Stravinsky - Firebird (suite 1919) part 1

[cellomon09]

As a music student, I'm curious: what does twinkling fingers in the left hand mean?

[pwj86772]

@cellomon09 what do you mean?

[cellomon09]

@pwj86772 5:22 and 5:53

[flutegirly321]

My youth orchestra is doing this for our next performance....and I'm 1st flute (some areas of this are so scary hard technically....lol). This is going to be beautiful tho! Can't wait to see the music next week! ;)

[doctorfuse007]

@ArthurArnold - Fantastic performance!

[joshlemer]

This is seriously boring to watch. I don't want to stare at the conductor for 10 minutes. Can we just have a video of the whole orchestra?

[vaderhater513]

Are those empty seats I see *facepalm*.

[canargentinemusic]

Why does the melody at 5:13 sounds an awful lot like John Williams' "Leaving Hogwarts" from Harry Potter? :/

[EpiKuhL]

@allegro1131 still 6 8th notes/measure. conductor is just subdividing

[sockstealer107]

@MrJonodaman actually there is a nice bass drum roll all through the first half of the introduction. Then essential percussion through the Infernal Dance to the Finale. Those are the kind of parts that only uneducated marching band mouth breathers don't appreciate...

[MrJonodaman]

Percussion score = TACET

[trumpet90909]

@MrJonodaman What are you talking about? There is percussion playing in this from the actual FIRST note!

[Blakmajik78]

I actually like the camera on the director, I'm a band director and its pretty interesting to see how he directs different parts in the music and how everything is interpreted through his movements and facial expressions. This is absolutely beautiful....added as a favorite ;)

[Insomniac571]

As a student of composition, Stravinsky is by far one of my favorites. I could listen to the firebird suite over and over again. I also love Richard Strauss' Tod und Verklärung. While the Romantic period my favorite period overall, Stravinsky is my favorite composer of all time.

[steve8128]

My understanding is that, especially among the Europeans, it is common for the conductor to be about 1/2 beat ahead of the musicians (at least, according to what Americans expect to see). What we Americans would think of as the conductor's "down beat" is not where the musicians are actually supposed to put the beat.

[looney1023]

@steve8128

are you sure it's not the video desynching? the audio getting ahead of the picture, or vice-versa?

[zandercook1]

@looney1023 Haha no it's the Viennese style ( I think that's what it's called) of conducting. Watch Simon Rattle conduct, it's a pain trying to figure out what he's doing (and following him like when he took the youth orchestra I play in for a rehearsal) XD

[piccolophil13]

@orangebhuddy29 there isn't an alto flute in this piece, just some mean 2nd flute! :D

[buzduhl]

@PhillipPark90

I would offer a slightly different opinion than sniperas's comment. While it may absolutely be possible that the video and audio are not synched up, most orchestras that I've played in the players are listening to the other musicians instead of watching the conductor so they don't always match up. It really depends on how the conductor approaches their style of conducting. In wind ensembles, it's imperative that the band stays with the baton, but the orchestra not so much.

[orangebhuddy29]

wow, alto flute. that's rare.

[snipersas]

@PhillipPark90 but arent the musicians reading their music most of the time? it doesnt seem like everyone is watching the conductor. and sometimes it seems like the conductor isnt synching up to whats going on in the song that well at all. again sorry for my ignorance

[nacetroy]

nice, but the volume is way too low.

[snipersas]

this is an ignorant question, can someone tell me what the fuck it is a conductor actually does?

[mrotwist]

Music lesson number one: this is NOT a song! It is a composition - a ballet suite - not a song. A song has words and a tune. this composition has a name. It is The Firebird Suite!

[TheDavid2222]

2:03 is so incredible!

[Legomyegoorj]

Is it merely my imagination, or is there always at least ONE individual who thinks it hilarious to disrupt the performance by coughing?

"Dur-hur-hur, why, this sounds like a GREAT time to COUGH."

It can't be that they're genuinely ill, for who would attend a concert if their cough can be detected by microphones on the stage?

[Tuck213]

@Legomyegoorj I agree, people should hold their coughes by all means while the orchestra is playing. It's extremely annoying to hear someone behind you cleaning his throat while you're pretty much enchanted by the music.

[stupidclarinet]

I love the piece, but I feel like it was a bit fast. I'm not really sure if I like it or not...

[stripedman201]

This camera man sucks... like honestly the conductor isn't that cool....

[glgraham13]

Beautifully played

[potpourri360]

0:00 (1) Introduction - The Firebird and its dance - The Firebird's variation

4:56 (2) The Princesses’ Khorovod (Rondo, round dance)

[Zuurkool1]

i keep spamming the like button, in the hope i can give more than one like

[Robocheeseball701]

@Zuurkool1 Come back tomorrow! You are able to like a video once a day.

[laugh808]

Just ignore that last comment!

[laugh808]

Umm why can't I here it? Is that just me?

[petezilla]

Of course Lady Gaga likes this "song," it's an eternal work of art. I hate when pop stars name-drop like that, it's like bumper-stickers or slogan pins - some fancy Russian-Parisian broach to compliment her wardrobe.

Anyhoo, great performance!

