Monday 11 February 2008

Aleatory Music

Introducing Nora, the piano-playing cat:



Apparently, the impressive thing about this is that the moggie in question manages to play one note at a time. Usually, we're told, cats tend to hit multiple notes at once.

I feel sorry for Christian Pezold. If you managed to watch the video to the bitter end, it was his Minuet in G that the student was playing. For years this minuet was attributed to JS Bach, since it appears in the "Anna Magdalena Notebook".

This "Notebook" was a music book that Bach gave to his second wife, and various pieces that she and the family liked were written into it. Some of them are by Bach, others by his sons, and still more by other people.

The great thing about the pieces of music in it is that they are easy to play, which is why I started learning to play the piano by working through it. So poor old Pezold's minuets have been massacred by generations of students. And now by a cat. He must be spinning in his grave.

There are two good things about Nora. The first is that the sound is better than the howling cats usually treat us to. The second is that now I've heard piano playing that's worse than mine...

34 comments:

Bee said...

FIRST!!!

Bee said...

MEAHAHAHA!

I'll be back.

Bee said...

I can't listen to it at work cuz I'll give myself away but I'm sure it's lovely.

MIlton is talking to me about SOCKS AGAIN!!

Bee said...

I'm sure your piano playing is awesome. You're just to humble. (I'm only saying that because I'm all the across Lake Michigan and won't have to listen to it in reality.) But I'm sure you play slightly better than that cat. Maybe.

Bee said...

I just relaized I was first on both jean knee's post and yours today.
I'M ON FIRE!

Bee said...

Not literally, don't send in the fire dudes. Unless they're hot!

Bee said...

Not literally. I mean good looking hot.
Almost at 10.

Bee said...

Does it irritate you that I keep talking nonsense? Because I'll stop.

Bee said...

Maybe.

Now she moved on to hair conditioner. I guess that's better than socks.

Bee said...

She just said, "Oh, I better stop talking to you cuz I'm bothering you while you work!"

HEE HEE HEE! If she only knew.

Bee said...

11th!!

Bee said...

Now she’s talking about snow boots. Dear lord, stop me from grabbing the nearest fire poker!

Brian o vretanos said...

Who uses hair conditioner on socks? I suppose it would be all right if they were woolen...

You're going to regret saying that about my playing. I'll have to find a way to record it and put it on my blog.

Or maybe not.

Bee said...

You can't make me click play.

Brian o vretanos said...

But you'd do it anyway. Because otherwise you'd never know...

Bee said...

Curiosity killed the cat.
See, full circle.

Brian o vretanos said...

Brilliant!

Bee said...

Yes yes, I know. ;op

Jean Knee said...

drar, drat, and again drat. I don't have time to read any of this fabulousness or I'll be late picking Lean up.

be back

Jean Knee said...

was that the Three Stooges theme? I couldn't tell for sure.


I used to play the alto saxophone. I way sucked

Brian o vretanos said...

Jean Knee:

I don't know about the three stooges.

I also don't know much about the saxophone, but I think I know what your problem was. You're supposed to blow, not suck ;-)

Anonymous said...

Brilliant!!



BWAHAHAHAHA!

Jean Knee said...

that sounded obscene

Jean Knee said...

bwa haa haa haa

Tracy Rambles On And On said...

I just had to watch that video ten times because I watched it with me son sitting in my lap and he kept signing for "more" every time it ended. Now I could play that song!
I would definately listen to you play piano if you put it on your blog. I say do it!

Dan said...

I have already sent out for my Nora T-shirt !! I watched the whole thing thinking that at the end Nora was going to start playing some Musturd I meen Mozart, ( I still have the mustard my hole song in my head )
Blow, Suck, its all the same when it matters the most.
Bee, the only thing across Lake Michigan is Michigan.

Bee said...

Dan you are a liar.

Brian o vretanos said...

Tracy:

I suspect there are better sounding ways to keep children amused, but glad to be of service ;-)

Dan:

I was talking about sax...

Dan said...

Bee
I'm not a liar it is the same when it matters the most.

Brian
You must be talking ENGLISH again.

Jean Knee said...

Dan needs his mouth washed out with soap

Bee said...

Dan you dork! I was calling you a liar regarding the Michigan thing.

Brian o vretanos said...

Jean Knee:

Brilliant!

Tracy Rambles On And On said...

Brian- My almost two year old son is very easily amused!

Jean Knee said...

You forgot to guess which valentine was for you---okay ,okay I added that after you commented, so?