Who is this violinist/comedian?

October 13, 2011 8:26 PM

A few years ago I saw a violin comedy bit on a late night talk show. The violinist was making fun of the fact that audiences don't know when to applaud at a symphony because of all the flourishes and false climaxes. (Sorry about the mangled terms, I don't really know music.) He illustrated this on his violin, by playing what sounded like a real classical piece, but one that had multiple endings and kept picking back up right when you were sure it was done. Kind of hard for me to describe without musical jargon, but hopefully someone knows what I'm talking about. Anyone have any idea who this was or where I can find it? I can't seem to find the right Google key words.
posted by Cortes to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

Best answer: Here ya go!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 9:11 PM on October 13, 2011 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you so much! I have been looking for that for a very long time, and it was as good as I remembered it.
posted by Cortes at 9:15 PM on October 13, 2011

Dudley Moore had a similar but more elaborate bit years earlier with a piano, for the curious.
posted by StrikeTheViol at 9:52 PM on October 13, 2011 [5 favorites]

just as something in the same vein, this comedy duo is pretty good
posted by jangie at 9:54 PM on October 13, 2011

There's also the actual Erik Satie piece Embryons desseches #3. The last 35 seconds or so is all fake-out cadenza ending.
posted by en forme de poire at 9:56 PM on October 13, 2011

The secret is not to applaud until the conductor lowers their arms.
posted by QIbHom at 7:40 AM on October 14, 2011 [2 favorites]

The secret is not to applaud until the conductor lowers their arms.

Actually this is bad advice. The conduct will lower their arms after every movement, but you're not supposed to applaud until after the end of the last movement of a piece.
posted by John Cohen at 8:13 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]