[erioboe]

Yo le llamo amor!

[vunashville98]

Great job, Maestro! I'm conducting this in a few months. I can't wait! Where are you conducting now?

[TheDavid2222]

The creative way that Stravinsky uses the violins in this piece proves that he is a genius

[PurpleTheDog]

This is pretty amazing.

did you know

that

gaga loves this song..

she said when she was a kid she would watch them people rehearse this song all the time.

she was in the jazz dance group and shit and she was chosen to see this play with this song.. amazing.

im in love with this song.

and her... even more now..

[aznsongmasta59]

what happened to watching the soloists? the conductor is no fun to look at unless he has fake hair that moves around.

[stamstuff]

to stravinsky lovers. maybe you would like this concerto.

just write the word FREAKOLLO, and you would get to a 2 parts concerto, enjoy.

[MrAkihiros]

Boring conductor.

[VladimirVasicekJr]

Real or other Russia 1919 ?

[MsModernComposer]

@VladimirVasicekJr .....theres several versions, all derived from the original ballet score. this is one of the two other suites Stravinsky made.

[futsol55]

Reminds me of the shining.

[MrAkihiros]

Resembles the bartok music in The Shining.

[TheGishgal]

If you WATCH Dirigent Arnold you would be able to see just how complex the rhythms are - its not a baroque even 3 or 4 U know!

[Naminator99]

@TheGishgal it's for the most part a polyrythm. not an odd time sig.

[JesseP11]

Is it 6/4 time in the beginning?

[FliegendeHollaender]

@JesseP11

it's 12/8 -bass gives you the hint - Pam-pam-pam-Pam-pam-pam-Pam-pa­m-pam-Pam-pam-Pam--when the woodwinds intrude,it's a long lost story...:D Stravinsky-to the rescue!!!

[theJagaJazzist]

@JesseP11 12/8

[MsModernComposer]

@JesseP11 .... it's 12/8

[keelybreanne]

@MsModernComposer I certainly do hate 12/8 time. Maybe because I'm only in high school haha.

[pinkfloydrule27]

@MsModernComposer dam i counted it as 3/4 my knowledge of time signatures needs work

[lemonsquishy]

im totally seeing this in january! so pumped!!

[jojoasblok]

Too much camera on the conductor...I want to see some players!

[ordotanrules]

i think it's because it was uploaded by the conductor..

[Physdelicdreaming]

Beautiful. My favorite part starts at about 4:59. I have always loved the Firebird Suite - it really suites the beauty of it. :)

[Cepacol2]

I cannot wait to perform this in just 3 days! It gives me goosebumps! :O

[marcprolife]

What is the hurry during the ronde des princesses?

[Cepacol2]

I wonder that too. :o

[WKcellist10]

i basically cry every time the bassoon comes in at 5:35 after the cello solo.

its so amazing.

[cellofellow1223]

Go bassoons!!!!

[BBQJester]

Only 1 flute and 1 piccolo, that's strange. I thought the score needs 3 flutes.

[ndosg15]

I would have liked to have seen a close up of the flute & piccolo during their chaos at 3:41. But the camera is zoomed on the conductor the whole time!

[pinz2022]

So very figurative. It always makes me visualize jungle warriors setting up a night ambush.

[Isaxman]

Music like this sort of tells a story.

[massimolioy]

Bravo

[ItzhakRoxMySox]

What flute players this orchestra has. Holy cow.

[Donosaur3]

Agreed ! The Firebird Variation is just amazing, I don't even know how they're able to play that fast. Some notes are missing, but still, remarquable flute players.

[AnishProductions]

I love hor Mr. Arthur smiles at the musicians when they are doing a good Job!:) Hes an amazing conductior!:)

-Anish

[ThaSchwab]

Once again, the camera operator sucked miserably. I mean ... seriously ... CLOSE-UPS is the key word. In the two solos in the Scheherazade performance on here, the players weren't shown at all.

[PurpleTheDog]

@ThaSchwab i agree. i rather see the people playing (of course- along with the dude wavin his wand)

than JUST the dude wavin the wand..

watching the people play makes it all the more intense.

he ruined it.

[T7B6]

@ThaSchwab it would be the director actually, not the camera man. He could have done a much better job for sure. Musicians who get into directing this kind of live video, always make better shot calls for live music events I think.

[recessiondrug]

@ThaSchwab: I can see where you are coming from, but you can also see it as an opportunity to see what the conductor does to elicit the best solo from that performer. People so often overlook the conductor, and he is the most expressive one to watch, with his facial expressions, body language, and gestures.

[JethrotheTull]

Very good rendition.

Might i take the opportunity to add that Stravinsky is a genius. I knowningly used the present tense because his genius lives on accordingly to his muscial prowess.

[Dmully]

its the same thing in talking about books. You always refer to the text and the author as in it is in present tense because music and writing are a constant

[dnbjedi]

@JethrotheTull quite well spoken my man, stravinsky is a force to be reckoned with amongst any music at all.....little have they penetrated the depths of happiness and darkness that this one symphony comprises

[dnbjedi]

How he can keep such a docile face during stravinskys firebird is my amazement! he should be enraptured in rage and divinity!