Musical Moments from Chopin

1947 film
  • February 24, 1947 (1947-02-24)
Running time
7:46LanguageEnglish

Musical Moments from Chopin (also known as Chopin's Musical Moments)[1] is a Musical Miniatures cartoon, co-starring Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker. It was directed by Dick Lundy and released on February 24, 1947.

It was nominated for an Academy Award for best short subject in 1946, losing to MGM's Tom and Jerry cartoon The Cat Concerto, which also featured a piano concert setting.

Plot

This short starts with Andy Panda performing a Chopin polonaise on stage. As he does so, Woody Woodpecker wanders out and starts polishing the piano, and seems impressed by Andy's playing. Woody then plays along with Andy on the following pieces, either on the same or another grand piano, with increasing cut-aways to the animal audience and their own antics.[2] At some point, an intoxicated horse up in the rafters who was trying to light his cigar tries to use a ceiling lamp to light it, but accidentally causes it to fall and spread a fire onto the stage. Andy manages to finish his piano performance while Woody extinguishes the flames.

Analysis

The short would be the first Musical Miniatures cartoon produced by the studio, and is the only entry to receive an Academy Award nomination for best short subject.[3] This was Lantz's eighth Academy Award nomination.[4]

Dick Lundy previously tested the concept in the 1946 Andy Panda cartoon, The Poet & Peasant. It was proven to be a success as it was also nominated for an Academy Award. Lundy would direct all of the remaining Musical Miniatures cartoons until the studios brief closure.[5]

The short features music by Frédéric Chopin played by Woody and Andy, which includes:

  • Polonaise in A major, Op. 40, No. 1[2] (played in the opening theme)
  • Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53
  • Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. 66[2]
  • Ecossaise in D major, Op.72/3
  • Mazurka in B-flat major, Op. 7/1[2]
  • Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31

In 1958, the television show The Woody Woodpecker Show premiered, and continued on the air in various forms for the next four decades. Episode 18 of its first season included Musical Moments from Chopin along with other Lantz cartoons, and a making-of involving Lantz and storyboarding.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Results displayed by award category". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d Gengaro, Christine Lee (2017-12-20). Experiencing Chopin: A Listener's Companion. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 146. ISBN 978-1-4422-6087-0.
  3. ^ Gitlin, Martin; Wos, Joseph (2018-03-15). A Celebration of Animation: The 100 Greatest Cartoon Characters in Television History. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-63076-279-7.
  4. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2006). Who's who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television's Award-winning and Legendary Animators. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-55783-671-7.
  5. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2006). Who's who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 217. ISBN 155783671X. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  6. ^ "Wacky Weed/ Musical Moments From Chopin/A Moment With Walter Lantz/Beach Nut". TV.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015.

