# The Funny Test! (Round 1)



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Which of these pieces makes you laugh? Chuckle, smile, any of that. Even if you don't laugh now, if you've laughed at some of these before in the past that counts too. I'm ruling out performances that require visuals, vocal pieces, PDQ Bach, and intentionally bad performances (i.e. Portsmouth) at least for this round. Contextualization is otherwise allowed (like knowing the title of the piece and what it's about).

I won't necessarily tell you what's funny about each one, but the titles will give some hint. One part of humor is the lack of expectation, so I pretty much ruined the element of surprise by saying that these were nominated pieces from my friends (all these pieces to my memory made at least one person laugh). So, let go of what I've said here and just listen to each one individually for what makes them unusual. Happy listenings. :tiphat: Vote after you've heard what you've wanted to hear. I don't suggest listening to them all at once, but take your time.

1. Shchedrin - _Humoreske_





2. Albeniz - _Yvonne en Visite: 2. Joyeuse Rencontre, et quelques pénibles événements!! _





3. Ives - _Yale Princeton Football Game_





4. Varese - _Tuning_





5. Dohnanyi - _Variations on a Nursery Tune_





6. Alkan - _Le Festin D'Esope_ 





7. Hamelin - _Pop Music for Player Piano_





8. Arnold - _Carnival of Animals_ (I feature the 5th mvmt in the link, but I recommend the whole work)





9. Schnittke - _The Gogol Suite_ (I feature the 3rd mvmt in the link, but I recommend the whole work)





10. Satie - _Embryons desséchés_ (I feature the last mvmt in the link, but I recommend the whole work)





11. Prokofiev - _Cinderella - The Theme of the Step Sisters_





12. Shostakovich - _Symphony No. 9 - V. Allegretto-Allegro_ (I feature last mvmt but I recommend whole work)





13. Kupkovic - _Souvenir_





And to bring up the rear....

14. Mozart - _Musical Joke KV 522_





Note: Some of these may not be available links for everyone, sorry about that! Vote from what you can hear for now, unless someone finds the tracks elsewhere to share here.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

14. Mozart - Musical Joke KV 522

Hands down:tiphat:


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Bump.

I really wanna see some results! If I had made it a smaller quiz with only 5 pieces, would that have make people wanna do it more? I can do that if anyone likes....


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## omega (Mar 13, 2014)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Bump.
> 
> I really wanna see some results! If I had made it a smaller quiz with only 5 pieces, would that have make people wanna do it more? I can do that if anyone likes....


I've started listen to some of them... It's true that the list is somehow long, but it has lots of unusual pieces I do not know!

Here is also a suggestion (for a Second Round?):




(Rautavaara, _The Fiddlers_)


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Bump.
> 
> I really wanna see some results! If I had made it a smaller quiz with only 5 pieces, would that have make people wanna do it more? I can do that if anyone likes....


I have to admit, I was scared off by the number of pieces.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Mozart's, I think it's because I know his music generally well (out of the listed composers above) and it's good to see his humor side in music.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

The Arnold and Dohnanyi pieces are old favourites of mine, and great fun. Thanks for suggesting the others.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I too am daunted by the number, but I managed to give most of them at least a partial listen. I'm going to jump on the Mozart Musical Joke bandwagon, the Hamelin - Pop Music for Player Piano running a distant second from this list.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

** Ok then! How about just pieces 1-5 are to be studied now for this round, and I will remake the poll later with pieces 6-10, etc. I got still more to do after 15 too. **

1. Shchedrin - Humoreske





2. Albeniz - Yvonne en Visite: 2. Joyeuse Rencontre, et quelques pénibles événements!!





3. Ives - Yale Princeton Football Game





4. Varese - Tuning





5. Dohnanyi - Variations on a Nursery Tune





Anyhow, if I put in a vote personally, I'd say all 15 of these pieces make me smile, and a few make me actually laugh. I think the one that made me laugh the hardest was the Arnold Carnival of the Animals, because the last movement "Bats" is a really trolly joke. If you get the joke then it's super funny. :lol:


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Oh, rats. I didn't laugh at any of the five. Of course, I don't usually laugh at classical pieces, and I never giggle at concerts when the bassoon plays. My lack of a snicker reaction makes me feel like Shostakavich when asked if he believed in God: "No, and I am very about sorry it.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Manxfeeder said:


> My lack of a snicker reaction makes me feel like Shostakavich when asked if he believed in God: "No, and I am very about sorry it."


LOL that's a good one... I'll remember that. :lol:


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