What's the funniest music?

[Karl Henning]

I'm not surprised when someone says I'm surprised no one mentioned someone or something, without having read what was posted 

[ibanezmonster]

https://www.youtube.com/v/VLnWf1sQkjY

with the video imagery of course.

Yeah, not much can beat Lonely Island in terms of musical comedy. Just saw their newest one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCawU6BE8P8

Good stuff. lol

[listener]

HINDEMITH's "arrangement" of the Overture to The Flying Dutchman and the MiniMax Music (Repertorium für Militarmusik) - both for string quartet
(yes, Hindemith!!)

[Mr Bloom]

I'm not surprised when someone says I'm surprised no one mentioned someone or something, without having read what was posted 

"ending of Ives's Second" is barely a mention.
Thank you for reminding me why I don't post on this message board.

[Christo]

Well, and I'm not surprised to learn that some are not surprised to read that others are surprised for wrong reasons. 

[(poco) Sforzando]

Beethoven can be very funny at times. During a live performance of the Diabellis, Charles Rosen managed to phrase variation 13 - I think by holding back very slightly before the repeated thirds in the treble - in a way that sent titters through the hall.

The second movement of the 8th symphony has a lot of humorous effects, like the staccato woodwind chirping and the sudden fortissimo growls. But the most droll moment has to be described in technical terms, even though it's a perfect example of how we all absorb features of a musical style without necessarily learning the musical vocabulary. This tiny 4-minute movement is written in what's called sonata form without development, meaning that about midway through the piece the opening theme returns and the rest of the piece takes place in the home key.

Something not very common occurs at the start of the movement, which is that Beethoven starts the first phrase in Bb, but then the basses' answering phrase immediately moves to the relative minor, G minor, before the basses realize they've taken a wrong turn and push the music back to the home key, which the violins confirm with a loud fortissimo. And from that point we're back home in Bb until the normal modulation to the dominant and the second theme.

A good joke can't be repeated literally without diluting its effect, and so Beethoven needs something even funnier at the start of the recapitulation. What he does is a tiny stroke of genius, the sort of thing that would never occur to a lesser composer: the first violins play their opening theme again, but this time, instead of getting lost, the basses reply with an answer that simply mounts the Bb major scale - showing that they've learned their lesson and won't go wandering off into other keys where they don't belong. It's such a droll effect that I have always observed people laughing when they hear it. See if you don't as well.

[Jo498]

Thanks for pointing out that bit in the 8th symphony, I have to listen to it.

I agree that Beethoven is frequently humorous or even outright funny. E.g. I always found the charming second subject of the finale of the last string quartet very funny, especially when it later occurs in pizzicato. In the same piece, the first movement hovers between good-natured humour and melancholy and the scherzo between an off-beat dance and a violent explosion in the central section.

In the Diabellis I already find Diabelli's waltz itself rather funny and several of the variations (would have to look up the numbers). Of course the one with Leporello but there is another one which is supposedly a parody of the piano etudes of a contemporary.

Many other examples could be mentioned, I think.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Till Eulenspiegel.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Probably the funniest I've heard is Prokofiev's comic opera, Betrothal in a Monastery. The grins pile up even without the libretto. (And agree re the Beethoven).

[Peter Power Pop]

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

That reminds me of...

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

[Delicious Manager]

I've always loved this - a kind of 20th-century musical joke:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t28KSbi4NT0

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Beethoven can be very funny at times. During a live performance of the Diabellis, Charles Rosen managed to phrase variation 13 - I think by holding back very slightly before the repeated thirds in the treble - in a way that sent titters through the hall.

The second movement of the 8th symphony has a lot of humorous effects, like the staccato woodwind chirping and the sudden fortissimo growls. But the most droll moment has to be described in technical terms, even though it's a perfect example of how we all absorb features of a musical style without necessarily learning the musical vocabulary. This tiny 4-minute movement is written in what's called sonata form without development, meaning that about midway through the piece the opening theme returns and the rest of the piece takes place in the home key.

Something not very common occurs at the start of the movement, which is that Beethoven starts the first phrase in Bb, but then the basses' answering phrase immediately moves to the relative minor, G minor, before the basses realize they've taken a wrong turn and push the music back to the home key, which the violins confirm with a loud fortissimo. And from that point we're back home in Bb until the normal modulation to the dominant and the second theme.

A good joke can't be repeated literally without diluting its effect, and so Beethoven needs something even funnier at the start of the recapitulation. What he does is a tiny stroke of genius, the sort of thing that would never occur to a lesser composer: the first violins play their opening theme again, but this time, instead of getting lost, the basses reply with an answer that simply mounts the Bb major scale - showing that they've learned their lesson and won't go wandering off into other keys where they don't belong. It's such a droll effect that I have always observed people laughing when they hear it. See if you don't as well.

What about scherzo of Pastoral symphony? Never fails to put me in the good mood. Haydn has several "fake" endings, as if to trick the audience to applauding too early -not that Haydn was the only composer who used those tricks.

[(poco) Sforzando]

What about scherzo of Pastoral symphony? Never fails to put me in the good mood. Haydn has several "fake" endings, as if to trick the audience to applauding too early -not that Haydn was the only composer who used those tricks.

The most droll bit in the Pastoral scherzo for me is the use of the solo bassoon.

I remember one Haydn symphony at a concert where people broke in too early with applause, before the thing ended. Will have to figure out which one.

[kishnevi]

The most droll bit in the Pastoral scherzo for me is the use of the solo bassoon.

I remember one Haydn symphony at a concert where people broke in too early with applause, before the thing ended. Will have to figure out which one.

Rattle/BPO recording of 90 "with alternate ending" was a live recording, and that us exactly what happened:  the recording includes the premature applause and the laughter of the audience as they realize the "trick".

(I happened to listen to it earlier tonight.)

[(poco) Sforzando]

Rattle/BPO recording of 90 "with alternate ending" was a live recording, and that us exactly what happened:  the recording includes the premature applause and the laughter of the audience as they realize the "trick".

(I happened to listen to it earlier tonight.)

I'll check my scores, but I think 90 is right. I heard it live with Alan Gilbert and the NYP, with the same audience reaction.