Apparently, within my limitations, there is enough to go on and on and on and on.". Mr. Borge would wistfully explain he had last seen the tailor the day before the performer left Denmark when he dropped off a pair of pants to be mended. Victor Borge was born in Copenhagen, Denmark into a Jewish family to Bernhard and Frederikke Rosenbaum. Just like a circus performer, youve got to be very good at walking the tightrope before you can act the fool! Arriving } Bad musicians are rarely funny for very long, but Victor Borge remained a riot for a remarkably long time, said Times music critic Mark Swed. Play that tune, Piano! His concert career began in 1922, and he performed in a musical revue in 1934, and in films by 1937. 2. Borge was famous for entertaining his audience with a unique and queer mixture of comedy and music. Victor gave his first piano concert at the age of 8 and secured a scholarship at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Also popular was his inflated language in which wonderful became two-derful, and the second lieutenant ate the tenderloin with his fork ballooned to the third lieu-eleven-ant nined the eleven-derloin with his fivek., But he was careful to balance his droll asides and witty sight gags with superb piano work. "When you are trying to defend a position, or create a position, in any field in your life, then every change, every move, has to be defended," he said in 1986. 6. Borge, who was Jewish, often satirized Adolf Hitler, and he was performing in Stockholm when Germany invaded Denmark in 1940. As might be expected for a family of musicians, Borge was immersed in music almost from birth. Please turn off your phone He would innocently reply, "Which one, Johann Sebastian or Offen?". He was able to combine musicality and humor.". Something went wrong with your request. Victor Borge (comedian and pianist; born January 3, 1909, in Copenhagen; died December 23, 2000) He looks like a elder statesman and speaks with the charming accents of a middle European fairytale kingdom, but the whole world knows him as the Great Dane. "The cause of death was heart failure," his daughter, Sanna Feirstein, said. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Borge died in Greenwich, Connecticut, at the age of 91 in 2000, in his sleep. "How did you get that fly to come on at the right time?" See details. Mr. Borge, a native of Copenhagen, gained the nicknames the "clown prince of Denmark" and the "Great Dane." He also could take on the audience in an engaging way, ceasing to play in a large auditorium to focus attention on some late concertgoer trying to tiptoe to a seat. but Phonetic Punctuation wasnt his. He fell off his bench, played music upside down and repeatedly milked laughs from such classic routines as "phonetic punctuation" in which he used goofy sounds to indicate commas, periods and question marks in his monologue. He managed to escape to the United States in 1940 on one of the last neutral ships leaving Europe. And his delicate balance of wordplay, physical gags and total mastery of the keyboard, is unrivalled. There has to be enough musical content to please the sophisticated, he said, and enough broad humor to satisfy those who have come just to laugh.. Typical was his comment on the irony of a pact between Denmark and Germany: Now the good German citizens can sleep peacefully in their beds, secure from the threat of Danish aggression.. My Favorite Intermissions: Lives of the Musical Greats and Other Facts You Never Knew You Were Missing. It is this immortal combination of skill and humour which earned the man the title, The Clown Prince Of Denmark. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1994 Press Photo Pianist Victor Borge holding a photo - pia07154 at the best online prices at eBay! A few years ago, Borge returned to the theater to fulfill a longtime dream of conducting the Royal Theater's symphony orchestra. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { He admitted that if it had not been for Hitler he probably would never have pursued a career as a concert-hall comedian. In 1933 he started his now famous "stand up" act, with the signature blend of piano music . Heres one to start you off, The best Piano performance ever! He had just returned from a trip to Copenhagen, the city of his birth. From there onwards, Borge became a huge entertainment phenomena in America and was demanded everywhere, which is why he did many tours and shows across the country. Victor Borge was a Danish musical comedian and trained concert pianist, who so memorably coined one of the original viola jokes The difference between a violin and a viola is that a viola burns longer. Then, in 1946, he began hosting the Victor Borge Show on NBC. During a career that spanned more than 70 years, Borge received numerous awards, including a Kennedy Center Honor in 1999. He made his orchestral debut when he was 10 as a soloist with the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra. After a few years of this, he began to incorporate his now familiar stand-up routine into his piano performances. laughed so much since her husband died. Perhaps the question most often asked of Borge was: What made you mix clowning with classical piano? The most popular of his videos, "The Best of Victor Borge," has sold more than 3 million copies. The real Victor Borge Rainer Hersch has often been compared with one of the greatest musical comedians of the 20th century - Victor Borge. Within a few years, he started mixing his comic skills with music and started having stand up acts, which was a blend of music and jokes. Sima's slogan is "Good Music for Good People," but as concert organizer Fred Munroe says, "This may be the understatement of the decade. Even today when I play with the orchestra, there are moments when I begin to shake. His second wife, Sarabel, died in September at the age of 83. comments to the audience. 8. In 1999, he was one of five performers to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center honors. 2000 CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. THE VICTOR BORGE COLLECTION. He met Rudy Vallee, who gave him an audition and lent him a studio audience that included Bing Crosbys radio sponsors. 'Borge' was originally his Christian name - he was born Brge Rosenbaum on January 3rd 1909. Mr. Borge made Broadway history in the 1950s when his show, "Comedy in Music," ran for 849 performances at the Golden Theater, a record for a one-man engagement. In 1941, days after failing to get a job pumping gas because his English wasnt good enough, he promptly secured himself a slot on the Bing Crosby radio show performing to 30 million Americans every week. Borge died in Greenwich, Connecticut, at the age of 91 in 2000, in his sleep. Rate this book. It was obvious from the numerous affectionate tributes and standing ovations at his 80th birthday concert in Copenhagen in 1989 that Danes felt the same way. } But another one became a business--and headache. He was completely astounded at how Borge was able to freely improvise with the violinist without knowing the piece. Despite his fame, Borge felt an insecurity that kept him from a leisurely retirement or from indulging his passion for sailing. It doesnt have to change with the times., His best-known routines included signaling his page-turner by a pull of the tie, interspersing Happy Birthday amid pieces by the classical masters and using explosive sounds for periods, commas and exclamation points. He became a big deal in the entertainment industry and started getting film offers. Both his parents were musicians; his mother was a pianist and father a violist in the Royal Danish Orchestra. Everybody who has ever tried to have a page turner knows that it is terribly dangerous, and the better musician you are the more you have been exposed to mistakes," Borge said. This was a In 1953, he starred in the one-man Broadway production "Comedy in Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Borges American career in top nightclubs and concert halls was launched. 4am - 6am, String Quartet No.2 in D major (3) He went on to perform "Comedy in . He would have turned 92 on January 3. Pianist, composer, songwriter, entertainer and actor, educated at Borgerdydskolen and the Conservatory of Copenhagen. Pianist and comedian Victor Borge has been daffy since his debut. Borges trademark bits included his phonetic punctuation, in which he read a story but used a sound for each punctuation mark, and his inflated language, in which each number or homonym of a number became the next-higher number (wonderful became twoderful). Both of his parents were musicians, and Borge continued in this line, learning piano and performing as a classical pianist. Borge got married to Elsie Chilton in 1933 and adopted two children: Ronald and Janet with her but the marriage did not last very long and he again got married to Sarabel Scraper in 1953 and had two children with her: Victor and Frederikke. Revisit the classic routines of comedian-pianist Victor Borge in highlights from his years . Born Borge Rosenbaum, he was educated at Borgerdydskolen, a public school in Copenhagen. That is when the climax of my day occurs. "So, when I do that routine the orchestra members just fall off their seats. Victor Borge, original name Brge Rosenbaum, (born January 3, 1909, Copenhagen, Denmarkdied December 23, 2000, Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.), Danish-born American pianist and comedian who was known worldwide for his irrepressible humour, which combined deadpan delivery, clever wordplay, satire, irreverence, and physical comedy as well as music. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Updates? One of Mr. Borge's serious causes was the Thanks to Scandinavia scholarship fund, which he helped establish. As the singer would begin booming out a climatic part of the piece, a seemingly terrified Mr. Borge would be startled off his bench. Generations come and go; they like it, understand it. Gordon Lightfoot, "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" singer, dies at age 84 He escaped on the American Legion the last passenger ship to leave Scandinavia during the war. Rudy Valle was an American singer, actor, bandleader and entertainer. Borge gave his first formal recital in 1926, but soon found he lacked the discipline to be a world-class concert pianist. Victor Borge, original name Brge Rosenbaum, (born January 3, 1909, Copenhagen, Denmarkdied December 23, 2000, Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.), Danish-born American pianist and comedian who was known worldwide for his irrepressible humour, which combined deadpan delivery, clever wordplay, satire, irreverence, and physical comedy as well as music. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Hollywood writers strike over streaming pay after talks fail, A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? Borge once saw a pianist slide right off his bench while playing a concerto, and he recreated that disaster hundreds of times. He changed his name to Victor Borge when he came to America because it sounded more American and was easier to pronounce, his daughter said. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Victor-Borge, The Kennedy Center - Biography of Victor Borge, Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of Victor Borge. Mr. Borge also delighted audiences by embarrassing others. And on Saturday 26 May, remarkable blind pianist Rachel Starrit will give a late-night candlelit concert, performing new works by three young composers and her own improvisations. Search for crossword clues found in the Daily Celebrity, NY Times, Daily Mirror, Telegraph and major publications. For eight decades, he was never out of the spotlight. Borge moved to America in 1940, owing to Nazis occupation of Denmark during World War II. Borge Rosenbaum, popularly known as Victor Borge, was an American comedian, music conductor and pianist who was once called the funniest pianist on earth by the Washington Post. #inline-recirc-item--id-9d1eb7d4-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Born Brge Rosenbaum in Copenhagen in 1909, Victor Borge started entertaining people in the 1920s and didnt stop until the end of the 20th century. Borges guest appearance on Crosbys Kraft Music Hall in 1941 led to a niche as a regular on the crooners show for 56 weeks. His second wife died in September at 83. 1961, he composed "Blue Serenade". His father was a violinist with the Danish Royal Symphony, and his mother was a gifted pianist. Wait till you hear how he pronounces Nocturne at 04:20: Victor Borge continued to tour well past the age of 80, and frequently got other musicians involved in his onstage antics. Star Sign: Capricorn. "This is where I am very, very lucky. He owned a very large farm where he raised Rock Cornish hens. He was on the local Nazi hit list when they invaded Denmark in April 1940. A large fly flew on to Borge's nose while he was playing. The problem that everyone has, be they great or not so great, is that every time you perform, you are defending yourself, proving that you can do it and do it well. The Kennedy Center cited him as both a concert pianist and a "sit-down" comedian. His inimitable brand of comedy was a mixture of wordplay, physical gags, and dazzling virtuosity on the piano. But as a Jew who had lampooned Hitler, Borge was in danger and fled first to Sweden and then to the United States, where he arrived penniless and unknown and by a fluke got booked on the Bing Crosby radio show. But he did it with more style than . Borge was born Jan. 3, 1909, as Boerge Rosenbaum to a family of musicians. Mr. Borge's mission in life seemed to be to convey to his audience the wonder and beauty of music and that it should be fun and without pomposity. For decades, Borge delighted audiences by deflating the pomposity of classical music. the years, but always retained some of the same comic remarks. "I think he brought laughter to every person he came in contact with," Rikke Borge said Saturday. Perhaps it was in 1942 when the. This was quickly followed by his realization that his music was upside down. "He had just returned from a wonderfully successful trip to . then. He also often crashed to the floor while accompanying a powerful operatic singer. children: Frederikke (Rikke) Borge with Sarabel. display: none; "He was just a great inspiration. Victor Borge (born Brge Rosenbaum in Copenhagen in 1909) was a Danish musical comedian who trained as a concert pianist and went on to achieve legendary success in radio and television in America and Europe. His one-man Broadway show ran for 2 1/2 years in the early 1950s, setting an 849-performance record for such a solo act. Victor Borge (pronounced [borg] "BOR-guh"; January 3, 1909 - December 23, 2000), born Brge Rosenbaum, was a Jewish-Danish comedian, conductor and pianist, affectionately known as The Clown Prince of Denmark, The Unmelancholy Dane, and The Great Dane. He had just returned from a trip to Copenhagen, the city of his birth. Borges hobbies of flying and preparing gourmet meals served as a diversion. show in which Borge often announced he was going to play a piece, but Victor Borge was originally born in Copenhagen, but fled to Sweden once Nazis occupied Denmark during World War II. In the Sunday Times you'll find a feature on James Thierree, grandson of the great Charlie Chaplin, who was a strong influence on Victor Borge, one of the heroes of the comedy world. Rdy Vallee later gave him a shot at radio, and he became a regular on Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall. At 23 he made his professional comedy debut. Victor Borge Biography: Victor Borge was born in Copenhagen, Denmark January 3, 1909, the son of Bernhard and Frederikke Rosenbaum. Promoted by Victor Borge, who has died aged 91, was not the first comedian to have contrived his act from sending up or mutilating serious music. "Playing music and making jokes are as natural to me as breathing," Borge told Reuters in an interview in 1989. Both of his parents were musicians, and Borge continued in this line, learning piano and performing as a classical pianist. Victor Borge (1909-2000) - Find a Grave Memorial Advertisement Photo added by Erik Skytte Victor Borge Birth 3 Jan 1909 Copenhagen, Kobenhavns Kommune, Hovedstaden, Denmark Death 23 Dec 2000 (aged 91) Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA Burial Mosaisk Vestre Begravelsesplads Copenhagen, Kobenhavns Kommune, Hovedstaden, Denmark Plot show. I was taken around, expected to play after dinner on pianos which were generally out of tune--polished, but out of tune, he said wryly. display: block; "He had so much on the table, and to the day he died he was creative, and practicing piano several hours a day," Gurtman told Reuters. Victor Borge. Borges gags became so expected that when he twitched his nose during a concert because a fly landed on it, the audience considered the reaction part of the act and demanded to know how he trained the fly. He learned English by spending day after day in movie theaters and memorized some of his routines phonetically. Brge Rosenbaum (3 January 1909 - 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( BOR-g), was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the North America and Europe. He was the highest paid entertainer in the world in 1960. His parents, Bernhard and Frederikke Rosenbaum, were both . Abandoning all his possessions, including his piano, Borge later joked that he had caught the last available ship out of Petsame, Finland, with only five minutes to spare. The couple escaped with just their dog--and had to pay a $3 U.S. customs tax on it. But, if you have heard the name,how much do you really know about one of the worlds greatest comedy entertainers? "That's why I've never thought of retiring because I do it all the time whether on the stage or off. Learn more. Some artists become crazed by years of stardom. Borge also remained in contact with the television world with appearances on shows like The Electronic Company, Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Whats My Line?, etc. Born Borg Rosenbaum in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1909, Victor Borge was the youngest son of Bernard Rosenbaum, a viola player in the Royal Danish Philharmonic Orchestra, and the former Frederikke Lichtinger, a gifted pianist.
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