Florence Jenkins massacres Mozart

[xmetbass]

As I recall there was a very well known accompanist who was stated in the remarks about Jenkins. Like you I don't remember who.

[organboi]

It's a shame she missed that one note.

[xmetbass]

PS: He wrote the book ,"Am I playing too loud".

[organboi]

@xmetbass Absolutely incorrect. Gerald Moore wrote "Am I playing too Loud?" and Moore was NOT her pianist, nor ever was! You're talking about someone else. I can't recall his name right now, but he was NO famous pianist. That's why he worked with her. He was a down and out cocktail piano player who needed the work.

[xmetbass]

I want to know the name of the pianist. He was a world famous accompanist. i just don't remember his name.

[falcovanhassel]

MY EARS!!!!!

[flashlass]

Damn! She nearly hit that last note perfectly. She totally scared my dogs!

[marcelle215]

OMG, I got SO excited those two time she was on pitch!

[jjh2456]

Bless her heart...

[violetavalery]

she did it on purpose, you can't convince me of the contrary

[elviracordero]

Una innovadora eso es lo que hay olé la Florence Foster....... y la nota la daba, vamos que si la daba

[darkangeljay]

I salute the pianist who actually managed finish playing without ending up in fits and also being able to follow her tempo.

[LOKITUPISBACK]

@darkangeljay It's said that the pianist she used was the only one who, during auditions, could keep a straight face and make it through her songs.

[mnakai1]

The pianist is hurting.....

[Tiwaking]

I can not stop smiling.

[trafikuty]

We did have similar performers in Hungarian X-Factor...

[jaina1992]

Still better than Maria Callas

[Korsvian]

Still better than Justin Bieber.

[GeekyRobi]

Who the hell let her sing?

[jewelmarkess]

@GeekyRobi She didn't need anybody's permission, she was rich. So rich she rented Carnegie Hall .... and the performance was sold out.

[jaina1992]

She had an awesome breath control and technique

[buddyeagle]

@jaina1992 Holy c.r.a.p.! i love it. Better than Mrs. Miller.

[MaxLuetgendorff]

Do you hear that?? It's Mozart rotating in his grave; may it be because of terror or laughter ^^

[hippsta]

OMG i had to look this up on wikipedia because i thought you were joking... :)

[TheMrMilla]

@hippsta Lol, and wikipedia of all places .. xD

[crapatev]

For me, this is the definitive version of "Queen of the Night".

OK, so conventional renditions are - technically speaking - more capable, but they seem sterile and soulless compared with the ambition and vigor of Ms Jenkins' idiosyncratic performance.

In addition, on hearing this, our cockatiel Rosie immediately launches into a kind of "song wars", replying with "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and "Let's Go Down the Strand".

[sauroid1]

Oh goodness, she really stunk! I love her because she was filthy rich, didn't care a damned what anyone else thought about her, and she followed her muse. Can't imagine how she filled Carnegie Hall with this racket, though.

[jewelmarkess]

@sauroid1 She filled Carnegie Hall because people love a good comedy show.

[dunblobbon]

Fantastic. I'm still laughing.

[BOBFREESTUFF]

The William Hung of the 19th century.

[Poisonelle]

O mój Boże :o

[AlgarismosGomes]

She's not even speaking german right!

[AlgarismosGomes]

Poor pianist

[gelchert]

@AlgarismosGomes He's rumored to have made faces behind her back during performances to amuse the audience further.

[sionnyn]

She would have won X Factor!

[DanyLofico]

wahahaha hihiihi

[handziunia]

po prostu cuuuudooooo.... oczywiście oglądałam:)

[handziunia]

po prostu cuuuudooooo..

[davehorne]

I'm in tears. Fantastic.

[burowegiel]

She loved strong Mozart anyway

[Bigthingreg]

75 people took this seriously

[bialalokomotywa]

i jak jej nie kochać?:)

[szatynka1989]

w niektóre dźwięki trafiała, nie jest źle ;)

[dwulat1]

prekursorka idei: liczy się siła przebicia, a nie talent!

