, and certainly Ravel, would have KILLED for access to even the most basic MIDI technology of today. Can you imagine what Stravinsky might have done, had he made it to the 80's, or if he was somehow still composing today???

Thanks for the interesting topic and dialectic!
-Zack

Interesting side-note, I believe it's Wendy Carlos at this point. I though they were two different people for a while...