Very Fun and Exciting!
This piece is really interesting. The variations on chopsticks will get people interested in learning the piece, and perhaps even inspire people to learn to play the piano. There is a quality to the piece that makes me want to click to this page and listen to the piece again and again...which explains why it's on the top 10. Keep up the good work!
Montgomery Zzyzx
Chop sticks will never be the same.
As a new visitor to this site, actually looking for gospel music for choirs just to get some ideas, I stumbled across a peice of music called boogie cat.
Well What a great deal of fun that sounds a proper mix up of things I'd always associated with messing around at the keyboard with little bits of more serious music to break up the momentum.
Thank you it was fun to listen to. Now I just wish I could play it.
Maureen Teasdale
Fantastic!
Quite simply BRILLIANT! This has got to be the best piece on the entire Sibelius Music site. Full of fun and frivolity and I simply hope its been played in concert as an encore at some time
The only problem...it's too hard for me to play!
H.J. Robertshaw
Simply Brilliant!
I felt myself as travelling and surfing on the sound wave while hearing your performance in this 4 hands piano's piece.
It must be fascinating to hear this piece at live.
You are great!
Congratulations!
Think you!
Bosco.
Joao Bosco Rolim Esmeraldo
What a Hoot!
Brilliant. My muso son and I viewed/listened to the comp. together and laughed throughout. Top job. Music with a sense of humor should always have a place in the great scheme of things. Congratulations to the composer/arranger. - you made our night.
Jeffrey Thorpe
Very clever
but I'm a little surprised you didn't do an explicit "Hokey Pokey" quote, which would also have fit well. Still, very entertaining!
Eric Lindholm
Lots of Fun
I love it. I play but not that well anymore; however, I sent it to my sister to see what she can do. Cat lovers,ever watch your cat? It's perfect! I can just see a cat pouncing on a mouse....
Thanks for a great piece.
Barbara Thompson
p.s. Maybe if I work hard enough,I can manage to play it with my sister.
Barbara Thompson
FANTASTICO!
THIS IS A MAJOR BOOGIE WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS! I ENJOYED VERY MUCH THE ADDING OF SOME THEMES FAMILIAR TO US ALL NEAR THE END OF THE PIECE. THIS MUSIC GETS THE BLOOD FLOWING---MY WIFE BROKE OUT INTO AN EXERCISE SESSION WHEN I PUT THIS ON! iT IS VERY ENTERTAINING! PLEASE GIVE US MORE.
ANDREW BRENNAN
GOD THAT WAS BOOGIE ALL RIGHT!!!!
Hey I enjoyed that piece greatly... you seem to have a great knack of arranging and this piece really showed it off... your transitions from song to song I thought could probably have been done a little smoother other than having a suspended or held chord and then jumping in to it as I thought it would break the boogie mood - you had a rhythm going and it would be a shame to interrupt it. The only other thing that got me was throughout the 2nd song (Eb Db Gb, Gb Gb - that song) poor bass guy spends most of his left hand doing the exact same thing for pages and pages, he could have a little more fun.
But your arrangment of the Flight of the bumble bee really got me going - you really jazzed it up and usually I'm not keen on arrangements of classical pieces, but yours was done in a way that still kept the pianism of the piece without turning it into a Richard Clayderman cheese song. Congratulations
Well Done, I enjoyed that very much and only hope I can get a friend who may be able to play the second part on the piano with me. I'll need to check out your other pieces, you've shown to me your a damn good arranger and composer.
Peter J
Classically Boogied Bravo!
The humor and fun in this piece is overwhelming!I'll have to say you
make those Chopin Etudes hop and jump! Your joke with the audience
with your catchy easy parts is a funny contrast before you "Get Down".
> I play a little rockabilly style piano but I teach classical piano
and compose in a modern style.
> If you don't have fun why play?
>Sincerely I think.
>Al(Alvin Lloyd Masters).
Alvin Lloyd Masters
Wonderfull
The boogie-theme of the peice was fantastric andd the theme that you used worked wonderfully on the top. The refference to Chopin and the Flight of the Bumblebee are hillarious. Please arrange this for Brass quartet or quintet, i would love to be able to play it or hear it played on something other than the piano.
Thanks for the wonderfull peice
~simon
Simon Hukin
WOA!!
I was into it and fully enjoying it.. and then the flight of the bumble bee came in and kinda suprised me in a goooood way :).. NICE JOB!!
Absolutely Breath-taking
This song is a combination of two of my most impressionable songs. I've played the flea waltz (the first part) and heard my friend play the flight of the bumble bee, and it was great, but in four hands the combination stopped me in my path. it's absolutely perfect.
Julia Fanghella
Truly amazing
This piece is simpily brilliant, I particually like how it is started, with the theme tune (with great humor) then how it suddenly breaks into boogie-woogie. Although I have to agree with the others, the ending could have been stronger, it was a good ending, but it needed more umph. Overall an excellent piece, novel idea with incorperating other pieces in to it, and doing it very well I might add.
