Classical Music Humor

The Messiah: the organ's transpose button may
seem handy, but be careful! (MP3)

R. Strauss "Also sprach Zarathustra" - no, Nietzsche, God is not dead,
but I believe this little clip categorically proves the existence of Sin
(MP3)

welcome to my collection of Classical Music - related Humor. If you have any thoughts or suggestions
(including other stuff I should include here) please send me an email at maxlevinson93@post.harvard.edu

My personal favorite:
something reminiscent of the
Chopin B minor Scherzo . . .
judging from the applause
this girl must be gorgeous
(MP3)

Is Classical Music really this confusing?
Here is a great collection of answers on
music appreciation exams, etc. (link)

My favorite work by PDQ Bach is the
cantata "Iphigenia in Brooklyn" - here's
where you can buy that on CD, along with
everything else by Bach's least distinguished
son (link)

The inimitable Florence Foster Jenkins, as Queen of the Night (MP3)
(scroll down a bit to hear a parrot who does it better than her!)

"Schmuyle" (from Pictures at an Exhibition) -
sounds like this beggar may be spending the spare
change you gave him at the local pub (MP3)

Toby Appel has analyzed, quite insightfully, the various
sections of the symphony orchestra. You may read what
he has said here, or listen to him tell you about it here
(from NPR's "Performance Today")

Even a wonderful violinist like Scott St. John is only human - he
has generously posted his own blooper from a performance of
the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto back when he was 15...
(WAV)

(many thanks to friends for sharing the following "bloopers" with me: Yehonatan Berick, Darwin Shen,
Ben Seltzer, and Carissa Pitkin...)

Glenn Gould was a peculiar genius. Click here to see a video clip
of him singing to elephants.

An excerpt from Peer Gynt: here's a tough question - if you had
only one bullet, would you shoot the trumpet player or the
arranger? (MP3)

Dan Menendez, the "Piano Juggler" - if you don't know what a
piano juggler is (I didn't) then click and watch...

Here he is playing on the Ellen Degeneres Show (.wmv)

Playing the "bounce cello" on Jay Leno (.wmv)

An excerpt from a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody (.wmv)

His web site www.pianojuggler.com

(Dear students: if this guy can play the right notes, so can you!)

here's a link to the Igudeman and
Joo website, including more
videos and performance dates

Here are two wonderful
pieces you should consider
learning, whatever
instrument you play...
a few more similarly
unplayable pieces can be
found here

(Click on the thumbnails
to see the scores in full size)

Eugene Ormandy is the music world's Yogi Berra - click here
for actual quotes from him that members of the Philadelphia
Orchestra wrote down over the years he was music director

A fake advertisement for a CD called "The Twelve Tone Masters"... I actually like a lot of
the music referred to here, but you may find this funny (MPG) ... thanks to Stefan Jackiw
for this one

Bach F minor Harpsichord Concerto... the funny thing is that
the orchestra sounds OK ... 1st movt -- 2nd and 3rd movt

For more info (a whole DVD, in fact) about this, um, delightful "singer" click here
(thanks to Darwin Shen for sharing the link).

if you want to buy Victor Borge videos,
here is a site where you can find them

Mozart Symphony #40 - I don't think
Manhattan is big enough for him to
perform the whole piece

thanks to Jordan Jacobson for sharing this
one with me... Monty Python meets
Tchaikovsky and Richter

Dudley Moore parodies Schubert Lieder,
(especially Der Erlkoenig) - thanks to
Yelena Beriyeva for this one!

Dudley Moore again, in the style of
Beethoven... the endless ending is
priceless

Maybe this is more odd than funny - a
short film called "the Symphony
Orchestra" by cartoonist Gerard
Hoffnung, from 1955.

Many many thanks to Darwin Shen and George Philips
for tracking this down - Heifetz made this recording,
under the pseudonym "Joseph Hague," with the
otherwise unknown pianist "Floyd E. Sharp," and any
commentary I might make would simply not do it
justice. I will say that I first heard this at the home of
Gabor Rejto about 20 years ago. I am THRILLED to
hear it again...

Thanks to Christopher Lee Hartl
for sharing these links to videos
of Anna Russell, who lampoons
the "Ring" cycle.

Also from Deborah Robb: this video reminds me to
mention that if you ever visit the San Diego Zoo,
check out the two-headed snake

thanks to Halley Shefler for telling me
about this one - the coloratura parrot
showing off some "Queen of the Night"

sorry - technical difficulties - unlike Heifetz
mine are *not* feigned difficulties - I hope to
have these files back online soon!