P.D.Q. Bach The Abduction of Figaro (vaimusic.com)

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Aria: "Fish Gotta Swim"
From: VAI DVD 4251 P.D.Q. Bach: The Abduction of Figaro
World Premiere Performances presented by the Minnesota Opera 1984
The master of musical parody, Professor Peter Schickele, brings us a complete opera by P.D.Q. Bach, a man who has been called a pimple on the face of music, the worst musician ever to have trod organ pedals, and the most dangerous musician since Nero. This fully-staged complete live performance features the Chorus, Corpse [sic] de Ballet, and Orchestra of the Minnesota Opera under the direction of Professor Schickele. A wonderfully funny show - Musical America. A crazed pastiche . . . gags millions of them. - The New York Times.
Color, Stereo, 144 minutes, USA, 1984
TO PURCHASE THE COMPLETE DVD, PLEASE VISIT www.vaimusic.com OR CALL TOLL-FREE IN THE US 1(800)477-7146 (OUTSIDE OF THE US, CALL 914-769-3691.)

[@Paxski]

In addition to being hysterically funny, the music itself is beautiful. Those strings under John Ferrante when he's singing "Oh, no, not I" - just magnificent.

[@debs4mysweetbaby]

the whole work is schickele's love song to mozart :)

[@MattiasXL]

LOL, gotta love the various fruit he finds in that tree.

[@yohannbiimu]

John Ferrante did SO much of the operatic music for the PDQ Bach collection, but I had never seen him before this. Somehow he reminds me (physically speaking) of Jerome "Curly" Howard of The Three Stooges.

[@JoshFreilich]

Oh my god, that got me started on that whole PDQ Bach obsession! Just genius!

[@professorbutters]

Man, I loved John Ferrante. I was lucky enough to know him. He was a very nice man, in addition to being a very talented musician. And I liked being able to see him here.

[@debs4mysweetbaby]

john ferrante was a treasure!! it's strange, but there's pretty much nothing about him on the internet at all, except on peter schickele's website in the album descriptions and on a few photos... you're lucky you knew him!! i'd love to know more about him...

[@hamadah4]

Tragically funny! Great singing and acting!

[@mianom]

His facial expressions and body language are perfect! The way he caresses each fruit with his head on his shoulder, how great!

[@Kawdek]

Also, it's a realistic rendering of many royal and imperial servants of the time, particular those of the Ottoman Empire, for "certain" reasons.

[@Ekehart]

One helluva countertenor too.

[@serRudyll]

It's so different and yet so alike to Osmin's "Wer ein liebchen hat gefunden" :-) countertenor instead of bass, but the woodwinds and the key are so alike :-)

[@oakroom48]

Genius of the first order ........ thanks :D

[@debs4mysweetbaby]

how can you not love john ferrante!

[@mianom]

Fish gotta swim; birds gotta fly is from "Showboat." A kiss is just a kiss; a sigh is just a sigh is from "Casablanca."

[@mianom]

When you're passing by, flowers droop and sigh is from "Honeysuckle Rose."

[@jonnda]

Yes, that is him singing. He is known as a Countertenor. Look it up on Wikipedia.

[@dabarles]

@Engesagreen
two reasons: 1. he can. 2. comedy.

[@skyerune]

@Engesagreen
Have you seen Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream? If you had, you would know.

[@DueTrombe]

I'd love to see more of John Ferrante. Too bad he was a bit past his prime by the time he sang this. He was a good countertenor in his younger days.

[@teachingfeller]

is the genie John Ferrante?

[@happyman]

parody of wer ein liebchen had gefunden.

[@onlyobsessed]

Really? Do you not get the joke?

[@npmc7]

sorry this is a stupid question but is this dubbed or is it actually that guy singing?!!!!!!

[@debs4mysweetbaby]

he's singing... that's john ferrante... he was great! he did lots of performances with peter schickele of pdq bach... check out "iphigenia in brooklyn"

[@Engesagreen]

I never understood why anyone would use a countertenor...

[@xXxNyne]

"wow. that's gotta be the dumbest song ever..."