Clarke's Classics is a comedy

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by Australian satirist John Clarke, in collaboration with producer Kat McGuffie. The album was released in August 2017. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2017 The 31st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) are a series of award ceremonies which include the 2017 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine ...

the album won the

ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release The ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Music Award for Best Comedy Release, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Australians, Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out b ...

, this is Clarke's third time winning this award.

Background and release

In October 2016, John Clarke made his debut appearance as guest presenter on ABC Classic FM's Saturday Morning program. Clarke relished the opportunity to turn his comic genius and brilliant wit to music he adored: orchestral favourites by

Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams ( ; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

and Dvořák, piano classics by

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (born 17 May 18661 July 1925), better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. The son of a French father and a British mother, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire but was an undistinguished student and ...

and

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, and iconic opera moments such as "'O Mio Babbino Caro". John Clarke died in April 2017. When the first show was re-aired on Classic FM as a tribute, the audience response was again extraordinary, and the ABC was inundated with requests for an album release of the program. Thanks to this public outpouring, and to the enthusiasm of the Clarke family, the full program is presented here as a tribute to Clarke's commentary.

Track listing

CD1 # Listz – "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" # Bizet Carmen – "Habanera" # Satie – "Gymnopédie No. 1" # Gluck – "What is Life?" # Vaugh Williams – "The Lark Ascending" # Beethoven – "Moonlight Sonata: First movement" # Bizet – "The Pearl Fishers: Duet" # Schubert – "Hungarian Melody" CD2 # Hill – "Trumpet Concerto" # Puccini – "O Mio Babbino Caro" # Bach – "Goldberg Variations: Aria" # Verdi "Va, Pensiero" # Dvořák – "New World Symphony" CD3 # Schubert – "Ave Maria" # Wagner – "Siegfried Idyll" # Delibes Lakmé – "Flower Duet" # Brahms – "Hungarian Dance No. 5" # Widor – "Toccata"

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2017 albums 2010s comedy albums John Clarke (satirist) albums ARIA Award–winning albums