La donna è mobile
Encyclopedia
"La donna è mobile" is the cynical Duke of Mantua's canzone
from Giuseppe Verdi
's opera
Rigoletto
(1851). The inherent irony
is that it is the callous playboy Duke himself who is mobile ("inconstant"). Its reprise
in the last act is chilling, as Rigoletto realizes from the sound of the Duke's lively voice coming from within the tavern (offstage), that the body in the sack over which he has grimly triumphed is not that of the Duke after all: Rigoletto had paid Sparafucile, an assassin, to kill the Duke but Sparafucile deceived him by killing Gilda, Rigoletto's beloved daughter, instead.
The canzone is famous as a showcase for tenor
s. Raffaele Mirate
's performance of the bravura
aria
at the opera's 1851 premiere was hailed as the highlight of the evening. It has been recorded by Enrico Caruso, Mario Lanza
, Plácido Domingo
, Luciano Pavarotti
, Juan Diego Flórez
, Jussi Björling
, Vitas
and hundreds of others. Before this song's first public performance (in Venice
), it was rehearsed under tight secrecy: a necessary precaution, because it proved to be catchy and soon after its first public performance every gondolier in Venice was singing it.
The almost comical-sounding theme
of La donna è mobile is introduced immediately, and runs as illustrated (transposed from the original key of B major). The theme is repeated several times in the approximately two minutes it takes to perform the aria, but with the important—and obvious—omission of the last bar
. This has the effect of driving the music forward as it creates the impression of being incomplete and unresolved, which it is, having left off not on the tonic
or dominant
but on the submediant
. Once the Duke has finished singing, however, the theme is once again repeated; but this time including the last, and conclusive, bar and finally resolving to the tonic. The song is strophic in form with an orchestral ritornello
.
Canzone
Literally "song" in Italian, a canzone is an Italian or Provençal song or ballad. It is also used to describe a type of lyric which resembles a madrigal...
from Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
(1851). The inherent irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
is that it is the callous playboy Duke himself who is mobile ("inconstant"). Its reprise
Reprise
Reprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
in the last act is chilling, as Rigoletto realizes from the sound of the Duke's lively voice coming from within the tavern (offstage), that the body in the sack over which he has grimly triumphed is not that of the Duke after all: Rigoletto had paid Sparafucile, an assassin, to kill the Duke but Sparafucile deceived him by killing Gilda, Rigoletto's beloved daughter, instead.
The canzone is famous as a showcase for tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
s. Raffaele Mirate
Raffaele Mirate
Raffaele Mirate was a celebrated Italian operatic tenor who had an active career from the 1830s through the 1860s. Known for his intelligent phrasing and bright and powerful vocal timbre, he was regarded as an outstanding interpreter of the tenor roles in the early and middle period operas of...
's performance of the bravura
Bravura
In classical music, a bravura is a virtuosic passage intended to show off the skill of a performer, generally as a solo, and often in a cadenza. It can also be used as an adjective , or to refer to a performance of extraordinary virtuosity. The term comes from the Italian language for great skill....
aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
at the opera's 1851 premiere was hailed as the highlight of the evening. It has been recorded by Enrico Caruso, Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
, Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
, Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Sol del Perú....
, Jussi Björling
Jussi Björling
Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling was a Swedish tenor. One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th Century, Björling appeared frequently at the Royal Opera House in London, La Scala in Milan, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as well as at other major European opera...
, Vitas
Vitas
Vitaliy "Vitalik" Vladasovich Grachyov , better known by his stage name Vitas , is a Russian singer-songwriter.Known for his high falsetto voice, he has been given the nickname "Prince of the Dolphin Voice" in China...
and hundreds of others. Before this song's first public performance (in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
), it was rehearsed under tight secrecy: a necessary precaution, because it proved to be catchy and soon after its first public performance every gondolier in Venice was singing it.
The music
The almost comical-sounding theme
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
of La donna è mobile is introduced immediately, and runs as illustrated (transposed from the original key of B major). The theme is repeated several times in the approximately two minutes it takes to perform the aria, but with the important—and obvious—omission of the last bar
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
. This has the effect of driving the music forward as it creates the impression of being incomplete and unresolved, which it is, having left off not on the tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
or dominant
Dominant (music)
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale, called "dominant" because it is next in importance to the tonic,and a dominant chord is any chord built upon that pitch, using the notes of the same diatonic scale...
but on the submediant
Submediant
In music, the submediant is the sixth scale degree of the diatonic scale, the 'lower mediant' halfway between the tonic and the subdominant or 'lower dominant'...
