The Blue Danube

"The Blue Danube" is the popular name for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube," also known as "the Blue Danube Waltz". Although the piece by Johann Strauss, Jr. (as what would become categorized as his opus #314) was originally meant to have been accompanied by lyrics, the composer favored the orchestral version. It stands in this form as one of the most popular pieces of classical music today; and is often known for it's use in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
One of its first performances was on Our Place, where a Balloon-Headed Conductor played it while popping balloons. He would later go on The Muppet Show to play "Pizzicato".
The song was also performed in episode 124 of The Muppet Show with Zelda Rose as a librarian who conducts a group of noisy patrons (Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Hilda, Nigel, and Wayne and Wanda) as they cough, rustle paper and chew gum to the tune of "The Blue Danube." The sketch was later marketed on its own as the Muppet Meeting Film "Teamwork in Action".
On Sesame Street, Madame Schwartzhead sings about front and back to the tune of "The Blue Danube". The song is also featured on the Sesame Street album, Elmo and the Orchestra. In Music Works Wonders, Big Bird, a duck, and a chicken make bird noises to the tune of "The Blue Danube." Later, Telly joins in with his triangle instrument, Rosita uses her feet to stomp, and Hoots the Owl plays his saxophone to the tune. It was also performed by Béla Fleck as a "concerto for banjo and two chickens" , and Ernie attempted to sing the alphabet to the tune of the song. A studio insert shows a pianist playing the tune with Oscar the Grouch on horns. 
In the second episode of The Jim Henson Hour, Kermit dances in water to the tune of "The Blue Danube" at one point when water gets on the floor of Muppet Central.
In the Bear in the Big Blue House episode, "As Different as Day and Night," Ojo and Treelo dance slow to this music.
On Sesamgade the song played during episode 18, where Elmo made a dance jukebox.
Gonzo conducted a chorus of chickens (including Jon Voight) in clucking "The Blue Danube" for The Muppet Show Live in 2001. The song was again performed by a group of musical chickens in a 2008 viral video under the title "Classical Chickens." The video was posted on various websites (including MySpace, YouTube, Vimeo, and others) and was said to be posted by Gonzo himself using such usernames as thegreatgonzo, weirdowhatever and bluenosedgeek.
The song plays in Muppets Most Wanted during Christoph Waltz and Sweetums' dance.
The tune was performed in The Muppets Take the Bowl and The Muppets Take the O2 as the "Boo Danube," by a set of ghosts and skulls.
==External links==
* Classical Chicken on YouTube
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Category:Muppet Songs
Category:Muppet Show Songs
Category:Classical Music
Category:Library
Category:Jim Henson Hour Songs
Category:Web Content Songs
Category:Sesame Street Classical
Category:Muppets Most Wanted Songs
Category:Sesame Street Songs
Category:Bear in the Big Blue House Songs