The Farrellel Universe

This is Arcadi Volodos performing one of Vladimir Horowitz's most popular pieces, an arrangement of the John Phillips Sousa march, "Stars and Stripes", for solo piano. I first saw this performed in a piece Charles Kuralt did on Horowitz before he died. Horowitz said it was necessary to have extra fingers to play his arrangement.

I have this on mp3, but it really must be seen to be believed. Properly played, the piece is entertaining and astounding, a rare combination. I particularly like the right hand playing the high fife parts while the left keeps the rest of the band going (starting around 2:40 to go in this video). While you watch, remember this, Sousa wrote this piece to be performed by an entire marching band, not a single pianist.

Methinks I've got to investigate Victor Borge a bit more. This is an hysterical abbreviated duet version of Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's better than Bug's Bunny's version in one of my all time favorite cartoons, Rhapsody Rabbit