. Once the Duke has finished singing, however, the theme is once again repeated; but this time including the last, and conclusive, bar and finally resolving to the tonic. The song is strophic in form with an orchestral ritornello
Ritornello
A ritornello is a recurring passage in Baroque music for orchestra or chorus. The first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria may be in "ritornello form", in which the ritornello is the opening theme, always played by tutti, which returns in whole or in part and in different keys throughout...
.
Libretto
La donna è mobile Qual piuma al vento, Muta d'accento — e di pensiero. Sempre un amabile, Leggiadro viso, In pianto o in riso, — è menzognero. Refrain La donna è mobil qual piuma al vento, Muta d'accento e di pensier! e di pensier! e di pensier! È sempre misero Chi a lei s'affida, Chi le confida — mal cauto il cuore! Pur mai non sentesi Felice appieno Chi su quel seno — non liba amore! Refrain La donna è mobil qual piuma al vento, Muta d'accento e di pensier! e di pensier! e di pensier! |
This woman is flighty Like a feather in the wind, She changes in voice — and in thought. Always a lovely, Pretty face, In tears or in laughter, — it's untrue. Refrain The woman is flighty Like a feather in the wind, She changes in voice and in thought, And in thought! And in thought! Always miserable Is he who trusts her, He who confides in her — his unwary heart! Yet one never feels Fully happy Who on that bosom — does not drink love! Refrain Woman is flighty Like a feather in the wind, She changed her words, And her thoughts! And her thoughts! |
Women are fickle (or erratic/flighty) Like a feather in the wind, They changed her words. (You can't tell what she's really saying or thinking) And lovely face, Graceful visage, (or beautiful face) That in tears or in laughter - is lying. Refrain Women are fickle, Like a feather in the wind, They changed her words, and her thought! and her thought! Weeping or laughing, (or wretched) Is lying, He who confides in her - incautious (reckless) his heart! Yet one never feels Fully happy, Who on that bosom/breast, - does not sip/taste love? Refrain Women are fickle, Like a feather in the wind, They change in tone, and in thought, and in thought! and in thought! |
In popular culture
- In Disney's 1990 short "The Prince and the PauperThe Prince and the PauperThe Prince and the Pauper is an English-language novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada before its 1882 publication in the United States. The book represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction...
" - In the film 1992, "The Perfect Husband"
- The canzone is sung to unsettling effect by the character Richard Benning in Ambrose BierceAmbrose BierceAmbrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist...
's 1893 short story An Adventure at Brownville, including after the suicide of one of Benning's wards. - In the 2000 film The Family ManThe Family ManThe Family Man is a 2000 drama film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni. Cage's production company, Saturn Films, helped produce the film....
, Jack Campbell (Nicolas CageNicolas CageNicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
) gets dressed and heads out to work while singing this song. - In an episode of M*A*S*H, B.J. Hunnicutt sings his version of the song while in the shower.
- In the 2004 movie The Punisher, a fight scene between Thomas JaneThomas JaneThomas Jane is an American actor known for his roles in the 1999 film Deep Blue Sea, the 2001 TV film 61*, the 2004 film The Punisher and the 2007 Stephen King adaptation The Mist...
(The Punisher) and Kevin NashKevin NashKevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
(The Russian) occurs while the song plays and his apartment neighbors sing and dance to the song. - The first verse of the song is featured in Rugrats in Paris: The MovieRugrats in Paris: The MovieRugrats in Paris: The Movie, also known as The Rugrats Movie 2: Rugrats in Paris and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie - Rugrats II, is 2000 American animated film, and the sequel to the 1998 film The Rugrats Movie that follows the continuing adventures of the Rugrats. In the film, Chuckie Finster takes...
. - In the South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode "Quintuplets 2000Quintuplets 2000"Quintuplets 2000" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the Comedy Central series South Park, and the 52nd episode of the series overall. It was originally broadcast on April 26, 2000...