Other viewers have said that it is too challanging to play, and that the key signature is akward, without even giving evidence of actually trying it. YOU DON'T KNOW SOMTHING UNTIL YOU'VE TRIED IT.
I say that if you were to think of every new (and exciting piece) the same way as these people, there would be no progress in music.
Steven Clough
Fab-Dabby-Doobies! (",)
this piece is amazing! :)it is soooo much fun to play! :D well done for writing it! :D :D :D
Hannah Curtis
I tip my hat to a maestro!
I am in total agreement with the other reviewers. This piece is such an intellegent and yet musical and enteraining take on that tune we all love to hate so much. I sure that this would an excellent piece for a concert for the public. I am completely dazzled by the famous quotes all so seamlessly intergrated into the boogie genre. I love the concept of the first song kids teach each other taken to a very advanced playing level - that's fun!
Just... Wow!
This is an amazing piece! I agree with the "official" review; the ending for a piece like this should be loud and triumphant to get the applause it deserves, but other than that, well done! I particularly liked the guest appearence of The Flight of the Bumblebee! There are very few composers who could do that!
Simon Horner
Just wow!
AS the person who review this before me, there are loads of people saying how amazing this piece is, but one more can't hurt. I'm not even a piano player but I love this piece, it's almost inspiring me to learn piano just for this piece! Shear brilliance!
Hugh Blakemore
Absolutly Astonishing
This is fantastic. The best piece of piano music I've seen in my life! You should be very proud of this piece of music. It is amazing how you put it together!
Rebecca Phillips
I love it. . .
. . .even more than I love coffee and I love tea!
Did it remind anyone else of Chopin's "Black Key Etude"? And "Bumble Boogie" (by Frankie Carle, maybe?)?
Martha Knight
Brave!
There are already so many cheers for this piece out there, one more may not help--but it can't hurt! From the marvelously idiomatic piano writing to the genially subtle wit, this is a delight. I especially admire the keen musical intelligence in maestro's Kim's decisions about exactly how long to pursue each idea, when and how to break it off and move on to the next phase of his argument. Wonderful composing, wonderful music.
MW Morse
Michael Morse
I FOR ONE LOVED IT.
This is an amazingly charming piece. And though it is true that the middle does sag, I must say that it's not something that overwhelms the over all performance of this piece. Any professional/concert level pianist (which, as the composer indicated, this is written for) will have the crowd cheering as they play it in a duet. And to be honest, it's not even that hard of a piece to play. This is a very witty piece, and I too think it would make for a wonderful encore. I smiled all the way through it, and I'm sure that any audience would do the same.
John Roche
Bloody Neat!!!
What a super job! I thoroughly enjoyed this one. My hat's off to you!
This quasi "quodlibet on steroids" is sure to bring the house down.
The tunes do bring back memories. Of both younger days, and of former artists who preformed in this style regularly, in addition to their "standard repertoire". Ahhhhh..."solid technique"'s glory days!
One should not choose this work, if she/he has not acquired the
discipline of mastering certain technical studies as well as repertoire. When one's technique is solid, this type of stuff really does come into readiness,quite quickly.
The key is perfect for these type of "pianacrobatics". The patterns
fall right into place. Can't believe that there are people, this day & age, who are timorous when it comes to six flats.
Cheers!
H.L.
H. L. Smith, II ASCAP
A Bit Challengeing
For an average pianist this song would take hours if not yrs to prepare, the odd key is a major problem, also I must add that in practiceing this piece for that time it still would not sound in trandition to the computer generated version. By all means it is a great piece and even get my approval of a 9 but I still stress the fact normal human beings would have a troublesom time of performing this piece.. Its great to listen to on the Computer, but in all do respect,, To much is bad,,, in saying that I wonder if the 13 yr old actually played it???? and if he did how long did it take for him to render practice for it??? I am 16 and going on 8 yrs of piano practice. On organ im going on 7 and string bass 5yrs and tuba 6 yrs and so on bla bla bla.. I am sure I could put an effort in playing this with someone,, but that would take to much of my musical time and carreer as a musician,, I aggree with Mr. Wright!
Kyle Wagner
Watch out Philip Buttall!
This is a hilarious arrangement in the vein of Philip R. Buttall's ubiquitous work (Just add a lot more classical quotes and you'll have it...:D) I thought the ending could have been drawn out a bit more (maybe throw in a few more musical gags?) but overall this would be fun to listen to in concert (and it'd get the music teachers chuckling!) Good job!
Jerome Osborne
Not for me
I am in agreement with Tom Wright's review and in addition I'd like to say what a silly key. Gb is not the key for such a simple well known (and annoying) piece; it's not worth the effort of practicing.
Pete Peters
In response to Mr Wright
I have practiced this piece and plan to play it in an upcoming concert. I'm 13 and I have had only a few years experience on the piano after practicing this piece to performance standards I enjoyed it more than the first time I heard it, put forward the time I know you won't regret it.
