Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 3: Many More Sing-Along Symphonies

Beethoven's Wig

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Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 3: Many More Sing-Along Symphonies Review

by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 3, is a strange mixture of classic send-up and purposely ham-handed performances loosely related to classical music. The liner notes refer to the project as "zany lyrics set to the greatest hits of classical music," which sounds about right save for the idea that classical music ever made it onto Billboard. Similar to P.D.Q. Bach, it's the perfect disc for the man or woman who doesn't mind poking fun at his or her own pretension, for the NPR fanatic who knows better than to take himself or herself too seriously. Of course this is all very silly: imagine Toccata and Fugue in D minor beginning with two singers exchanging, "Hello anybody in there?" Obviously, this is the kind of thing one would put on the hi-fi after a couple friends had dropped by on Sunday afternoon to sample a new bottle of chardonnay. Perhaps the laughter would only be polite chuckles between sips of wine, but it would have to beat listening to Live from Mountain Stage again. Officially, of course, Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 3, is labeled as children's music, though it seems a strange way to indoctrinate kids into the pleasures of the fine arts. Still, the series has thus far earned two Grammy Award nominations, and with two nominations under its belt, the series is bound to be doing something right.

Track Listing

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1 Beethoven's Wig 01:00 Amazon
2 Beethoven's Wig 01:02 Amazon
3 Beethoven's Wig 01:37 Amazon
4 Beethoven's Wig 01:21 Amazon
5 Beethoven's Wig 02:23 Amazon
6 Beethoven's Wig 01:22 Amazon
7 Beethoven's Wig 01:21 Amazon
8 Beethoven's Wig 00:33 Amazon
9 Beethoven's Wig 00:11 Amazon
10 Beethoven's Wig 00:17 Amazon
11 Beethoven's Wig 00:17 Amazon
12 Beethoven's Wig 00:22 Amazon
13 Beethoven's Wig 00:23 Amazon
14 Beethoven's Wig 00:53 Amazon
15 Beethoven's Wig 01:35 Amazon
16 Beethoven's Wig 01:59 Amazon
Carmen, opera
17 Beethoven's Wig 00:59 Amazon
Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat major, K. 495
18 Beethoven's Wig 00:59 Amazon
19 Beethoven's Wig 01:36 Amazon
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble
20 Beethoven's Wig 01:20 Amazon
Overture to Guillaume Tell (William Tell)
21 Beethoven's Wig 02:22 Amazon
22 Beethoven's Wig 01:21 Amazon
Nutcracker, suite from the ballet, Op. 71a
23 Beethoven's Wig 01:21 Amazon
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (L'apprenti sorcier), symphonic scherzo for orchestra
24 Beethoven's Wig 00:33 Amazon
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble
25 Beethoven's Wig 00:10 Amazon
Le Trophée, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin, IV, 22e ordre)
26 Beethoven's Wig 00:17 Amazon
Concerto for recorder, strings & continuo in C major, TWV 51:C1
27 Beethoven's Wig 00:19 Amazon
Suite for solo cello No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012
28 Beethoven's Wig 00:22 Amazon
Trombone Concerto in D major (extracted from Divertimento, MH 68)
29 Beethoven's Wig 00:21 Amazon
Harp Concerto in B flat major, Op.4/6, HWV 294
30 Beethoven's Wig 00:51 Amazon
Toccata and Fugue, for organ in D minor, BWV 565 (BC J37)
31 Beethoven's Wig 01:35 Amazon
Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zoroaster), tone poem for orchestra, Op. 30 (TrV 176)
32 Beethoven's Wig 01:53 Amazon
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