POLET SHMELYA

Created on 08/11/2005
Latest update on 22/11/2022

Artist: Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Author: Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Year: 1900

Original title of The Flight Of The Humble Bee from his opera kazko O Tsare Saltane, The Tale Of Tsar Saltan, based on a Pushkin poem. Said piece lasts but one minute and was strictly for virtuosos. Popularized by Rachmaninov's transcription of 1929.

Covers:

1930:

Vladimir Horowitz

1932:

Jascha Heifetz

1932:

Jehudi Menuhin

1937:

Jimmy Dorsey [as Flight Of The Bumble Bee]

1940:

Harry James [idem; top 20 US]

1946:

Isaac Stern

1946:

Spike Jones [version causing the trombone player to start sneezing halfway his solo part, phonetically sounding like an endless series of "Hackàdja's", inspiring the title of fourth theatre production of comical Belgian variety trio De Nieuwe Snaar (early '90s)]

1946:

Freddy Martin [as Bumble Boogie; with Jack Fina on piano]

1955:

Winifred Atwell [idem]

1958:

Perez Prado

1961:

B. Bumble & The Stingers [as Bumble Boogie; top 30 US, their hit before Nut Rocker]

1962:

Ventures [as Bumble Bee Twist]

1964:

José Feliciano

1967:

Bob Dylan [one of the Basement Tapes]

1973:

Ekseption

1975:

James Galway

1978:

Muppets

1987:

King's Singers

1991:

Bobby McFerrin

1999:

Dynamic Subarashii [as Bumble Bee Twist]

2001:

Elmo & The Orchestra [in Sesame Street]

2017:

Jools Holland [as Bumble Boogie]

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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