Florence Foster Jenkins massacres Delibes 'Bell Song' !

[sauroid1]

I understand Jenkins was filthy rich. Figures, the studio obviously didn't give a shit if she could sing or not. Just pay the bill and everything is fine. What good is money if you can't have some fun. Jenkins probably didn't give a damned what people thought of her, and she sounds like she was enjoying herself too.

[operacrasher]

very funny "stuff," (lol...definitely!!)...LUV IT!!!

[SWOTBWOT]

Impressive, if you're a fan of epic disasters. This is the musical version of the sinking of the Titanic, or the Krakatoa eruption.

[Zoykah]

I didn't think it was possible to sing so badly, even on purpose. I've tried, but no one can match her. You've got to be lost in tempo, pitch and have a mousy voice at the same time ; so difficult!

[GuinnBerger]

@Zoykah Jo Stafford came close, as "Darlene Edwards," in the hilarious recordings she made with her husband Paul Weston as her accompanist "Jonathan Edwards." Not nearly as excruciating as poor Florence's efforts, but then Flo was a natural...

[jewelmarkess]

@GuinnBerger Madam Mari Lyn is another funny one, but not nearly at that level of awfulness.

[3cplantin]

Outstanding. Incredible mastery of the microtones and compound rhythms.

[utlandagatan]

Brava Diva!!!!! Sounds like the pigeon making up on my roof! Brava!

[SnowCrasher]

Just when you think she can't sing worse, she does!

My poor ears!

I feel really sorry for the pianist.

[GammaBunny101]

Oh dear...

[Eddy438]

"Swans sing before they die

'twere no bad thing

if some people died,

before they sing."

[suzbailey23]

Two things I LOVE, at once? I'm so happpeeeeee! What a great way to start my day; thanks for posting!

[amazing763]

Curate's egg, Florence. This time some of your notes were right on target. But oh, how I wanted you to try that final note the "other" way.

And for you, Cosme, special thanks for illustrating in music the virtue known as forbearance, and for demonstrating the skill of matching the unmatchable.

[JimminyJimmy]

THANKS FOR POSTING THIS.. the cat photos is PRICELESS. I"m an opera coach.. and knew of these recordings for years.. but with the cat photos it is even more hysterical!

[necrogoddess]

Nunca pensé que podría decir 2 veces en el mismo dia que canto mejor que alguien.

La otra fue La ci darem la mano con Sheryl Crow

[davebournemouth]

@ComradeDeath Listen to her singing Queen of the night aria,she does attempt the high note at the end,she misses it by a mile of course,its absolute agony,

[kitb53]

Her accompanist is quite excellent and, I'm sure, long-suffering. I sang in a college production of The Magic Flute in which the tenor who sang Tamino was a perfect pairing for Madame Foster Jenkins. This has renewed my respect for the patience and integrity of his voice teacher.

[davebournemouth]

@kitb53 Her accompanist was called Cosme McMoon,he was with her for many years,he must have been tone deaf to put up with it,never mind tone deaf,he must have beeen competley deaf.

[jewelmarkess]

@davebournemouth Actually the accompanist was quite excellent - notice how brilliantly he matches her tempos. I read he was making faces behind her back for laughs. He was young and needed the money and she was rich.

[davebournemouth]

@jewelmarkess did she ever have a tempo ?

[jewelmarkess]

@davebournemouth Good question... She didn't, which made the accompanist's achievement in following her even more admirable.

[davebournemouth]

@jewelmarkess I absolutley agree with you.anybody that could

accompany her must have been brilliant, he does acually follow her,i dont know how he did it,because most of the she is completley lost.

[jewelmarkess]

@davebournemouth Yes. There is an interview with him on the internet. If you google for "cosme mcmoon interview", you may find it, it's quite instructional. There is also some controversy about who he was. The interview (which supposedly aired on the radio - not sure how authentic it is) state that it was Edwin McArthur, a famous accompanist who accompanied Kirsten Flagstad among others, but apparently about half of the sources disagree.

[jewelmarkess]

@davebournemouth Just to correct my previous post. Apparently, the rumor that Cosme McMoon is not Edwin McArthur was disproved by Cosme McMoon living family, but they say the interview is legit except for the announcer statement about the identity.

