Wagner´s Ring part1

[McPrfctday]

That is (that genius) Benny from ABBA at 3.18 isn't it?

[Malaikat31]

My god I love her. But, bless her heart, it's like I'm watching a Pythons sketch, totaly seeing Chapman instead of her xD

[swimmerman1]

Having said that, let me qualify by saying that, of course, there are students who would appreciate this, even in the inner city. My point is that a teacher cannot assume that his/her students will find something engaging or entertaining simply because he or she did. In that case it's the teacher who would be dumb, not the students.

[swimmerman1]

pjhspcatcher: no I did not think my students were all dumb. Are you saying that anyone who doesn't appreciate this is dumb? If that's what you are saying, I think you are the one who would be be surprised.

[OperaBracelets]

I can't hear this enough times!

[pjhspcatcher]

@swimmerman,

I first heard it when I was in grade school. I fell in love with it. It all depends on the intelligence level of the child. And frankly, inner city kids are just as smart as any other. Have you ever TRIED to get them interested or did you just say "Oh they won't be interested" aka They are too dumb to get it. You might be surprised if you give them half a chance.

[FLYNNMBF]

The point about teaching is that she makes it very entertaining and still includes all the relevant information. I think she is masterful and I teach adults, college students, and adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities.

[swimmerman1]

Are you a teacher? As wonderful as this is, there is little here that would engage inner city children or adolescents. Teaching is a lot more than entertaining.

[MaskedMan66]

@swimmerman1 I first heard it as an adolescent, and I loved it!

[swimmerman1]

Are you a teacher? Is you were, I think you would realize that as wonderful as it is, it has little to do with engaging today's children or adolescents. This is for a sophisticated audience.

[TheLydianRocks]

@swimmerman1 I'm a teacher and i completely disagree with you. This can be useful to adolescents unless they're the kind that loot shops.

[swimmerman1]

Are you a teacher? Yes, this is wonderful, but has nothing to do with teaching or engaging children adolescents.

[MoeJillionaire]

2 people prefer Verdi

[AnimatedCrime]

Lovely, but I can tell from this performance she's sick of it.

[felixbuzz]

@dido1916 yeah, it's funny. and I'm 18. what has age got to do with it?

[MaskedMan66]

I've only ever heard "The Anna Russell Album" and some other earlier routines, and it's amazing how much her voice changed when she got older. Still wonderful, though!

[MaskedMan66]

Can you just imagine if she, Victor Borge, and Peter Schickele had ever collaborated on something????

[theOFEE123]

I want to fuck her, lmfao jk

[SandrineSoprano]

Thanks for posting.

[jslasher1]

Anna Russell was a 'one-off' as we say in Australia. That is meant as a compliment. I attended many of her concerts over the years, in such far-flung locales as Chicago, London, San Francisco. She never disappointed. She passed away on 18 October, which just so happens to be my birthday. Not a happy present on the day.

[bach1369]

When I was an undergrad in the 80s we listened to the recording of this. Then we studied the entire Ring Cycle and listened to the recording again. It's funny and more or less accurate. She rocks. If you want to read about her life, she wrote an autobiography entitled "I'm Not Making This Up, You Know?" Read it...she was a remarkable person and one of my heroes.

[dido1916]

Great comedy!! It was hilarious and I'm only seventeen!!!!!

[MaskedMan66]

@dido1916 Hey, laughter transcends all boundaries!

[Baccalaureus79]

What's the melody she plays as the "wrong curse" motif in 9:20 ?

[tristan1865]

@Baccalaureus79 It's the 'spear' motif indicating Wotan's contract with the giants, first heard when Fricka reminds him of it ('Die burg ist fertig'). The full-blown version of the motif occurs when Wotan warns Donner against using force ('Halt, du Wilder!').

[Baccalaureus79]

@tristan1865 Okay, but then, there isn't really a reason why all the audience is laughing, is there?

[tristan1865]

@Baccalaureus79 Perhaps the laughing members were seasoned Wagnerians who immediately realized that it's the wrong motif?

[MaskedMan66]

@Baccalaureus79 That's a riff that's been used everywhere for decades, usually to indicate spies or other shifty characters

[kwgrid]

Outstanding! Moving on to part 2........ :)

[Studas2006]

can we somehow connect everyone?

[morristhecat56]

was this from her cincinnati (CCM) appearance?

[grobiegirl12]

hahahah funniest thing related to classical music ever!!! lol

[Ringreader]

What a scream. A veddy British parody of all things Wagner. Sheer brilliance. She gets everything smack on. Great stuff.

[SomeBlokeLol]

A bit saggy but I might if I was drunk. Or an Australian. Ziiing!

[McPrfctday]

This is my introduction to Wagner's The Ring Cycle... I just heard it mentioned on a comedy sketch show and got curious. I had a little search and I read that it took 26 years to write! This is going to be a brilliant experience for me!... I can feel it! Here goes... unpause (I'm 2:30 in, just as she sits at the piano...)

[MaskedMan66]

@McPrfctday You mean Wagner's took 26 years or Russell's?

[McPrfctday]

@MaskedMan66 Wagner's... and it takes up to 20 hours to put on the whole opera!

[MaskedMan66]

@McPrfctday That I knew from Anna's punchline! :-)  Just think: if only he had written one more chapter, you could fill up an entire day.

[MaskedMan66]

@McPrfctday "It's the only way!" LOL

[jewelmarkess]

This is hilarious! Wow! LOL... She is great

[rakewell2]

"that's the wrong curse, isn't it?" LOL!!!!

[PianoplayerPaul]

Hilarious. In my own opinion, it's more entertaining than Wagner's original!

[MaskedMan66]

@PianoplayerPaul Certainly funnier-- and shorter!

[MeoCaroline]

I haven't heard of her, must look her up. She's a hoot!

I don't care for Wagner's music.

[dodi132]

I LOVE her!!!

[20mgs]

@dodi132

ME TOO...PITY SHE IS NO LONGER WITH US¡¡

[20mgs]

@dodi132

[ichbindaswalross]

I saw this in German class back in high school. Wagner was the subject at hand, so...

[CONTESTAR]

I would be disappointed too if I went to an appearance of hers and didn't get "her Wagner"!!

What an ingenious presentation. I think this should be shown to schools BUT NOT for pupils; instead it should be shown to all Teachers -of every faculty- in order for them to see and learn HOW IT'S DONE!!!

[flouraki]

OOMG!! Hilarious!! Love her lol

[ariastoteles]

In the piano the Wagner's Nibelungen Ring is very funny and, paradogicaly, the sound of melodies in this piano are so beautiful than Colosal Wagneritte Orchestra... Maremagnum! :D

Kisses for all!

[feenie1186]

ahh! i love this! my music lit professor played this for us in class and then illustrated it with stick figures on the board. it was priceless!

[egyptiankarim]

This is pretty hilarious. Thanks for sharing :)

[Taskat]

"It's the only way!"

Ha!

[CaffeineClown]

She's great, thanks for putting it online!

[krulskij]

Oh thank you so much! Never seen it performed, just heard it!

fantastic!