P.D.Q. Bach (Peter Schickele) - "The art of the ground round"
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- Опубліковано 6 лип 2008
- Just like Anna Russell before him, Peter Schickele is well-known for his parodies of classical music traditions. Though Schickele took the whole thing a step further by creating a whole musical personality, P.D.Q. Bach, "youngest and the oddest of the twenty odd children" of J.S. Bach. He has used this guise to write quite a lot of music, including a couple of "operas" in various quantities of acts.
Surprisingly, considering the fact that P.D.Q.'s "music" basically lampoons classical music, Schickele seems to be quite a talented composer, some of the musical ideas he uses can be quite contagiously brilliant (the third "piece" here features a quite wonderful bass line, so wonderful, in fact, that I really do think that a couple of excellent singers could make the piece into a serious one (incidentally, do listen to the words, most of the humor lies there)). Presented here is a parody of musical pieces utilizing the basso ostinato or the ground bass. I am also providing a link to the album from which this piece is taken, just in case you want more information:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inti...
Enjoy and do try to take the pieces as far away from seriousness as you can :)!
P.S. By the way, for people who have guessed the identities of the people on the painting I have used for the backdrop, I'm not trying to lampoon either of the people on it, I just found that the painting went well with the music :)!
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!
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."
The greatest work ever in the history of music.
Absolutely the best. I was an only child and would listen to this album repeatedly to amuse myself. Years later, I still laugh in anticipation of the upcoming lyrics.
That’s terrific!
I love the bit at 9:30 where they respond to the hammed-up "arrivé" with "oy vey". An easy pun to miss.
Haha thanks for pointing that out!
I performed "Please Kind Sir" and "Jane my Jane" in choir in high school. I've been looking for them ever since. I can't believe it took me this long to find.
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.
"Your breath is like downwind of a compost heap on fire ..."
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.
There was the Bargain Counter Tenor, too.
This makesme laugh after all these years!
Sunday nights, my brother & I would stay up late listening to Dr. Demento on the AM radio and loved it when he played PDQ. Until mom would get mad and yell us to go to sleep or dad was coming up stairs with the belt. Which he never did, but it always worked anyways. Good times.
The term, "A wild La Marseillaise appeared" comes to mind.
My sister introduced me to PDQ Back in the 70s/early 80s. I will always love the Art of the Ground Round for the pleasure it gave her to hear beautiful music combined with naughty thoughts.
What's fun is that this actually follows in a tradition of these naughty little rounds. Look up Purcell's Young John the Gardener, or Battishill's Here on his Back doth Lay. Mozart wrote a few too (although apparently he only wrote the lyrics to some of the ones historically attributed to him).
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.
I have been missing the encore for years thanks so much
I heard this in music class in elementary school... I'm 20 years old, nearly through college, and I STILL remember this shit. Hahaha
My favorite part is when the guy says "Geez Louise" in Golly, Golly, Oh. I always crack up there.
Hot! Dog! 😂
singing this in my college men's glee club. Gonna be the best song of the night
I love how at 08:39 you can hear Schickele (I'm assuming) suggesting the speeded-up encore to his co-singers.
Haven't heard this in forever! Thanks so much! ;))
Boy, does that take me back. The guys in choir did this at my high school in 1981. Couldn't stop laughing!
Heilige Dankesang!
wow. this is really neat. i love things like this.
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).
This is genius.
My town's young men choir performed these songs earlier this week!
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.
The University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.
i adore the "jeux de mots !!!" :-D
The best one is "Jane."
"With your eyes black as nuns...
...like nuns they cross themselves each day..."
John Beam that line is the absolute crown of this brilliant piece.
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.
It's really funny but amazingly good music as music! I can imagine that it's really hard to sing lol.
0:59 - Please, Kind Sir
The guy behind him is Ludwig II of Bavaria
I love this classic. But every time the tenor botches the melody in "Please kind sir" I wince.
PDQ Bach: record producer? Search "Rotton Candy"
A little known recording was uncovered recently, a trans-continental collaboration between two giants of 60's pop instrumentals: Al Hirt and Bert Kaempfert. Busy schedules prevented them from recording together in person. So, they each mailed in their parts, a revolutionary concept made possible by the advent of multi-track recording. They nailed it nearly note for note, but sadly they couldn't find the keys to success
That one is pretty funny, but my favorite has to be "Please kind sir"
@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.
I mean Schickele, not the guy sitting next to us! ;)
1974 dubi dubi du!
Thanks for letting me know who that is behind Wagner.
Gotta love PDQ Bach - Swarthmore Grad! Admissions denied Obama's application, but they sure got it right for Peter Schickele!
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.
Is there any way to find sheet music to the third song over the internet?
6:50
The gentleman behind Wagner looks like the Bavarian king Ludwig II.
What's the Deal with the Pict of Wagner and Crazy King Ludwig?
0:58
Not too sure about the two gents in the picture. I think the one seated is Wagner; the one standing behind him is ...Tausig? Debussy? Saint-Saens? Don't know.
John Wilkes Booth
The consensus here is that it's Ludwig II.
Nelly is a nice girl / but Hannah is a (w)hoooooooooooooo... rrible prude... :D
It's Schickele on basso-blotto and Vern Sutton on tenor. Who's the third voice?
John Ferrante, I think.
The other two singists are John Ferrante (RIP) and John Nelson.
hahahahha
Is it wrong to enjoy these more than actual madrigals from the 1500s?
Nope.... they may be a bit more modern, but no less cleverly composed and hilarious!
Spike Jones. Nothing to do with Anna Russell.
Maybe not, but all three were successful musical comedians.