", Kenny sings the canzone while making money for his singing training in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. - In the Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
episode "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy", the holographic doctorDoctor (Star Trek)The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
sings the first verse while daydreaming that he is in recital for the crew. He "improvises" humorous lyrics to the canzone to trick Tuvok, who is experiencing pon farrPon farrPon farr is a term used in the fictional Star Trek canonical TV series. In Star Trek, pon farr is a psychophysical condition affecting Vulcans, in which Vulcan males and females go into heat every seven years, going into a blood fever, becoming violent, and finally dying if they do not mate with...
, into receiving a medicinal sedative. - In ChekhovAnton ChekhovAnton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
's 'Three SistersThree Sisters (play)Three Sisters is a play by Russian author and playwright Anton Chekhov, perhaps partially inspired by the situation of the three Brontë sisters, but most probably by the three Zimmermann sisters in Perm...
' Doctor Chebutykin sings snippets throughout. - In the video game Grand Theft Auto IIIGrand Theft Auto IIIGrand Theft Auto III is a 2001 open world action computer and video game developed by DMA Design in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows,...
this song can be heard on the Double Clef FM radio station. - In the FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
episode "The 30% Iron Chef", Elzar makes a working pastry replica of downtown VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. In the model a shrimp rows a gondola down a canal while singing the song. - In the episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
titled The Last of the Red Hat MamasThe Last of the Red Hat MamasThe Last of the Red Hat Mamas is the seventh episode of the seventeenth season of The Simpsons. The episode originally aired on November 27, 2005. This episode was the second highest rated of the season with 11.5 million viewers.-Plot:...
Lisa sings the song with new lyrics. - In an episode of Aaahh!!! Real MonstersAAAHH!!! Real MonstersAaahh!!! Real Monsters is an American animated television series about adolescent monsters in training, developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon...
, Zimbo and the Snorch torture Ickis, Krumm and Oblina by singing this song during the closing credits. - In the 1999 film My Favorite MartianMy Favorite Martian (film)My Favorite Martian is a 1999 science fiction comedy film starring Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Daniels, Daryl Hannah, Elizabeth Hurley, Wallace Shawn and Ray Walston, based on the 1960s television series of the same name. It was directed by Donald Petrie and written by original-series creator John L....
Martin the Martian sings the song while in a hot tub. - Many football crowd chants/songs are to this tune.
- ArsenalArsenalAn arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
: one of the fan's songs with lyrics "We've got Cesc FabregasCesc FàbregasFrancesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
." - West Ham United F.C.West Ham United F.C.West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
: one of the supporters' songs praising striker Paulo di Canio. - Aston Villa F.C.Aston Villa F.C.Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
: one of the supporters' songs praising Villa striker Gabriel AgbonlahorGabriel AgbonlahorGabriel Imuetinyan "Gabby" Agbonlahor is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Aston Villa. Agbonlahor is a product of Aston Villa's Academy and has earned three caps for the English national team. He is currently the longest-serving player at Villa Park, joining as a youth player in...
. - Heart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
: one of the supporters' songs praising owner Vladimir RomanovVladimir RomanovVladimir Nikolayevich Romanov ; born 1947 in Tver Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR) is an ethnic Russian businessman who also holds Lithuanian citizenship following that country's independence from the Soviet Union. He is chairman of UBIG Investments which is the majority shareholder in Scottish Premier...
. - As is the tune "Your ground's too big for you"
- Arsenal
- The Hall Song of Chancellor Hall, University of the West IndiesUniversity of the West IndiesThe University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
, Mona Campus in Jamaica, is set to the song's tune. - In an episode of "Figure it Out — Family Style" (1998–1999), a contestant with the secret "Self Taught Opera Soloist," sings the song as his featured song upon the panel figuring his secret out, while his father helped him out.
- In "Queer as Folk", Season 3, Ted gets a job as a singing waiter and is embarrassed when his friends show up at the restaurant as he is singing this song.
- In an episode of Dark AngelDark Angel (TV series)Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
, a tall prisoner sings this song in the yard to distract the guards while Max escapes. - In the film Hannibal Brooks, Oliver Reed (Brooks) distracts German soldiers by drunkenly singing 'Der Schnapps ist gut, mein Herr' to this melody, in order to make his escape.
- In the film My Mom's New BoyfriendMy Mom's New BoyfriendMy Mom's New Boyfriend is a 2008 romantic comedy film starring Colin Hanks, Antonio Banderas, Selma Blair, and Meg Ryan. The film received a limited theatrical release worldwide however it was released straight-to-DVD in the United States on June 17, 2008...
