P.D.Q. Bach (Peter Schickele) - "The art of the ground round"

[muulka]

It's really funny but amazingly good music as music! I can imagine that it's really hard to sing lol.

[affectivity]

I mean Schickele, not the guy sitting next to us! ;)

[affectivity]

I remember his Christmastime concerts at Carnegie Hall. Once, during a performance of Iphigenia in Brooklyn, my sister and I thought the man next to us was going to have a coronary, he was laughing so hard. I believe he entered that concert by running up the aisle accompanied by what looked like a hooker.

[thesorandomstudio]

We are the singing the second one in chorus. We are an 8th grade class in a christian school!!:D

[barochial]

Does anybody have anyposts for The Abduction of Figaro? Specifically,the "Talkin' about Love" quartet or the "Standing as in a Dream"? These pieces are musically brilliant as much of Schickele's work is, and they have haunted me for over twenty-five years.

[jsl1211]

Both of my parents are band directors..I grew up listening to this stuff. I didn't understand why my 5th grade band director wouldn't let us play it!

[Jazzbeu55]

Fun stuff. He was the only guest artist performing with the local symphony who ever arrived on stage by swinging in on a rope from the balcony. The performance was funny on so many different levels. The sophisticated symphony patrons loved the musical tricks and everyone else laughed at the sight gags.

[evac93rd]

My absolutely favorite PDQ Bach tune Bar none....

Her hair is like down-wind of a compost heap on fire

[skidude7253]

singing this in my college men's glee club. Gonna be the best song of the night

[tidaking816]

I heard this in music class in elementary school... I'm 20 years old, nearly through college, and I STILL remember this shit. Hahaha

[TheTwinWhoLovesMusic]

@tidaking816 wowwwww, elementary school? Haha, my teacher had us sing this unknowingly a little while ago. We're the seniors of our high school. Well, we caught on, then we just couldn't stop laughing.

[MsSoundguy]

That's just so flipping brilliant. I haven't heard this in a long, long time, and it's such a blast to hear now. Now on to "Iphigenia in Brooklyn."

[radiootoo]

Heilige Dankesang!

[ceb2633]

When I saw him, he had his "undercounter tenor" and also did the Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice. And the history of PDQ Bach. The audience was filled with music majors who were rolling in the aisles. And to think of the beautiful music he wrote for Silent Running and arrangements for Joan Baez.. I so admire his genius. Thank you for this treat.

[pugay69]

So corny.... yet soooooo good!!!!

[lindaguitar]

Could someone please post Hansel and Gretel and ted and Alice? Thanks!

[lindaguitar]

I've loved these "art of the ground round" songs (and the whole album) since I was a kid! Could you please post Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice? Thanks!

[whailman]

My town's young men choir performed these songs earlier this week!

[evac93rd]

I've been listening to PDQ Bach for 40 years. I think I own almost every piece he "Composed" in LP's, cassettes and CDs. If I had to pick my all time favorites it would be Iphigenia in Brooklyn, Concert-Casting of Beethoven's 5th," Bob, Ted , Carol & Alice APlay in one Unnatural Act" and this one The Art of the Ground Round.

[ruthnix]

I have been missing the encore for years thanks so much

[xlifewillcomex]

which is the pdq song with the whistling? there is a part where they whistle several times in a pattern and the twist it into a wolf whistle.

[simpkal]

what a genius.

[Belgarion9989]

Peter schickele is actually a serious classical composer. He created two alternate personas: Peter Schickele, who is a professor at the university of northern south dakota who happens to be the man who "discovered" PDQ Bach.

[1109naru]

i hear of this because one of my music teaches and i fell inlove with it xD

[annea1b]

I made my fiance play this for me every night. It's a wonder we got married. Ever tried singing any of these? They are wicked hard, especially when you're trying to keep a straight face.

[Robotman42]

I didn't find the last two all that funny

[flopertone]

0:58

[22bowler22]

My friend and I sang "Please Kind Sir" for our school singing contest

[yohannbiimu]

The best one is "Jane."

"With your eyes black as nuns...

...like nuns they cross themselves each day..."

[Robotman42]

"For your hair is your crown (which you remove when you retire

and your breath is like down (wind of a compost heap on fire)

with eyes black as nuns (like nuns they cross themselves each day)

and your face like the sun (set over Pittsburgh, USA)"

I cried. Too funny!

[SirBrass]

That one is pretty funny, but my favorite has to be "Please kind sir"

[nervagor]

"LOOK! UP! HER! DRESS!" Maturity at its finest ladies and gentlemen.

[ctdsnark]

Listen at 08:39 and you can hear Schickele {presumably} quietly suggest to his fellow musicians they do a speeded-up encore.

[MattWindsor91]

Is that a parody of Purcell's When I Am Laid In Earth in the ground bass at about 2:50?

[TomBarristerX]

Most of Schickele's work is parodied on legitimate works, and many names (i.e. Belle Canto, Tessie Turra) are takeoffs of musical terms.

[trinasp]

Boy, does that take me back. The guys in choir did this at my high school in 1981. Couldn't stop laughing!

[seaweed2007]

Haven't heard this in forever! Thanks so much! ;))

[Psychomorgan]

lol

[OrangeSodaKing]

HOT! (dog.)

[Catcutie123]

i'm singing that in choir

[PeriodinstrumentfaN]

i adore the "jeux de mots !!!" :-D

[upsilon314]

Fuga vulgeris or concerto for horn and hardart (played seriously) sounds like an actual (non parodying) composer. He also has some great ideas like classical rap or stuff like the unbegun symphony(a precursor to polkarama).

[jvertol1]

Gotta love PDQ Bach - Swarthmore Grad! Admissions denied Obama's application, but they sure got it right for Peter Schickele!

[Locker344]

PDQ is such a good musician lol the pieces are funny

[noammor]

Is there any way to find sheet music to the third song over the internet?

[1230leica]

this is awesome!

[happyman]

Loving is as easy as falling off a log

A cat'll love a cat and a dog'll love a dog

When you're hot you know you're hot

and when you're not you're not... hot.

Cold, cold loving is hard but hot... hot.

[katamonim]

Years ago in New YorkI saw (and heard) Peter Schiekele (spelling?) doing a 1 man performance of his opera "Oedipus Tex." PDQ Bach and Anna Russell make the day brighter.

You are one of my favorite downloaders (is there such a word? I'm not very au ccourant with web jargon).

[cellogal1994]

wow. this is really neat. i love things like this.

[mjmacmtenor]

Please Kind Sir has always been one of my favorites as well as PDQ's operas - The Stoned Guest and Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice (an opera in one unnatural act).

[imusiciki]

This is one cool parody!