Almost no other track defines what global superstar DJ Tiësto used to sound like quite the way “Adagio for Strings” does. The iconic arrangement – which is largely based on a piece of the same name by classical composer Samuel Barber – features one of the most memorable progressions in trance music history. As such, a choir cover of the track made for an ideal close to Sensation Amsterdam, bringing the audience full circle in a trip back in time.
Fittingly, the number began with the theatrical introduction of a string section. Scantily clad female violinists strapped to crosses raised over the main stage ushered in the song’s instantly recognizable melody before a chorus of over 500 continued it for the next several measures. Tiësto’s nostalgic synth lead cued shortly afterwards, followed by the hiss of CO2 cannons firing into the audience against the backdrop of thousands of cheers from ecstatic audience members.
Seeing as how Sensation Amsterdam was ID&T co-founder Duncan Stutterheim’s final event, the choice makes even more sense. “I can appreciate it, but I’m not dancing to it,” Stutterheim recently said of contemporary EDM. “It also has something to do with my age.”
Check out the video of Tiësto‘s “Adagio For Strings” as performed by a choir during Sensation Amsterdam above and tell us, does it take you back in time?