[elaflaga]

i ja :)

[jerzyn57]

ogladałem

[gazor76]

ja :P

[kluseczka007]

boska "Boska" :)

[ewast1]

Macham łapką w górze :)



[vilejka1]

ja też:)

[kabe]

Ja :)

[pesfan15002900]

kto z teatru telewizji łapa w górę

[CruciatusVXS]

@pesfan15002900 Łapę to se w dupę wsadź, żebraku jeden.

[mposiadala]

really amazing voice :)

[Levaleton]

ODIEUX - AFFREUX - ATROCE - PENIBLE

- a-t-elle touché du pognon pour cette interprétation ?

heureusement qu'il y a des images mais je suis allé au bout !

[sherumann]

She should perform with the Portsmouth Sinfonia!

[jeffamarie]

1:42 pianist is relieved to finally be able to play something in tempo. XD

[wlqos]

"The Vengeance of Hell" indeed...

[hehehaha502]

wow i know what living in hell is like :S

[TheSRalston]

My dog just raised his ears and turned to watch me with a pitiful look, as saying "turn that crap off, my ears hurt"...

[fuchion15]

may i just say that the accompanist is one of the most amazing... such change of tempo on top of having to bare with the singing...

[Poet2916]

the singing parrot sings this better than her! thumbs up

[shavertoo]

Bravo HappyApostate! Fabulous sense of humor, very befitting of Florance. Two thumbs up from me :-)

Now, where did my cats hide? Hmmmm!

[chromatic8]

A perfect contestant for X factor, Loue/louwe/luis/louis? (sorry- can't spell mr walsh's name) would love her to sing with jedward and improve thier performance. On a kinder note I actually was entertained for 3.5 minutes. Poor Mozart.

[hyobin0114]

it's like 19~20 centry version of justin bieber

[XMeadowsOfHeavenX]

DYING. 

[CP353017]

That's probably the worst thing not by Rebecca Black I've ever heard.

[SandrineSoprano]

oh dear. Think even I could do better

[Fegen]

Wonder if she died after this performanc?. Sounds like she was on her way out!

[snappycatchy]

Like Sara Silverman put it so well: when you say you're being a diva, it means you're being a cunt

[ChocapiXxXxX]

Rolala elle a défoncé le truc 0_o'

[TheTubePortal]

Does anybody know what lyrics she was singing? It sounds like she is singing an English-language version (it certainly isn't the original German). I can't make out most of the words, but of course it's also possible that she simply made them up as she thought she heard them, not realizing that the original is German and came up with words that somewhat rhymed. That would make it even more pathetic. Poor lady must have had a mental illness since she thought critics were just bitter haters.

[chanctonbury63]

@TheTubePortal When listening to FFJ a sense of humour is a great help.

[MotionlessGhost886]

I went and the final play in a series of plays put on by a repertoiry theatre in my town, and it was the story of Florence Jenkins and Cosme McMoon. It was done only by two people and while it was hilarious at points, it touched me as a musician. How she thought she was so good was mad to say the least, but her confidence was inspiring. At the end they performed this the way Cosme said she herself heard it;the actress playing her sang it perfectly. I pretty much cried from the beauty of it.

[bairns1234]

She clearly was as deluded as the maniacs who appear on X Factor and Britain's Got Talent. Simply appalling and there is no excuse for it.

[justadp89]

Mozart się w grobie przewraca :D

[allisonforfornsed]

so was it the mercury poisoning that caused her to sing this way? or perhaps she was just doing it to make money, you know, as a freak show?

[lucinator92]

Anyone else a Victorian drama year 12 student doing Florence for their solo? I'm going to have fun

[Herrotic]

Read the wiki about Florence Jenkins, I think she was very serious ^^'

[solveigromero]

OMG!!! HORRIBLE!!! HORRIBLE HORRIBBIBIBIBIBLEEE

[ThePianoguy89]

Wow...?

