P.D.Q. Bach (Peter Schickele) - "New horizons in music appreciation" (Beethoven)

This new upload is something unusual but nonetheless interesting. The selection concerns a performance of the very familiar Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven ... as if it were a sporting event complete with a cheering audience, a referee and two commentators (Robert Dennis and Peter Schickele, the man behind the whole thing). Though the whole thing is outrageously funny, the joke only helps highlight the sheer power of Beethoven's masterwork and, at the same time, makes one think of the extreme value we attach to music. Enjoy :)!

P.S. This except appears on the album "P.D.Q. Bach on the Air" which features several other striking musical parodies.

• Category

  Music

[p0lyph0nyXX]

I would pay good money to see (hear?) the World 12-Tone Series!

[erringman]

Masterpiece of educational comedy

[Matthew Neveu]

I heard this in the early eighties ... I love it!

[StanleyKewbeb1]

"I don't know if it's slow or fast yet, it keeps stopping!"

[joemikejake]

It can be difficult to understand what's going on in a piece of Classical music under any circumstances, but this just makes it pure fun.

[anetabml]

It made my day! Genius!

[Ethan Macdonald]

"The string have got a hold of that theme and they are NOT GOING TO LET IT GO!"

Love this!

[Andrew Bryant]

I first heard this about 42 years ago and I still think it's hilarious.

[Stephen Gard]

Indeed. And Python did so something like it, on their album 'Another Monty Python Record'. It's a sketch about a violinist trying to play a concerto, but his violin keeps collapsing etc. A hushed-voice commentator describes the events.

[bssnplayer]

And it's tutti all the way, folks...WAIT!

[desmond1776]

@Misty K search for PDQ Bach: On the Air. The whole album is worth it.

[francy orjuela]

wait.. wait a minute...