VB’s “Beer Bottle Symphony”: April 9, 2012

This week’s Noteworthy video is another classical music-related TV commercial, this time compliments of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, and Australia’s VB (Victoria Bitter) Beer. In 2007, VB approached Melbourne Symphony conductor Cezary Skubiszewski to arrange the VB commercial jingle for orchestra – using only VB beer bottles, also known as “stubbies” (and hence the arrangement is also known as the “Stubby Symphony”). You’ll see the members of these two great orchestras, dressed in their finest concert attire, hitting, banging, blowing, and even dropping these “stubbies”, producing the varied pitches and syncopated rhythm of Maestro Skubiszewski’s catchy arrangement – in a performance that is both convincing and musical! After you watch this video, you are invited to watch the fascinating “Making of the VB Stubby Symphony” video, which details how the commercial was created, and confirms that indeed all sounds were made exclusively by VB stubbies! Enjoy both videos, and tell us what you think!

Members of the Melbourne Symphony and Orchestra Victoria perform the VB Beer Bottle Symphony