External links

  • Musical Moments from Chopin at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
  • v
  • t
  • e
Concertante works
  • Variations on "Là ci darem la mano", Op. 2
  • Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 11
  • Fantasy on Polish Airs, Op. 13
  • Rondo à la Krakowiak, Op. 14
  • Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21
  • Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22
  • Allegro de concert, Op. 46
Chamber music
and songs
  • Introduction and Polonaise brillante, Op. 3
  • Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 8
  • Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65
  • Grand Duo concertant
  • 19 Polish Songs
Ballades
  • No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
  • No. 2 in F major, Op. 38
  • No. 3 in A♭ major, Op. 47
  • No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
Études
Opus 10
  • No. 1
  • No. 2
  • No. 3
  • No. 4
  • No. 5
  • No. 6
  • No. 7
  • No. 8
  • No. 9
  • No. 10
  • No. 11
  • No. 12
Opus 25
  • No. 1
  • No. 2
  • No. 3
  • No. 4
  • No. 5
  • No. 6
  • No. 7
  • No. 8
  • No. 9
  • No. 10
  • No. 11
  • No. 12
Trois nouvelles études
Impromptus
  • No. 1 in A♭ major, Op. 29
  • No. 2 in F♯ major, Op. 36
  • No. 3 in G♭ major, Op. 51
  • Fantaisie-Impromptu in C♯ minor, Op. posth. 66
Mazurkas
  • 4 Mazurkas, Op. 6
  • 5 Mazurkas, Op. 7
  • 4 Mazurkas, Op. 17
  • 4 Mazurkas, Op. 24
  • 4 Mazurkas, Op. 30
  • 4 Mazurkas, Op. 33
  • 4 Mazurkas, Op. 41
  • 3 Mazurkas, Op. 50
  • 3 Mazurkas, Op. 56
  • 3 Mazurkas, Op. 59
  • 3 Mazurkas, Op. 63
  • 4 Mazurkas, Op. 67
  • 4 Mazurkas, Op. 68
  • Posthumous mazurkas without opus numbers
Nocturnes
  • 3 Nocturnes, Op. 9
  • 3 Nocturnes, Op. 15
  • 2 Nocturnes, Op. 27
  • 2 Nocturnes, Op. 32
  • 2 Nocturnes, Op. 37
  • 2 Nocturnes, Op. 48
  • 2 Nocturnes, Op. 55
  • 2 Nocturnes, Op. 62
  • Nocturne in E minor, Op. posth. 72
  • Nocturne in C♯ minor, Op. posth.
  • Nocturne in C minor, Op. posth.
Piano sonatas
  • No. 1 in C minor, Op. 4
  • No. 2 in B♭ minor, Op. 35 (Funeral March)
  • No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58
Polonaises
  • Introduction and Polonaise brillante, Op. 3
  • Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22
  • 2 Polonaises, Op. 26
  • 2 Polonaises, Op. 40 (Military)
  • Polonaise, Op. 44 (Tragic)
  • Polonaise, Op. 53 (Heroic)
  • Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61
  • 3 Polonaises, Op. posth. 71
  • Posthumous polonaises without opus numbers
Preludes
Opus 28
  • No. 1 in C major
  • No. 2 in A minor
  • No. 3 in G major
  • No. 4 in E minor
  • No. 5 in D major
  • No. 6 in B minor
  • No. 7 in A major
  • No. 8 in F♯ minor
  • No. 9 in E major
  • No. 10 in C♯ minor
  • No. 11 in B major
  • No. 12 in G♯ minor
  • No. 13 in F♯ major
  • No. 14 in E♭ minor
  • No. 15 in D♭ major
  • No. 16 in B♭ minor
  • No. 17 in A♭ major
  • No. 18 in F minor
  • No. 19 in E♭ major
  • No. 20 in C minor
  • No. 21 in B♭ major
  • No. 22 in G minor
  • No. 23 in F major
  • No. 24 in D minor
Others
  • Prelude in C♯ minor, Op. 45
  • Prelude in A♭ major (ded. Pierre Wolff)
  • Devil's Trill Prelude
Rondos
  • Rondo in C minor, Op. 1
  • Rondo à la mazur in F major, Op. 5
  • Rondo in E♭ major, Op. 16
  • Rondo in C major, Op. posth. 73 (versions for solo piano and two pianos)
  • Rondo à la Krakowiak, Op. 14
Scherzos
  • No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20
  • No. 2 in B♭ minor, Op. 31
  • No. 3 in C♯ minor, Op. 39
  • No. 4 in E major, Op. 54
Waltzes
  • Grande valse brillante in E♭ major, Op. 18
  • 3 Waltzes, Op. 34
  • Waltz in A♭ major, Op. 42
  • Waltz in D♭ major, Op. 64, No. 1 (Minute)
  • Waltz in C♯ minor, Op. 64, No. 2
  • Waltz in A♭ major, Op. 64, No. 3
  • Waltz in A♭ major, Op. 69, No. 1 (Farewell)
  • Waltz in B minor, Op. 69, No. 2
  • 3 Waltzes, Op. posth. 70
  • Waltz in E minor, Op. posth.
  • Waltz in E major, Op. posth.
  • Waltz in A minor, Op. posth.
Miscellaneous
With opus numbers
Variations brillantes in B♭ major on "Je vends des scapulaires" from Hérold's Ludovic, Op. 12
Boléro, Op. 19
Tarantelle in A♭ major, Op. 43
Allegro de concert, Op. 46
Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49
Berceuse in D♭ major, Op. 57
Barcarolle in F♯ major, Op. 60
Marche funèbre in C minor, Op. posth. 72/2
Three Écossaises, Op. posth. 72/3
17 Polish songs, Op. posth. 74
Without opus numbers
Album Leaf (Moderato) in E major, B. 151
Andantino in G minor (arr. of the piano part of the song Wiosna), B. 117
2 Bourrées, B. 160b
Canon in F minor, B. 129a
Cantabile in B♭ major, B. 84
Contredanse in G♭ major (doubtful), B. 17
Fugue in A minor, B. 144
3 Fugues; arr. from Cherubini's Cours de contrepoint et de fugue, KK. VIIa/2
Galopp in A♭ (Galop Marquis), P. 2/13
Introduction, Theme and Variations in D on a Venetian air, for piano 4-hands, KK. IVa/6
Klavierstück in B♭ (1834), P. 2/6
Klavierstück in E♭ (1837), P. 2/5
Klavierstück in E♭ (1840), P. 2/10
Largo in E♭, B. 109
2 Polish songs, B. 51, 132
Variations in A major, Souvenir de Paganini, B. 37
Variation in E major for Hexameron, B. 113
Variations in E major for flute and piano on "Non più mesta" from Rossini's La Cenerentola, B.9, KK. Anh. Ia/5
Variations in E major on the air "Der Schweizerbub", a.k.a. Introduction et Variations sur un Lied allemand, B. 14
Ballets to Chopin
Cultural depictions
  • Nocturne of Love (1919 film)
  • Youth of Chopin (1952 film)
  • Chopin: Desire for Love (2002 film)
  • Chopin (opera)
  • Eternal Sonata (video game)
  • Musical Moments from Chopin (cartoon)
FamilyOther topics
  • {{Ballades}}
  • {{Concertante}}
  • {{Études}}
  • {{Mazurkas}}
  • {{Nocturnes}}
  • {{Polonaises}}
  • {{Preludes}}
  • {{Scherzos}}
  • {{Waltzes}}