[jaina1992]

Most terrifying and scariest Queen of the Night ever ^^

[MrChristophebassou]

Beaucoup trouvent cette "cantatrice" drôle; moi je la trouve insupportable; je ne suis pas du tout sensible à cet humour.

[brendamendiola]

I LOVER HER..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[TheMagmagoblin]

Her singing isn't THAT bad. Not so bad that it's "HILARIOUS" nowadays. It's like people who force themselves to laugh out loud at that "I read books" line in Hamlet to show how highbrow they are. Yeah her singing is bad by most standards but most people couldn't follow the music half as well. Total agreement with waalkwriter's comment.

[Kari166]

@TheMagmagoblin, Or, you know, the line is actually funny. :P

[TheMagmagoblin]

@Kari166 Oh, I agree. It was written to be funny and it'll be funny in 1000 years...unless books disappear. "I read...the iPage 96.2! Now with Minesweeper!" Usually there's a slight pause to indicate his mind is wandering. It's a great opportunity: three words to (1) advance his "I'm crazy" plot; (2) relish the success of his deception; and (3) give away his disinterest in anything but revenge. My wrath is for the fake laughter I heard nightly in Ashland years back, and every show since.

[jewelmarkess]

@TheMagmagoblin I am sure most of us here wouldn't be able to go near this very difficult aria. The difference is - we know we cannot do it. What is funny isn't just her singing it the combination of singing, the fact that she is attempting one of the most difficult opera arias that terrifies many a professional opera coloratura soprano, and the delusions that she had that she was good. Also - she did have lessons.

[cesarkof]

._.

[tacchinobicilindrico]

Awesome ... :-)

[Miauriceful]

Che dire...niente.

[JubalCalif]

BRAVISSSIMO! The lady certainly had....uh....uh.....well, she had something.  I'll have to get back to you on that. Loved the cat pics! Quite droll, I must say!

[vocalissimo1]

She certainly makes the Queen of the Night sound like a frightening character!

[mAnNyElLaTiNo33]

ENCORE!!! X-D <333

[gabrielfernandez92]

microtonal mozart xD

[PacRimJim]

Incompetent though she may have been, we still talk about her.

Will people talk about us in 60 years? Doubtful.

[MusicVocalism]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA That was dreadful! =D 

[fmtarragona]

The best version i've ever heard !!

[19davo66]

OMFG - what a star! What a load of shite!

[SuperMarioBrosFan001]

Who tells her that she can sing ?

[Nathanbmajor7]

Steam train coming in a 3:33 :P

[mandelo2]

Ha ha, I bet the cats could do better! Very funny!

[Brink0War]

She's the biggest troll of her time! Why? Because she doesn't genuinely sing bad! Now I know what you're thinking, something along the lines of "Video or it didn't happen!". HERE, FLORENCE JENKINS IN ALL HER GLORY! /watch?v=wfKz-sF8KUY&feature=r­elated

[johnyprestige]

oh god this is funny.

[hootiepaladin]

You go Florence. Fuck what anybody else has to say.

[FreSsoOn]

What song is that??? I would like to hear a good version of it!

[HaistaVittu100]

@FreSsoOn Queen Of The Night aria from Mozart's Magic Flute opera.

[scoorpio931031]

@FreSsoOn Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen :D Look for Diana Damrau´s version :D Enjoy!

[JFLD8]

the Rebecca Black of her day.

[cingalprof]

Cats are better than that, Rossini knew it :-)))

[themfromspace]

Flo Fo has a lot to do with cats.... see she meows at 3:04!

[willspires]

"People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I DIDN'T sing." FLorence Foster Jenkins

[littlebritain64]

@ waalkwriter: actually there are: the infamous Portsmouth Sinfonia, even if the pieces are not theirs, the medley is irresistible. A bunch of serious musicians exchanging their instruments!