[davebournemouth]

@jewelmarkess many thanks for your info.i would imagine that working with Kirsten Flagstad and other great singers would be easier than trying to follow Foster Jenkins,of course it would be possible that he used another name to protect his reputation.since reading your coments ive listened again to her recordings,and more carefully to Cosme McMoon,and I agree with you he does seem a very accomplished musician.many thanks.

[jewelmarkess]

@davebournemouth Oops. My mistake. I said that "rumor that Cosme McMoon is not....". I meant to say that the "rumor that Cosme McMoon IS Edwin ..." was disproved by Cosme McMoon's family. So now it seems like they were two different people, but that Edwin McArthur did accompany Florence for a little bit when he was young, but she fired him (good for him as he went on to better things) and hired Cosme McMoon.

[SnowbirdFlock]

@jewelmarkess "making faces behind her back"? Well then he sounds like a hypocritical jackass! But yes, Mme. Jenkins does deserve the title of "worst singer ever".

[jewelmarkess]

@SnowbirdFlock That's what I read, obviously none of us were there... I read also he has grown fond of her over the years. There is an interview with him on the web. If you google for "Mr Cosme Mc Moon interview" you'll find it, it's pretty interesting.

[EMesaros]

the cat pictures are too funny--I don't know which is my favorite! But somebody tell me, please! Was this howler a real person? Is this awful singing for real?!

[jewelmarkess]

@EMesaros Absolutely - read about her on wiki. She was quite an interesting character. Cats pictures are hilarious, I think the person who put it together (thanks) should get a tv commercial or something like it.

[blackmetallicangel]

i also would have paid every price to go to her concerts!!!!!! I LOVE HER!!!!! xD

[beginner57]

Sarei stata disposta a pagare una cifra altissima pur di assistere a un concerto della Flo!!!

[idaspe]

E anche io!!! :o)

[TheMovingPiano14]

these pictures make me LOL so hard!!!!!!

[MissMusicienne]

Gold.

[dudevoc]

Bella Musica!! FaBuLoUs!!!

[elrhiarhodan]

Bless your little heart for bringing this woman to my attention!  What a fabulous spectacle she was.

She should be the Discordian Saint of The Voice.

[macintosser]

Oh come on... she may have been "not quite a dextrous chanteuse", but she was a superstar!

[tedsler]

This is amazing, I can't believe someone can actually sing this bad :O

Best abs exercise in a looooong time :))

sixpack here we come from laughing

[beteltree]

"tout y est" indeed! Including cats driven to appalling spelling...the poor things.

[morinoroba]

Nice voice :-D

[alfonsorama1]

Se sabe si puso un huevo al acabar ?

[Demusics]

Nadie ve la belleza, sinceramente sois todos mas incompetentes de lo que a ella se le critica. Hoy en dia, los compositores de musica contemporanea se pelearian por ella... De un compositor

[oojLoo]

SUBLIME! She wanted to give an arabic taste to Lakmé, absolutely avantgarde! hahahah

[DrLennox]

What on earth? I just found out about her today and I am already rolling with laughter. If she was around today, she'd be an Idol reject that got a lot of attention.

[happysmiles153]

@DrLennox Yeah like William Chung...OR Something with William in it.

[k3v1nvarn3y]

Sounds alright to me, at least no worse than opera normally does.

[crycan1985]

lol thats cruel.... im not an opera fan.... but even this kills it......

[aardvaark069]

She was SUBLIME. SUBLIME I tell you....!

[BenitoAdolfScala]

Jamais l'air des Clochettes ne fut mieux égrené. Quel talent sûr, quelle compréhension du texte. Tout y est. Merci Mme Foster Jenkins.

[tk8964]

Made it past the first two notes into the song, and now my ears are bleeding!

[arnoroch]

merci c'est trop drôle!

thx for the video too funny !

lol

[Patrickacoustic]

Now i know how to put in feelings and joy in music,, search for Eilert Pilarm (The Swdish Elvis on the tube)

Music is ment to be for all, Ha Ha Ha, Nice

[sisterspure]

...and definitely for music purists who appreciate unsubtle sublimity!

[effingbastard]

Such subtelty...such newounce...tis fantastical!