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07:40
A Happier, Jollier Affair
Mrs. Slocombe remembers being flung flat on her back on Clapham Common, Mr. Lucas sees more of Miss Brahms' mother's underwear than he does of hers, and Mr. Grainger can't get the old boiler working anymore.
05:43
Statler & Waldorf - Signing off
A compilation of many instances of everybody's favourite theatre critics signing off at the end of the show...
07:08
Muppet Show - Liberace
Liberace appeared in a 1978 episode of The Muppet Show. Here is a clip from his 'Concert For the Birds', at the beginning of which he attempts to establish his credentials as a serious pianist by playing a little Chopin for Sam the Eagle. (One more reason to love The Muppet Show - where else would you get to see the famous Nocturne followed immediately by a song called 'Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue'? :) )
02:39
Sokolov - Chopin Mazurka Op. 63 No. 3
Although it could be said that this particular performance is perhaps a tad dry and somewhat lacking in passion, I nonetheless like this rendition for its crisp, clean sounds, and for Sokolov's undeniable technical prowess.
08:33
Amélie-les-Crayons - Le paillasson
Voici un extrait d'un DVD du groupe charmant Amélie-les-Crayons, où ils chantent le fameux 'Paillasson'. Cette chanson, que j'adore, réprésente bien le côté coquin du personnage d'Amélie. (Car toutes ses chansons sont écrits d'un de deux points de vue: l'Amélie un peu maligne, qui chante des chansons pétillantes et pleines d'humour; et l'Amélie l'amoureuse, qui chante des chansons très douces, pleines de tendresse.) Un vrai spectacle (non seulement un simple concert), l'ambiance est chaleureux, et la complicité entre les membres du groupe est bien évidente.
09:21
Salvador Dali on What's My Line
'What's My Line' was an American game show that ran from 1950 - 1967. Its premise was basically a guessing game: contestants were to guess the "line" (line of work) and name of a guest, by asking only questions that could be answered with a 'yes' or a 'no'.In 1952, Dali appeared on the show, with hilarious results. Witness the verbal gymnastics the poor host John Daly must go through in order to be both fair to the contestants, and simultaneously not offend Dali's sensibilities... "I think it would be too misleading to suggest that our guest had a basic affiliation with sports - this is not to say that it's not within the compass of his enjoyment to indulge in this particular endeavour." Dali's answers, and the questions asked of him, become slightly surreal (pardon the pun) as the segment goes on. :)His performance is here in its entirety; enjoy!
03:50
Milton Berle vs Statler & Waldorf
Clip of Milton Berle's 1977 appearance on The Muppet Show, where he was heckled mercilessly by the show's resident critics, Statler and Waldorf.
01:57
Le Coucou - Alejandro Reyes Valdés
I've always had a fondness for this charming piece by Daquin, even though I'm far from fond of the harpsichord! I have one other video of this piece, performed by Cziffra, but the quality is terrible (the quality of the video, obviously, not the playing!). As for this performance, I must confess: I don't know this musician at all. This clip was recorded at the Festival Artistico Coahuila in Sabinas, Mexico.
01:35
Muppet Show - Gonzo's Motorcycle Act
Hapless Gonzo tries a new trick; irascible duo Statler and Waldorf suffer the consequences.
00:38
Swedish Chef - Making donuts
"See the muffin? Then you hear the 'boom' a-shootin'..." In this episode: the Chef, in his inimitable way, teaches us how to make a true Canadian specialty: the doughnut.
02:30
Irene - Harry Belafonte & Nana Mouskouri (1979)
George Petsilas, Nana Mouskouri's first husband, wrote this song for the album 'An Evening with Belafonte/Mouskouri'; it was one of only two duets on the album. Petsilas accompanied the duo, on bouzouki.
01:39
Dean Martin - You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
Taken from what I believe is a 1961 episode of The Judy Garland Show (though I could be mistaken), Mr. Dino Crochetti sings 'You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby.'
04:06
Pulp - Bad Cover Version
In 2002, Pulp released what would be their last single before going on hiatus: Bad Cover Version, a song about cheap imitations - in life and in love. In this vein, the b-sides included on CD2 of the single are bad cover versions of two Pulp songs, sung by Roisin Murphy (formerly of Moloko), and Nick Cave. And, to complete the process, the accompanying video is itself a (bad?) cover version, with actors and impersenators playing the parts of the various stars that contributed to the infamous Band Aid video 'Do They Know It's Christmas'. (One would think it was 1984 all over again... or 1989, or 2004, with the follow-up further releases...) Oh, the irony. :)
08:24
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take the A Train
The Dave Brubeck Quartet performs Billy Strayhorn's 'Take The A Train' at the University of Rome, in 1959.
13:01
Oistrakh - Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
David Oistrakh (along with Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra) playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, 1st movement.
01:57
Newsreel: Chopin Museum
The Great Chopin Museum opened in Krakow, Poland, in 1943, by order of Hans Frank - at the time, Governor-General of Poland, also known as the "Butcher of Poland". Frank, a pianist himself, appropriated many items related to Chopin, and opened the museum with great fanfare.In this short newsreel, we see pianist Ludmilla Berkwic (who was the youngest participant in the first International Chopin Competition, in 1927) playing on Chopin's own Pleyel. Berkwic was later denounced as a Jew by her fellow competitors.(My apologies for the less-than-stellar video and sound quality.)
03:19
Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire - I'll Capture Your Heart
We're nearing that time of year again: time to pull out the winter and Christmas season classics. 'Holiday Inn' is one of my favourite movies, one that I watch every December. Charming leading men, corny dialogue, love triangles, and many song-and-dance routines such as this one - what's not to love? :)
02:40
Nat King Cole & Oscar Peterson Trio
Some videos require no grand introductions, such is the quality of the musicianship on display. Here, a near-perfect jazz moment, featuring several great artists - Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, Coleman Hawkins, Herb Ellis, and Ray Brown - performing Burwell & Parish's 'Sweet Lorraine'.
07:02
Perlman - Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky wrote his only Violin Concerto during one of the most tumultuous times of his early musical career. One of his students from the conservatory had fallen in love with him, and he, conflicted by his homosexuality, decided he should marry her. They wed in July, 1877; within days he regretted his decision, writing desperate letters to his brother; two weeks later, he attempted suicide by throwing himself into the Moscow River. In 1878 he travelled to Switzerland for a "rest cure", an attempt to climb out of the deep depression into which he had fallen. While there, he composed this concerto. While it opened to decidedly negative reviews in 1881, this melancholy and profoundly romantic piece is now celebrated as one of the most challenging concertos for violin.This 1979 recording of the second movement (Canzonetta: Andante, in G minor) is played by the inimitable Itzak Perlman, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy.
