Sunday, November 05, 2006

Victor Borge

Just mention his name to any pianist and see the reaction you get. Victor Borge is the King of Musical Schtick, and his sit-down comedy (at a concert grand) is legendary. This gifted Danish pianist gave "concerts" up to a ripe old age and never lost his rapier wit. He was also in demand as a guest conductor for such bands as the New York Phil. Not a bad gig for a funny guy.
Here are a few samples of his tongue-in-cheek humor:

A Helpful Glossary
of Musical Borgefications

absolute pitch:
completely dark
accelerando: hurry up, the conductor skipped a page
adagio molto: a thick shake
al fine: all's well
assai: just as I told you
bagatelle: the lady speaks
canon: like a round, only louder
da capo: from the top, only make no mistakes this time
diminished fifth: bottoms up!
fagott: no, a bassoon
figured bass: female baritone
organ: a vital part of the musician
pizzicato: one with tomato, hold the cheese
recitative: a tune will be along any minute
unaccompanied: the orchestra is on strike

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