Piano's Funniest Moments 5: Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie Piano Materclass

The British Fry and Laurie comedy doubleact were big int he 1980s and 1990s. Here their
sketch takes the form of a Piano masterclass with some interesting twists and innuendo!


A stage version - with Czech subtitles! PianoStreet cites the following performance from Hysteria! Hysteria! Hysteria!” AIDS benefit in 1988. The ending is different from the above!

Actor Pianists - Hugh Laurie OBE (from TV Show House) plays the piano!

Hugh Laurie (source wikipedia)

Actor Hugh Laurie OBE, Golden Globe award winner for his role in US tv show House started learning piano at age 6. (more about Hugh's musical background)

Following the success of his comedy duo with Stephen Fry, where he performs a memorable piano masterclass sketch. Laurie has been able to advocate comedy and piano to entertain on tv and the silver screen.





Here's a song he performs a comedic song "Mystery"


His own humourous ode to 'America'


Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis playing 'Heart and Soul' in Stuart Little

Piano's Funniest Moments 4: Beethoven Fur Elise Beatbox

I've been following the Daily Beethoven blog and discovered his link to the Beethoven Fur Elise Beatbox by Japanese beatboxer Hiraku Kaihatsu, and I must say it's amazing. I grew up in San Francisco in the mid 1980s when the Fat Boys, LL Cool J,  Slick Rick, Egyptian Lover rappers were at their prime, so I do appreciate the artform.

The Fur Elise is perhaps one of the most popular piano pieces, some may say overplayed (mobile phone ringtones, etc), but I think this video will make you appreciate it more even if you've become sick of it!

Piano's Funniest Moments 3: Lang Lang and the Orange performing Chopin's Black Key Study (etude)

Lang Lang Plays the Chopin 'Black Keys' Etude with an orange.
The Etude actually is Chopin's G flat major etude, Opus 10 no.5.


Now on live on a Spanish language tv channel, followed by the Tom and Jerry' excerpt inspired Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody.


Hear what the etude normally sounds like with some assistance from Valentina Lisitia.

Piano's funniest moments - cartoons, parodies, and rhapsodies - Beethoven and Liszt!

Roll over Beethoven!
Rowan Atkinson (b1955) (also known for his character Mr. Bean) is miming the Beethoven Pathetique sonata - (1st movement) and Moonlight sonata (3rd movement) on Youtube. And what a phenomenon, over 2 million hits!



Dudley Moore's (1935-2002) Beethoven Parody. Read more about Dudley Moore on the piano street blog.
If you like Dudley Moore's playing see my previous Blog link Piano Legends: Dudley Moore - a tribute


I found this duo from watching them on the Pianomania movie scene on Youtube. After finding out the castlist I tracked them down, they are known as the IGUDESMAN & JOO duo. And they name Dudley Moore and Victor Borge as their inspiration! They are both classically trained and met at the prestigious Yehudi Menuin school in Surrey, UK.


Rhapsody - Raspberries

Victor Borge (1909-2000) performs the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #2. I was reading from his biography on wikipedia that Mr. Borge started learning the piano at the age of 2, and that later his teachers included a student of Liszt as well as Busoni's student (Egon Petri). 

Tom and Jerry playing the Hungarian Rhapsody #2 piano. This video, which won an Oscar in 1946 inspired Lang Lang.
See my blog entry - Inspiration from the Cat playing the piano!....Lang Lang did!


Last but not least, follow the link to our next funny animated piano video:
Bugs Bunny Playing the Hungarian Rhapsody #2 in C# minor

Piano Legends: Dudley Moore - a tribute

Dudley Moore, CBE portrait [source: wikipedia]

The 27th of March, 2011 is the 9th anniversary of Dudley Moore, CBE's death. A comedian, pianist, composer and all around loved entertainer. Dudley Moore was a very talented musician, he won a scholarship to study organ and composition at Oxford University.  I include some videos of his pianistic skills combining comedy and virtuosity! Enjoy.

Here's Dudley Moore's Beethoven Sonata Parody


A biography on Dudley Moore


Dudley Moore was influenced by Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, here he is performing a Gershwin Medley

Inspiration from the Cat playing the piano!....Lang Lang did!

I'm not talking about those funny cats playing the piano on Youtube. How do you engage young children to want to learn the piano? Communicate to them in a genre familiar to them, with characters they know well. In this instance, it's Tom and Jerry, and the short film is called "The Cat Concerto". As my children 2 year old calls it, "Cat playing the piano." It was so popular and acclaimed at the time that it won an Academy Award (Oscar) in 1946 for best short subject: cartoons. Lang Lang credits this cartoon for inspiring him to learn the piano starting at the tender age of 3.
Here it is, Tom plays Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2.



And the knock on effect? About 25-40 million people in China have been inspired to learn the piano, following in Lang Lang's footsteps according to the article "Yes, China's got talent – but that's not enough" from the Observer on 14 Nov 2010. Deservedly, Lang Lang was listed in 2009 Time Magazine's Top 100 Influential People in the World.