Joel Koroniak
Really awsome
Listened to this piece once, knew it was immense but couldn't find it again, found it now and I still think it's incredible, it just makes me break into a huge huge smile; great acheivement! Well done!
Ed Waller
Quite amusing, but...
This is quite an amusing piece and if I had written it myself I would no doubt be quite proud of it and put it on Scorch - but I would be very disappointed if anyone gave it a rating of more than about 8! The piece is fundamentally trivial and the combination of artistic triviality and technical difficulty is not a good one. Although I think it does get quite interesting for about 20 bars starting at bar 20, this would not be sufficient reward for the amount of practice an average pianist such as myself would need - in fact, I think I would soon become thoroughly sick of it! In summary, I would say this piece is more suitable for playing by a computer than by any people I can think of. I think it has been vastly over-rated and I feel a need to redress the balance!
Tom Wright
my god it's awesome
It's brilliant!
Loving the bumblebee section especially!
Jamie Ling
Great!
This piece is fantastic! I espicially enjoyed the way you incorporated the flight of the bumble bee into it!
Xander Harris
It would be perfect...
Have you ever realised how little kids in a music block love to sit down at a piano and play things such as chopsticks?! The music teachers come marching in, slam the cover of the keys down in anger almost cutting off the poor children's fingers!
I can just imagine learning this piece with a friend (not gonna happen - nowhere near good enough) and getting up on stage and performing it at a school concert. The music teacher would go mad, and it would be so brilliant to perform!
Yay - brilliantly funny!
Bryher Hill
A joy of a piece
A joy of a piece - well worth listening to even if you can't play it! Just a comment on one of the previous reviews: if you don't like the 6 flats (G flat major), ignore them, imagine it has one sharp and play it in the key of G! It'll be much easier now...(!)
Jon Raybould
Nice, well-written
Yeah, nice, well-written... technically superb, and a lot of fun to listen to (and, no doubt, to perform).
However, when I arrange a folk tune, I say so. I don't credit myself as the 'composer'. I credit myself as 'trad arr'.
This has to be classed as a folk tune, surely. Others better-read than I may, no doubt, be acquainted with its true origins, but, as far as I'm concerned, if you can't tell me who wrote the tune and it's sung, played, bashed or rapped by kids, then it has to be part of the oral tradition.
So, how about Chopsticks next, or The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round? Or perhaps someone knows who wrote those, too?
Robin Kearsley Bullen
A fascinating arrangement of that horrid melody
This is a fascinating arrangement of that horrid melody. I'd never thought that anyone could, or would want to, do anything with 'that' piece of music. You did a great job by taking something what I would call 'bad music' and transforming it into something wonderful. Great job!
Kent Morris
Thriving with life!
A great piece which is thriving with life! As said by those before me I love the incorporation of Rimsky-Korsakov and Chopin in this piece. However, as a slight negative thought, I think one really has to question the "playability" of this piece. The sheer technical difficulties of the often complicated rhythyms and semi-quaver passages complemented by this desperatly tricky key of 6 flats makes it a very tough piece indeed!
Ryan Leonard
A "wow" of an arrangement!
Come on, you guys - admit it! This is an absolute "wow" of an arrangement. At last someone has managed to expurgate all my bad thoughts (and there were many!) on "that" piece. I'll certainly put it in my programmes - assuming I can play it! I have to give this one "full pot". Thanks, Philip!
James W. Dickenson
Absolutely hilarious
It is absolutely hilarious the way Flight of the bumble-bee is incorporated into this piece at the end. Magnificent.
Tyler Lizenby
Makes me break into a big smile
What a great piece! I've listened to it several times, it just makes me break out into a big smile! Although the key would probably be a 'challenge', it has a real swing to it, I especially like the 'sarcastic' bit in the middle, with the gliss down back into the boogie tempo, and it's refreshing to hear Chopin and Rimsky-Korsakov quoted in a boogie-woogie piano piece. I'm sure they wouldn't mind! Anyway, good stuff!!
Stephen Davies
Laugh out loud great
This is great! I was laughing out loud while listening. As an aficionado of Classical Music and, I must guiltily admit, a rather "serious" composer, the light-hearted way Mozart (and Rimsky-Korsokov at the end) is dealt with is an absolute riot. Mozart himself was said to be a humorous man. I think he would have appreciated this.
Matthew Scott Phillips
Tongue in cheek
This is a typical "black key" piece, known to children all over the western world. As a humorous and happy piece it will surely be attractive to piano-teachers as a vehicle for motivation to the students. I do not, however, think that this piece is a great composition in spite of its joyful "tongue in the cheek" character. Anyway, it was great fun listening to it!
Harald Gundhus
Abrupt end
A real fun piece to listen to and probably play if you have the technique. Definitely worth listening to a second time. My only reservation is the rather abrupt end. Just when the momentum really builds up it dies all rather suddenly.
Allen Brown
