Humor and music don't mix very naturally, but when they do, it really works well. We start off with humor that does not depend on text: purely musical jokes; then follow up with funny songs.
Part A
We start with Ein Musikalischer Spass, "A musical joke," by Mozart. This is a serenade for strings and horns, in which Mozart seems to parody a sort of formulaic serenade written by a (fuddy-duddy, from Mozart's point of view) composer. There are four movements:
I. Allegro -This is just a silly movement with a boring theme that Mozart mocks thoroughly.
II. Menuetto -Here the butt of the humor are the two horns, who go completely off key in one passage.
III. Adagio Cantabile -Nothing noticeably funny about this one; it's just terrible music, which was pretty funny from Mozart's point of view!
IV. Presto -This movement is just plain funny for reasons I don’t understand.
Vivian Ellis: Alpine Pastures
Here is a theme tune from an old radio program from the Sixties, which I wrote down from memory. I found out, with the help of the Make Music Forum, that the composer was Vivian Ellis, and the tune was called Alpine Pastures, and we play that next, for your delectation. The program was a comedy celebrity quiz show called My Music, on the BBC. Ellis wrote theme music for a number of comedy programs for the BBC over more than a decade.
Part B
Björk: Human Behavior
To start off our music with our funny words segment, we have Björk, singing her funny song Human Behavior. The humor is in the lyrics, so pay attention!
Bela Fleck: Couch Potato
A funny tune by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.
Arthur Sullivan: I am the very model of a modern Major-General
A silly (and funny) patter song from the Pirates of Penzance
Victor Borge: Mozart Opera
This is a cut from a comedy album by the late musical comedian Victor Borge. This was from his younger days, when he ventured to actually sing during his shows! He sings both the male and female parts. Victor Borge clowns it up, all right, but if you listen, you hear really good parodies of Mozart's overtures, as well as Mozart arias. This is musical humor at its best; if the music didn't sound like Mozart, it wouldn't be that funny.
Part C
King’s Singers
The next several cuts are sung by the King’s Singers. First comes the Beatles favorite: Penny Lane, followed by Donkey Serenade from the movie of that name, after which there are three rather elaborate versions of items from the Carnival of Animals, and ending with a Strauss polka.
Beatles: Penny Lane
This is Paul McCartney’s humor, which is very mild and whimsical.
…
Saint-Saens: Animals With Long Ears; The Cuckoo; Aquarium
Strauss: Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka (Chit-Chat Polka)
This little polka is all about gossip, and is probably a lot funnier if you know German. The King’s Singers make it pretty funny regardless.
Haydn: Symphony No 94 in G Major 'Surprise'- II Andante
This movement is sort of a poster-boy for humor in music, especially Haydn’s brand of it. There is a loud chord in the middle of the movement, to wake up those who tended to snooze during the slow movements.
Part D
John Lennon: Instant Karma!
Instant Karma’s gonna get you.
Dowland: Fine knacks for ladies
An Elizabethan market vendor’s cry.
Alan J. Lerner, Frederick Loewe: I’m an Ordinary Man
A brilliantly funny song from My Fair Lady, sung perfectly by Rex Harrison. (He sings it even better in the movie. Unfortunately this is from the stage production.)
Weird Al Yankovic: My Bologna
A parody of "My Sharona".
Harry Belafonte: Sweetheart from Venezuela
The humor of Harry Belafonte’s songs is elusive, and depends more upon his delivery than in anything about the music or the lyrics. The young lady who sings the duet contributes quite a bit to the comedy.
Bach / Brian Slawson: Chez Goldberg
A funny version of some of the Goldberg variations, as interpreted by percussionist Brian Slawson.
Ponchielli / Alan Sherman: Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah
A classic number by Alan Sherman, to the tune of the Dance of the Hours.
Arthur Johnston / Sam Coslow: Cocktails for Two (Spike Jones and his City Slickers) Evidently a song celebrating the end of prohibition. The sound effects introduced by Spike Jones (not a part of the original song) made it hilarious.
Gilbert & Sullivan / Tom Lehrer: The Elements
Comedian and Harvard mathematics professor Tom Lehrer simply recites all the names of the Chemical Elements known at that time. Lehrer could make even this list funny. The tune is the same as for Major General, played above.
Enjoy!
Archie
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