The violin prodigy Menuhin
Was so gifted, his genius was genuine.
With a musical prize,
It was rarely unwise
To predict: “It’s not whether, but when you win.”
Happy birthday to violinist Yehudi Menuhin, born April 22, 1916.
Posts Tagged ‘Classical Music’
Limerick Ode To Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thursday, December 16th, 2010Oh, joy! I just realized that today is Beethoven’s birthday. How Pathétique of me to almost forget the birth date of this Eroica fellow. After all, I’m so Appassionata about his music, the least I can do is make a concerted effort to remember his birthday.
But I did manage to orchestrate a limerick opus in Beethoven’s honor:
It’s Beethoven’s birthday today.
Born in 1770 — Yay!
His nine symphonies — great!
None compare — no debate.
Happy birthday, dear Ludwig. Hooray!
Musical Discord
Sunday, May 18th, 2008Musical Discord
By Madeleine Begun Kane
“Your playing is way out of tune,”
The conductor informed the bassoon.
“All your high notes are sharp,
And I don’t mean to carp,
But you sound like a horny baboon”.
The bassoonist replied, “Sir, your ear
Gets progressively worse ev’ry year,
And your cues are all wrong,
So we just play along
And pretend your baton waving’s clear.”
(Orchestrated in response to these play, sharp, and simile challenges.)
Those &^%$#$% Auditions!!!
Monday, February 12th, 2007Those &^%$#$% Auditions!!!
By Madeleine Begun Kane
If a symphony job is your mission,
You’d better learn how to audition.
Those try-outs are trying.
Remember, no crying!
Can’t hack it? Become a physician.
Give Me An “A!” (Limerick)
Saturday, November 25th, 2006Give Me An “A!”
By Madeleine Begun Kane
When symphony instruments tune,
They’re not matching the flute or bassoon;
It’s the first oboe’s “A”
That the strings must obey.
If they don’t, be prepared for High Noon.
On a more serious … uh … note, here’s some info that might make this limerick a bit more meaningful to some of you: Symphony orchestras tune to the first oboist, who generally gives his fellow musicians an A-440. Many string players prefer a slightly sharper pitch, an A-442 or A-444, believing that it gives their sound a more desirable brightness. This can lead to lots of bickering.
You can find more of my music related humor here.