[iteachbass]

As Jenkins said, "They all said I couldn't sing...but no one can say I didn't!"

[blairtin]

And the accompanist is Cosme McMoon.

[blairtin]

Florence Foster Jenkins had nothing to do with cats -- well, literally at least. Someone just set the classic recording ALL classical musicians know with funny lolcatz. C'mon, she rented out Carnegie Hall and donned all kinds of costumes with wings and angel halos. Don't be sad, she did what she wanted, plus it was another era where the music scene was the wild west.

[Besingers]

@blairtin I think they are trying to say she sounds like a cat. Because in the nicest and most loving way possible, she does make similar sounds to cats.

[treehuggerj]

that accompanist is a saint.

[flowersings]

Well, I will say one thing for her, she makes Marcella Detroit sound brilliant, lol!

[jewelmarkess]

@flowersings Check out also Mari Lyn.

[flowersings]

@jewelmarkess Thanks! I checked her out. It was entertaining as well, but I think Jenkins has the worst voice of the two, lol!

[jewelmarkess]

@flowersings Oh absolutely, Jenkins gets the gold medal as to the worst singing. Nobody can compare.

[19olivier72]

The pianist is good!...and patient too

[monkeyxx]

too funny

[LENTICULARPLASTIC]

Sounds like an old Max Fleischer cartoon character getting a titty twister.

[minmuse]

That's Great~

[Aurenys]

o.O... I can't believe it... o.O

[MICHINATOR1]

how can she become famous? like seriously if she sings this bad how can she perform anywhere?

[tenor9216]

@MICHINATOR1 Her husband was a millionaire (maybe even billionaire, I'm not sure) and when he died, she rented Covent Garden, Carnegie Hall and some of those big halls with that money to realize her dream of becoming a famous singer. People pretty much just went to her concerts for a good laugh :p

[MICHINATOR1]

@tenor9216 thanks:) makees sence

[imatroll5]

@MICHINATOR1 She was a curiosity. People would attend her concerts for entertainment.

[fuzzydizzle]

@MICHINATOR1 reminds you of music today doesn't it

[marulpragasam]

The original Britney spears.

[mozartsmusicblog]

This sounds like the cantor at my church.

[blktenor]

@mozartsmusicblog lol

[rachelthedemon]

This is the single greatest troll the music world has ever known. She played everyone like McMoon played the piano. Made scads of money, died happy, and no one was ever the wiser.

[ferociousgumby]

Awwwww, c'mon, guys! She was pretty good. No worse than American Idol

And she had a huge following when she was alive, and played Carnegie Hall.

[ROCKITA10]

Todos podemos ser lo que queramos si lo intentamos con toda nuestra fuerza

[dotnetocr]

@ROCKITA10 Si claro. :S

[wiiman250]

Everyone who sees this needs to read up on the play called "Glorious!" It's a comedy all about Florence Foster Jenkins's life. It really gives an insight. My high school is putting it on right now, and it's a really great production.

[apologyisnothepolicy]

With some autotune she could be making millions in today's america.

[LadieBunny]

@apologyisnothepolicy

Probably would have made a million dollars anyway. Tickets to her show were in high demand, and her show at Carnegie Hall sold out within weeks...

[SWOTBWOT]

Heck, anyone can sing like Florence Foster Jenkins if they want to. It just requires detaching your brain from your vocal cords and letting random nerve impulses take over.

[rmedinaesquivel]

@SWOTBWOT

I really love this comment!!!!! jajajajajajajajajaja

[BiauaGaua]

OMGosh.... When i hear it i wanna die. Jenkins...

[dobbsiancant]

sweet fancy moses...

[omgitzcaptanyao]

This lady has ruined the Queen of the Night Aria for me. I can no longer listen to it without hearing her voice somewhere in the back of my head.

[verdew8181]

queen of the damned, queen of the fright.

[verdew8181]

Many years ago my mother told me about this woman but I never got the privilege of having my ears cruelly punished by her until now. Thanks YouTube!

