10 Funniest Classical Music spoofs

[mangerton]

Post 24 Mary Chambers. Oh dear, many thanks for that, a niche of memory that was previously undiscovered. But I still think Gerard Hoffnung was one of the funniest people who ever lived, and his source was often classical music. Though not always: at the risk of censorship for going off message, would anyone else agree that 'The Bricklayer's Tale' is a classic?

Dammit, I cant find the record, if I could I'd love to play it again ...

Yes, one of my favourites. Thanks for reminding me. I have a recording on cassette, but here it is on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI8ft3oZAik

[doversoul1]

Years ago, I heard on R3 (I'm sure it was) the last movement of Beethoven’s Fifth with a live commentary. Discovering Music in the manner of horse racing, in American accent. The commentary was on the spot and the whole thing was hilarious, and really quite exciting.( I apologise if this has been mentioned)

[Mr Pee]

Years ago, I heard on R3 (I'm sure it was) the last movement of Beethoven’s Fifth with a live commentary. Discovering Music in the manner of horse racing, in American accent. The commentary was on the spot and the whole thing was hilarious, and really quite exciting.( I apologise if this has been mentioned)

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of Peter Schikele's commentary, number 3 in the link that started this thread, although it's actually an American Football commentary, not horse racing.

[Don Petter]

umslop #19

Thanks for correcting my #16.

My memory is almost as bad as saly's! (Not quite though, as I certainly knew it came from 'Punkt Contrapunkt'.)

[Don Petter]

Has anyone mentioned Peter Ustinov's 'Mock Mozart' and 'Phoney Folklore'?

[salymap]

umslop #19

Thanks for correcting my #16.

My memory is almost as bad as saly's! (Not quite though, as I certainly knew it came from 'Punkt Contrapunkt'.)

Hi, well I got the Britten 'Let's make an opera' joke right as Mary did. Someone from Boosey told me the joke when the Britten work was published.

otherwise, well yes my memory goes back a long way and things dropoff the end.

[doversoul1]

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of Peter Schikele's commentary, number 3 in the link that started this thread, although it's actually an American Football commentary, not horse racing.

It is Thanks!! And is that what it is (the sport)?

[Chris Newman]

I have hunted high and low through YouTube for this sketch but cannot find it. It was one of Peter Cooke's famous E. L. Wisty sketches where the dirty old tramp spouted words of wisdom. So this is it as I remember it when I was a young lad. Imagine E. L. Wisty talking, almost asking himself questions. Lisping Cockney accent:

Beethoven!
Ah! Beethoven was reckoned to be a genius.
Genius? Rubbish! Beethoven was a STUPID FELLOW!!
Beethoven was a dirty old man.
He was a filthy old man.
Beethoven thought he was deaf.
Beethoven was a filthy old man. He lived in squalor.
He thought he was going deaf.
Nobody would live with Beethoven. Why?
Because Beethoven rarely changed his underpants.
He only changed them when they were really filthy.
When they were really smelly.
If he did change them he never washed them.
No! He stuffed them in his upright piano.
Gradually his piano filled up with filthy, dirty, smelly underpants and the piano gradually became quieter when he played it.
Beethoven was a stupid fellow: he thought he was going deaf.

The tragic thing about Peter Cooke's sketch is that it fits in with the biographies of Beethoven and the graduallly increasing squalor of his household.

[Bryn]

Chris, have you tried searching using Peter C's name as he spelt it, i.e. "Cook"? I think you will find what you are looking for if you do.

[Chris Newman]

Thanks for the spelling tip , Bryn. I still cannot find that elusive E.L Wisty sketch. Several offers of pay to download but not that one. Lots of Dudley Moore Beethoven sketches though.

[makropulos]

Thanks for the spelling tip , Bryn. I still cannot find that elusive E.L Wisty sketch. Several offers of pay to download but not that one. Lots of Dudley Moore Beethoven sketches though.

This just may be a place to look - I've just been listening to several of the E.L. Wisty clips but alas I couldn't find any Beethoven. I hope you might have more luck!

http://stabbers.truth.posiweb.net/stabbers/html/discography.htm#albums

[Chris Newman]

Hi makropoulos,
Thanks, mate. I did look at that one earlier, but no luck. Still, I hope you got the gist of the story as I remember it. Like many of the Peter Cook sketches it was both funny and very sad.
bws
Chris.

[Mary Chambers]

Here's a relevant bit of debunking from the Guardian 'Digested Opera' series for those of us who were impressed by the recent Glyndebourne Turn of the Screw. (Try not to get irritated by the occasional basic mistake.)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/nov/14/turn-screw-digested-opera

[salymap]

Here's a relevant bit of debunking from the Guardian 'Digested Opera' series for those of us who were impressed by the recent Glyndebourne Turn of the Screw. (Try not to get irritated by the occasional basic mistake.)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009...digested-opera

Thanks Mary, great stuff

[jean]

Does anyone remember (Mary?) Fritz Spiegl's April Fool concerts in Liverpool in the 1950s?

There don't seem to be any recordings unfortunately, but here's one of the instruments you might have heard - the loophonium: