You may know that The Muppets is coming to TV this fall. This is exciting news for fans who have waited almost twenty years to see their favorite characters during prime time. What you may not know is that the Muppets are huge fans of classical music. Here are five great classical music Muppet moments to whet your Muppet/classical music palette:
1. Rowlf plays “Für Elise” by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Rowlf the dog is a big fan of classical music and musicals. (From The Muppet Show, episode 117.)
2. Gonzo plays “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Muppets wiki really describes this performance best: “Gonzo performs the piece on bagpipes while sitting on a flagpole which is chewed down by a beaver in episode 217 of The Muppet Show.” (Skip to 3:09 for this amazing performance.)
3. Beaker performs “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
Actually, six Beakers — three on vocals, two on instruments, and one on a metronome — perform this piece. All in Beaker-speak of course. This was featured in episode 209 of Muppets Tonight.
4. Placido Flamingo and the Sesame Street All-Animal Orchestra, conducted by non-Muppet Seiji Ozawa, perform “Italian Street Song” from the operetta Naughty Marietta, by Victor Herbert.
This is from Sesame Street’s “Pretty Great Performances”. And it is.
5. The Swedish Chef, Animal, and Beaker perform the “Habanera” aria from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet.
From a Muppet viral video, please enjoy this — um — beautiful rendition.
Thumbnail image from Beaker’s performance of “Ode to Joy”. Courtesy of the Muppets YouTube channel.