[moonboots69]

BRAVO !!!!!!

(well at least she tried god dammit, more than can be said for most...)

[Montanarus]

Yo sabía de una soprano que fue no sé si famosa , hace unos meses por un periódico, que fue la que cantó MÁS PARA EL ORTO en toda la historia de las grabaciones, pero la historia da para todo... esto no deja de ser una joya... no me la imagino haciendo de valkyria...jejejejeje...!

[picoides1]

Someone call the SPCA, there's a cat being strangled.

[hanspetrus2]

Even worse than our norwegian song-killer:

Watch her on youtube code:  nFjEzBq6me8

[squishy1403]

Everybody needs to remember she funded this recording herself, so those of you with delusions of grandeur, see Appendix A, labelled Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, etc. etc. etc.

[maragato23]

Ohh my god!!!! jajajajajajjajajaj Very, very funny!!!!!!! jajajajjajajaj

[cbr1uno]

...okkey, ma vorrei leggere anche l'orgoglioso curriculum del pianista!

[waalkwriter]

Too many cat pics. I find her story more sad and touching than comical. Such as the fact that she was actually bald beneath that wig to mercury poisoning and that she was truly devoted to music with a wonderfully innocent and clueless passion. A kind of sad, deluded person, but its touching, her bravery, and her singing has its own charm. Imagine modern composers writing something like this intentionally.

[ClassUpTheAss]

@waalkwriter I really appreciate your comment and I wish more people would understand motive as opposed to demanding results. She was passionate and the world would be a better place if we all sang for enjoyment and to hell with whoever didn't like it. We're all so quick to denigrate and so slow to praise.

[imatroll5]

@ClassUpTheAss Community college drop out. You really don't get it, do you? "Awww she's bad at singing. Let's feel sorry for her and poke holes in our hearts and bleed for Florence Foster Jenkins." Fucktard.

[imatroll5]

@waalkwriter Shut up, community college dropout. The bitch can't sing. Who cares if she had mercury poisoning. And cats rule!

[InDarknessLight]

@waalkwriter aw now u made me feel bad for laughing at it so hard :(

[Melismaaaa]

@waalkwriter soooo true. This is atonal without trying to be. Her passion is outstanding. It's just scary. If you love music then love it. If you want to perform it no matter how "bad" it is to others. Then have at it.

Still Scary though.

[javierr999]

@Melismaaaa it wasn't exactly like this... she was the wife of a very very rich man, who once a year used to rent the carnagie hall because she considered herself worth of singing there, so it was more like a capricce, otherwise i dont think any pianist would play with her.

the audience used to go to the shows just because her husband was a very important man

[jewelmarkess]

@javierr999 Not quite. Read about her, plenty of info on the web. She was divorced. She inherited money from her father. Neither her parents nor her husband supported her singing. She only had one Carnegie Hall performance, and it was sold out. The pianist needed the money, but eventually he grew fond of her (although this didn't apparently prevent him from making faces). There used to be a transcript of a radio interview with her pianist on the web, but the web site is gone.

[javierr999]

@jewelmarkess hm.. i see, i dont know, that was just what a professor told us, didnt search for information in the web so whatever....

[singmysong4444]

I am not amused....

Signed

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...

[CalifaJohn]

@singmysong4444 My apologies, Herr Mozart, but we are extremely amused.

[pyrioni]

thank you Ma'am, I see there is a hope for me to be famous someday too.

[acca2esse]

ma cos'e' ? uno scherzo?

[onieshka]

@acca2esse No, lei era sicura di avere una bella vocce...

C'è un'articolo su wikipedia. E' veramente...iluminando...

[soami2u]

This performance was definitely a CATastrophe.

[cscottmusic10]

1:40 so terrible. You just want to pray hard for the accompanist that was put through her.

[renatozfux]

Celina , isso não pode ser sério, isso é zuação de alguém....

[vieiracelina]

akakakakak

omg