# Victor Borge - classical musician or entertainer



## pcnog11 (Nov 14, 2016)

I am sure this topic was discussed before in related posts. However, I am not sure how most people position Victor Borge, do we see him as an accomplished classical musician/pianist or he is simply an entertainer/comedian that make fun of classic music as part of his show. Did he has a way to popularize classical music to the masses in his time? If so, how did he differ from others such as Andre Rieu, Three Tenors or Boston Pops? These individuals or ensembles, to a certain extend, popularize classical music to the masses but in different formats. It would be interested to see to how you would view him on this issue.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Saw him on TV for first time recently on something! Very funny!


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

I don't think it's a question of either/or. Victor Borge was undoubtedly an entertainer/comedian but was equally undoubtedly an accomplished musician too - if I could play the piano one tenth as well as he did, I'd be a very happy bunny. I'm sure most people recognised this and the fact that real affection and musicianship lay behind his antics.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Animal the Drummer said:


> I don't think it's a question of either/or. Victor Borge was undoubtedly an entertainer/comedian but was equally undoubtedly an accomplished musician too - if I could play the piano one tenth as well as he did, I'd be a very happy bunny. I'm sure most people recognised this and the fact that real affection and musicianship lay behind his antics.


Totally agree with this. Borge was primarily an entertainer but had the musical chops to hold his own against all but the very greatest concert pianists. And it could be argued that he played a greater role in bringing classical music to the masses than almost any of them.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Just a fun fact: Victor Borge's guestbook hasn't been posted on since May 2008 - the longest ever!


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Borge was a unique genius. His career was long, his fans legion, and he was hysterically funny! He was a master of wordplay in a language that was not his original tongue; a master also of slapstick comedy, physical comedy, of the absurd, and of standup one-liners of both musical and general content. Perhaps the most versatile, well-rounded, and inventive comedian of the last century. Plus he could really play the piano. 

It would be difficult to quantify the degree to which Borge, or Rieu, or Pops concerts, or any such can be compared with one another, or to the extent they bring people to classical music. But I am all for them, as I cannot see any harm done, and only good coming from such efforts. The fierce pleasure that self-styled sophisticates derive from belittling Rieu especially is curious in its ferocity, and perhaps deserves study by a clinician.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I always found his "shtick" annoying. He would start playing a classical piece and after a bar or two, he'd stop and begin the "shtick". Not my cup of tea.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

pcnog11 said:


> I am sure this topic was discussed before in related posts. However, I am not sure how most people position Victor Borge, do we see him as an accomplished classical musician/pianist or he is simply an entertainer/comedian that make fun of classic music as part of his show. Did he has a way to popularize classical music to the masses in his time? If so, how did he differ from others such as Andre Rieu, Three Tenors or Boston Pops?


Rieu, the Three Tenors and the Boston Pops don't make me laugh. Borge was a wonderful blend of humor and serious accomplishment - a man for all seasons.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

hpowders said:


> I always found his "shtick" annoying. He would start playing a classical piece and after a bar or two, he'd stop and begin the "shtick". Not my cup of tea.


What were you expecting? The man was a comedian. Shtick was his shtick. Oy vey, already!


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