When classical music gets hilarious

[Cosi bel do]

I didn't see any topic appropriate to post the following video, and thought that maybe such a thread would be useful to share things related to classical music that are (purposely or not) hilarious.

Here, the uncontradictable proof that Alfred Brendel is a real disaster.

http://www.youtube.com/v/9s4ghHARXR8

I guess some of you already know it of course, but every time I'm watching it tears come to my eyes again. I never get tired of this.

[TheGSMoeller]

Haha! That's great.
It reminded me of another "Shred". If you can, at least make it to 2:20...

http://www.youtube.com/v/A9Fr1MlnpSk

[Cosi bel do]

Yeah great too

I think the Brendel is my favourite, but there are also good ones on the violin :

http://www.youtube.com/v/JzZAjIx_yac

http://www.youtube.com/v/67IqeB0JLs4

[ibanezmonster]

Haha! That's great.
It reminded me of another "Shred". If you can, at least make it to 2:20...

http://www.youtube.com/v/A9Fr1MlnpSk

Lol

I was not aware of these types of videos... the profound comments at the beginning and the moment of contemplation at the end of these videos = lol.

[Peter Power Pop]

And here's the real thing:

https://www.youtube.com/v/TjLrm_fQ_go

Magnificent.

[mc ukrneal]

I didn't see any topic appropriate to post the following video, and thought that maybe such a thread would be useful to share things related to classical music that are (purposely or not) hilarious.

Here, the uncontradictable proof that Alfred Brendel is a real disaster.

http://www.youtube.com/v/9s4ghHARXR8

I guess some of you already know it of course, but every time I'm watching it tears come to my eyes again. I never get tired of this.

This is made from a worn out VHS, in case you were wondering how it's done...

[Ken B]

Haha! That's great.
It reminded me of another "Shred". If you can, at least make it to 2:20...

http://www.youtube.com/v/A9Fr1MlnpSk

What am I missing here? Gould plays Ives. So?

[Pat B]

What am I missing here? Gould plays Ives. So?

It's not really Gould playing. You can tell because the singing isn't loud enough.

[Pat B]

BTW the one of Lang Lang playing Franz Schumann is pretty good too.

https://www.youtube.com/v/ysHZ9g0UA98

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Anna Russell and Wagner's ring, anybody?

"The opera begins in river Rhine... IN it!"

"If you know the chord of e flat major, you know the prelude to Rheingold."

Gutrune... only woman Siegfried meets in the entire tetralogy that isn't his aunt.

[pjme]

Meryl Streep is to star in a biopic of the famously awful opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins for director Stephen Frears, reports Variety.








The three-time Oscar-winning actor will take the role of Jenkins, an heiress who used her wealth to embark on a singing career that took her to concert halls across the US in the 1920s, 30s and 40s despite her complete inability to hold a note or stay in time. Hugh Grant is in line to play the soprano's partner and manager, St Clair Bayfield, with the film titled simply Florence.

Jenkins is known for her utter intransigence in the face of widespread public ridicule, which eventually led to a phenomenon whereby audiences would pay top dollar to see her perform terribly. "People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing," she is said to have once pointed out.

Jenkins did not begin giving recitals until 1912, at the age of 44. She was apparently firmly convinced of her own greatness, comparing herself to famous sopranos such as Frieda Hempel and Luisa Tetrazzini, and dismissing audience laughter during performances as "professional jealousy". Her bandmembers appeared to be in on the joke with the "fans". Regular accompanist Cosmé McMoon is said to have enjoyed making faces at Jenkins behind her back to get laughs.

[Ken B]

Meryl Streep is to star in a biopic of the famously awful opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins .... complete inability to hold a note or stay in time.

This has been done before. They called it Les Miserables.

[pjme]

 

[Ken B]

http://youtu.be/BKezUd_xw20

[Peter Power Pop]

http://youtu.be/BKezUd_xw20

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/v/BKezUd_xw20

[king ubu]

this one's pretty good:

http://www.youtube.com/v/wOiBlL9pHMw

[North Star]

this one's pretty good:

https://www.youtube.com/v/wOiBlL9pHMw

I bet it is..

[Cosi bel do]

Meryl Streep is to star in a biopic of the famously awful opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins for director Stephen Frears, reports Variety.








The three-time Oscar-winning actor will take the role of Jenkins, an heiress who used her wealth to embark on a singing career that took her to concert halls across the US in the 1920s, 30s and 40s despite her complete inability to hold a note or stay in time. Hugh Grant is in line to play the soprano's partner and manager, St Clair Bayfield, with the film titled simply Florence.

Jenkins is known for her utter intransigence in the face of widespread public ridicule, which eventually led to a phenomenon whereby audiences would pay top dollar to see her perform terribly. "People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing," she is said to have once pointed out.

Jenkins did not begin giving recitals until 1912, at the age of 44. She was apparently firmly convinced of her own greatness, comparing herself to famous sopranos such as Frieda Hempel and Luisa Tetrazzini, and dismissing audience laughter during performances as "professional jealousy". Her bandmembers appeared to be in on the joke with the "fans". Regular accompanist Cosmé McMoon is said to have enjoyed making faces at Jenkins behind her back to get laughs.

Reading about Florence Foster Jenkins made me think back to this video of a "new" FFJ that I had seen when it was posted on Youtube 8 years ago. I see 400k people saw it now If you don't know it, don't miss it, it's magnificently bad:

http://www.youtube.com/v/xdLyL2_mFaA

But of course even the best singers could sometimes fail...

http://www.youtube.com/v/3fuHn_h4VJw

I personally saw a very great legend of opera (I mean it, the kind of singer who recorded with the likes of Karajan, Solti, etc.), it was one or two years ago, whom I didn't know was still performing (I was invited), and it was frankly pathetic. Too sad to be funny It was so bad that at one point this artist forgot the lyrics in a Debussy melodie, stopped, looked up on the pianist's score for a mere second while saying to the theatre "Oh sorry, I do apologize" and then picking up where had stopped. Pathetic, I told you...