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Phonetically Speaking - and Don't Forget the Piano

By: Victor Borge
Label: Jasmine
Released: 22 Oct 2001
RRP: £9.99
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Customer Reviews

Classic routines from a comic genius - By: Budge Burgess, 09 Mar 2005
Victor Borge was a unique performer, combining the skills of a concert pianist with the timing & insights of a great comedian. Always impeccable, the complete gentleman, Borge's was a sophisticated, intelligent humour, humane & humanistic, though not without teeth - acerbic, witty, fast, but delivered with a voice which is as warm & silky as a glass of Drambuie. A Dane, he escaped ahead of the Nazi invasion & settled in the USA, rapidly becoming an adopted son ... & quickly establishing a role as an international treasure. He made regular appearances on British television in the 1950's, 60's, & 70's, & his comic routines were regularly played on the radio. Borge was part of my childhood, & I'm sure his memory is cherished by many of my generation.

His comedy, however, is timeless, & this CD not only offers some of his most famous routines, it also demonstrates his comic technique - verbal swordplay with the audience, teasing them, lulling them into false expectations before pulling the carpet from under them. You can hear how much the audience loved this man ... & you can hear how much he loved performing.

The jokes are timeless. I've heard them alll before, so many times, but they never fail to make me laugh. Oh, there's an element of nostalgia, here - the jokes trigger happy memories, put me in a good mood, a good frame, but they are funny nonetheless. Borge dissects Mozart. He strips opera of its pretensions. He makes music fun. You have to guess at some of the things he's doing - Borge had a very visual act, his deadpan face capable of so much expression, his casual, hesitant moves underscoring the timing of his humour. And his timing is superb! But you have to marvel at the imagination - listen to him inflate language, or add punctuation to the spoken word.

Sophisticated, humane, surreal in places, a comic genius & a personality which makes you feel warm & secure. Introduce someone to Borge & watch their face light up!