Performing classical music and comedy on stage is rather a weird and very unlikely occurrence.
Pensive classical music that evokes many layers of emotions within you is too far from the frivolous nature of comedy. It’s like trying to mix oil and water where both acts are in extreme polarities. Yet this guy proves otherwise as he rocks both worlds in a throwback video of one of his best performances.
Famous for his unique blend of music and comedy, Victor Borge is hailed as”The Clown Prince of Denmark”, “The Unmelancholy Dane”, and “The Great Dane” across the globe.
Victor Borge, whose real name is Borge Rosenbaum, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to a family of musicians. This Danish-born American pianist, comedian, and conductor is known worldwide for his irrepressible humor, which combines deadpan delivery, clever wordplay, satire, irreverence, and last but definitely not the least, music.
At the age of three, his mother began teaching him how to play the piano. And at such a young age, it was apparent that he is a prodigy. On the way to becoming a concert pianist, however, Borge discovered that he also his flair for comedy. Later on, he will use this ability to respect classical music while skewering the pomposity often present in the world of musicians.
Borge has perfected a blend of comedy and virtuosic pianism that unites musical satire with sight gags and verbal quips.
Despite his natural flair in playing the piano, he is just as impressive when it comes to performing comedy that people often forget he is actually a talented musician.
Borge has so many comical routines that easily showcase his aptitude for playing the piano while making the people roll on the floor laughing.
One of them is playing a strange piano tune from a music sheet. He will look increasingly confused as he plays the piece at a quicker pace. Then he suddenly turns the sheet upside down and plays the actual tune, thus explaining the strange string of notes earlier.
Even if he just plays a gibberish set of melodies on the piano that he just made up on the spot, his natural charm and infectious vibrance can still effortlessly amuse the people, making the grumpiest audience choke a peal of laughter.
Another of his comical act is playing the piano energetically, albeit too much sometimes, making him fall on the floor.
And the way he flashes a toothy grin or a silly smile to the audience after such accomplishment just adds another punch of hilarity, making the audience’s stomachs and jaws hurt from guffawing.
He often likes to exaggerate in playing the piano to the point where he slams his own hands with the keyboard cover, yet he never misses a note and continues to impress with his pianist side. And when he notices that the music staffs are too long for his liking, he will rip the music sheet and just play half of it. But of course, he can’t leave the audience hanging like that so he will pick up shredded copies, licks them clean, and pastes them on the music desk to complete his piece.
He also has another famous routine which is called “page-turner” where he seeks the help of one of the production crew to help him turn the pages so he can play uninterruptedly. However, that is without a challenge when these two can’t be always on the same page, literally.
Borge is the epitome of humor and talent.
For Borge, he has always worked for two audiences at the same time. One is sophisticated, the other not musically oriented. Yet throughout his every performance, you can hear the constant mirth from the audience.
If you want to enjoy a taste of classical music and have a good laugh at the same time check out the video below!
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