What's the funniest music?

[Brian]

I was just thinking about Ibert's Divertissement. And, in terms of parodies, Einar Englund's spectacularly silly "March a la Shostakovich" or Peter Schickele's "Unbegun Symphony".

So...what's the funniest music?

[Brian]

Also the endings of Ives's Second and Atterberg's Sixth symphonies. And of course, Haydn Symphony No. 93 "Fart".

[Sergeant Rock]

P.D.Q. Bach: Cantata: Iphigenia In Brooklyn, S. 53162

Aria: "As Hyperion across the flaming sky his chariot did ride, Iphigenia herself in Brooklyn found."

Recitative: "And lo, she found herself within a market, and all around her fish were dying; and yet their stench did live on."

Ground: "Dying, and yet in death alive."

Recitative: "And in a vision Iphigenia saw her brother Orestes, who was being chased by the Amenities; and he cried out in anguish: 'Oh ye gods, who knows what it is to be running? Only he who is running knows'."

Aria: "Running knows."

[Karl Henning]

http://www.youtube.com/v/WN24JMf72Ck

[Karl Henning]

P.D.Q. Bach: Cantata: Iphigenia In Brooklyn, S. 53162

Aria: "As Hyperion across the flaming sky his chariot did ride, Iphigenia herself in Brooklyn found."

Recitative: "And lo, she found herself within a market, and all around her fish were dying; and yet their stench did live on."

Ground: "Dying, and yet in death alive."

Recitative: "And in a vision Iphigenia saw her brother Orestes, who was being chased by the Amenities; and he cried out in anguish: 'Oh ye gods, who knows what it is to be running? Only he who is running knows'."

Aria: "Running knows."

http://www.youtube.com/v/39v283NjCRU

[EigenUser]

Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre (three arias from his opera Le Grand Macabre). I performed it two years ago (the trumpet and piano version, but I played the trumpet part on violin).

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

And I agree with Brian about the slow movement (no pun intended) of Haydn 93.

[The new erato]

Spike Jones.

[ritter]

As far as fun (rather than "funny") music is concerned, two compositions always come to mind in my case: Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé suite, and the last movement, rondó-allegro scherzando, of Beethoven's First piano concerto.

[Cato]

http://www.youtube.com/v/39v283NjCRU

Funniest Music = P.D.Q. Bach

[Mirror Image]

This is pretty funny:

https://www.youtube.com/v/_nS66IvbvcI

[Jo498]

Of things that are not obvious spoofs, parodies or mainly relying on special sound effects (like Leroy Anderson), I'd nominate Joh. Strauss jun. "Perpetuum mobile".

[Christo]

An oldie, but I always like the Pachelbel Rant:
https://www.youtube.com/v/JdxkVQy7QLM

[Cato]

Listen carefully for a hit song from '80's: It blips in for just a few seconds, and adds a whole layer of extra comedy to the scene!

The song itself is not funny, but is hysterical in this context:

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
















And the song is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDT0yn9jk7M

[Karl Henning]

Two obligatory mentions are The Bobs:

https://www.youtube.com/v/5x5Diqa4kpg

And the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band:

https://www.youtube.com/v/6BCpQkj_FYk

Not to mention the Pythons themselves:

https://www.youtube.com/v/g8fheDIG_RA

[Ken B]

Funniest Music = P.D.Q. Bach

I like his Last Tango in Bayreuth.

Now as a concept it's hard to beat Turangalila: dip a dozen cats in ink and let them walk over 500 yards of blank score ...

[Elgarian]

So...what's the funniest music?

Impossible to answer, Brian. It depends on the way you play it.

[vandermolen]

Well, Haydn's Symphony 90 made the audience laugh last night. It has a fake ending - everyone applauds and then it starts up again. The conductor made the most of it by melodramatically trying to search for the 'missing music' under the score etc. The encore 'Gallop' by Shostakovich also drew some laughs from the audience.

[Jo498]

Although it may not be for laughing out lout, I find Shostakovich's "Tahiti Trot" (Tea for Two) rather funny.

[vandermolen]

Although it may not be for laughing out lout, I find Shostakovich's "Tahiti Trot" (Tea for Two) rather funny.

Me too.

[TheGSMoeller]

Langgaard's ode to Carl Nielsen piece (can't remember title, Our Greatest Composer?). Whether intentional or not, it's funny in a way that a real bad B-movie that tries to be good, but is funny bad. Perhaps.