, the Italian Chef Enrico sings the song while drunkenly serenading Meg RyanMeg RyanMargaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
's character near the end of the movie. Ryan's kidnappers comment on his good singing. - "The Maestro" is an episode of the NBC sitcom SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
(aired 6 October 1995; episode 113, third episode of season #7). Elaine sings this canzone as she drives away with "the Maestro". - In the "Elmo's World" segment of an episode of Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, Elmo, dressed as a horse, is onstage. He starts singing La donna è mobile, but his voice is raspy, and when he stops, he gives the pun "I'm a little hoarse (horse)." Mr Noodle in "Singing" lip syncs the song. - In a Weekend UpdateWeekend UpdateWeekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typically presented in the middle of the show immediately after the first musical performance...
sketch on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, Opera Man (played by Adam Sandler) sang the song as a parody of a woman in the news. - At the start of the first episode of the Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
story "Doctor Who and the SiluriansDoctor Who and the SiluriansDoctor Who and the Silurians is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from January 31 to March 14, 1970. The story is the first appearance of a recurring family of Earth-dwelling reptiles...
," the Doctor (Jon PertweeJon PertweeJohn Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
) attempts to sing the aria while performing repairs on his new antique car Bessie, but can only sing the first line and hums the rest.- In another, later Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
story, "The LodgerThe LodgerThe Lodger may refer to:* The Lodger, a 1913 horror novel by Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes** The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, a 1927 British silent film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the 1913 novel...
", the Doctor (Matt SmithMatt SmithMatt Smith may refer to:*Matt Smith , American actor/producer whose screen name is Z.D. Smith*Matt Smith , English actor, known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who...
) attempts to sing this in the shower.
- In another, later Doctor Who
- In the 2009 video game Little King's StoryLittle King's Storyis a life simulation/role-playing video game co-developed by Cing and Town Factory for the Wii. The game was published by Rising Star Games in PAL regions on April 24, 2009, by Xseed Games in North America on July 21, 2009, and by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan on September 3, 2009.The player...
, an edited version of the song plays while in the area named "The Ripe Kingdom" before that kingdom is conquered. - In the television series I Dream of JeannieI Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, in the episode "My Master, The Great Caruso" (1966) Major Nelson sings the song using several different Jeannie-modified voices, including a sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, a basso profondo, a lounge singer, and Betty BoopBetty BoopBetty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
. - In a story from My Friends Tigger & PoohMy Friends Tigger & PoohMy Friends Tigger & Pooh is a computer animated television series, inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne. The television series features Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends, including two new characters: a brave 6-year-old red-headed girl named Darby and her dog Buster...
titled "Symphony for a Rabbit," Rabbit performs an ode to vegetables set to this tune. - An abridged version was performed by burlesque opera singer Prince PoppycockPrince PoppycockJohn Andrew Quale is an American singer, songwriter, and performer best known by the stage name and persona of Prince Poppycock. Quale, who specializes in musical theater and opera, describes Prince Poppycock on his website as a "roguish operatic dandy."...
for the Las Vegas auditions of the 5th season of America's Got TalentAmerica's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
. - In the animated series The TickThe TickThe Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...
episode "Bloomsday", The Tick sings to calm the 400 year bloom while battling El Seed.
- Danny JonesDanny JonesDaniel Alan David "Danny" Jones is an English musician who is one of the lead vocalists and guitarists for pop rock band McFly, alongside fellow members Tom Fletcher , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd .-McFly:McFly rose to fame in 2004, in part due to their association with Busted who helped launch...
of the UK boy band McFlyMcFlyMcFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
performed the song in the first series of Popstar to OperastarPopstar to OperastarPopstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
. - Joe McElderryJoe McElderryJoseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
performed the song in the 2nd series of Popstar to OperastarPopstar to OperastarPopstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
. - In the remake movie of Oscar Wilde's famous play "The Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being Earnest (1952 film)The Importance of Being Earnest is a British film adaptation of the play by Oscar Wilde. It was directed by Anthony Asquith, who also adapted the screenplay, and was produced by Teddy Baird.-Adaptation:...
", version of 1952, sung twice by character John Worthing played by Michael RedgraveMichael RedgraveSir Michael Scudamore Redgrave, CBE was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author.-Youth and education:...