Mozart, Oboe quartet, K. 370, 1st mvt., Allegro

[OboeDuck]

Time to pick up my oboe again.

[dziban303]

I have flashbacks of playing Pitfall at age 8 while watching this.

[cangrejoni]

I just love your channel, @smalin. Thanks for making me understand a little bit more this sublime art. Greetings from Venezuela.

[goldrobinzon]

This is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for your work! I see this as the best way to listen to music, particularly to classical music. It involves both regular auditory AND visual perception and provides the most profound immersion into the piece. You can now SEE the greatest compositions of all time! Thank you again and please don't stop creating these masterpieces!

[ShaiHuIud]

you should hide some space invaders in the middle of it lol

[anonymous4gud]

are you guys tuning to 439- herz or something?

[smalin]

@anonymous4gud  They probably are, since it's a "historically informed" performance.

[harith1195]

It's squidward !!

[HautboisDream]

@harith1195 Haha Squidward played clarinet <3

[mysterioso2006]

I've always found this song weird. Oboes are so bizarre.

[mtv565]

@mysterioso2006 oboes can also be graceful, think "Swan Lake", think "New World Symphony".....

[mysterioso2006]

@mtv565 I agree. I'm not saying that they can't be utilized well, but it some pieces they just sound so....odd.

[mtv565]

@mysterioso2006 This oboe quartet don't sound odd, you certainly don't drink afternoon tea and cakes. This is perfect music for accompanying an afternoon tea.

[smalin]

@SpendAllYourMoney The problem isn't finding modalities to use (focus, intensity, opacity, hue, distance, etc.) but finding a mapping that works. Auditory perception is non-linear and context-dependent. If you don't take that into account when you design the mapping, it fails. Don't worry, it's something I think about all the time, and I'll eventually figure out something that works. But unless you want to try it yourself, you'll have to believe me when I say it's not a trivial problem.

[PublicLibraryx]

I was at a chamber music competition today and this group did this song but the oboe was a flute. it didnt sound that good.. we were only young so the players werent all that good, maybe 2 or 3 players were very experienced musicians

[adamskhan86]

Have you considered introducing a change of intensity or opacity to the bars as the instruments play more loudly or quietly? It could be a complete gradient or just a selection of levels from the most common: pp, p, mp, (null), mf, f, ff. I'm not sure if your current workflow would easily allow for this, but it would make an interesting addition.

[smalin]

@adamskhan86 I've experimented with it, but it's not as straightforward as you might imagine, due to differences between the range of intensity/opacity of video displays (small) and the range of dynamics of the human hearing system (large).

[MarkBuse]

How do you achieve the synchronized transcription chart? Does your charting software translate the sounds into the graph automatically, or is this a semi-manual transcription process?

[smalin]

@MarkBuse Semi-manual.

[EpsilonEnsis]

actually, include the part from before too, so 0:42-0:56

[EpsilonEnsis]

0:49-0:56 is so moving.

[jimtsirojohn]

if you consentrate on a line for a while and take a look at suggestion you will experiance illusions!

[WAHarachel]

Mozart was such a genius. This litle light hearted piece brings out the joy and peace in the world, even on a damp dreary day. I love these animations. Haveing a visualization that directly interprets the sounds you hear realy help me to get into the music. It gives me a different listening experiance.

[mindygrahamkrauth]

this is marvelous steve...!!

[xLCB1975x]

reminds me a bit of clouseau hunting the pink panther.....:) i like mozart because of his witty music,makes me feel good

[birdeeboo]

The REAL difference between a baroque oboe and a modern oboe: The fingerings on a modern oboe are not the most convoluted and ridiculous things ever.

[smalin]

@birdeeboo That's a difference, but there are others. You will not hear a modern oboe sound like this. The sound of the Baroque oboe is lighter, duckier (I mean that in the most complimentary way), and, for music where the fingerings are straightforward, more nimble than a modern oboe (since you don't have to move the keywork around). A single-finger trill on a Baroque oboe is purer, because it's just the finger and the hole --- no key, no levers, no pads, etc. More like a recorder.

[birdeeboo]

@smalin I realize this. My comment was purely in jest. I'm an oboist, merely afraid of the baroque oboe =)

[smalin]

@birdeeboo Have you tried one? I'm not an oboist, but I played flute, recorder, shawm, clarinet and some other wind instruments when I was young, and when I compared Baroque and modern oboes, it seemed the Baroque oboe was much easier to play. And don't you agree there's something wonderful about Gonzalo's sound --- graceful, easy, airy and jaunty in a way a modern oboe never quite is? When you hold a modern oboe, just the weight and complexity of it makes you feel serious, burdened. ;-)

[JoslynNick]

@smalin having played on both a modern oboe and a baroque oboe, the baroque oboe is lighter and much easier to play. (not as much of an embouchure is required in relation to firmness) It also works both left handed and right hand dominant. The modern oboe while heavier, offers more notes, and easier movements between complicated note sequences. I personally like the warm texture sound of a Loree Royal Oboe. Generally from the RE to the GL (Not sure if gl is right) range.

[jmaryios]

Thanks you Smalin

[smalin]

@jmaryios see watch?v=CebRfSFnWGM

[awsomedrummer100]

wait is this a baroque oboe or just a reqular oboe

[smalin]

@awsomedrummer100  Baroque.

[sunnypetitprince11]

oboe rocks!!!

[NaomiGigi]

@sunnypetitprince11 absolutely!!!!

[ZemArte]

Smalin, me ensina o segredo de desenhar os sons? É lindo demais!

[smalin]

@ZemArte See "Q: Is there a way ..." in the FAQ.

[duyagetme]

Thank you for posting this.....now..hows about number 13 piano C??? first movement....so greedy!

[internationalcp]

After watching this video, this comment box looks like it's swimming across the screen... O.O...

[AmadeusStatisitician]

IF ONE LOOKS AT THIS, SOMETIMES ONE WONDERS WHY MUSIC HISTORY BOOKS ETC.. REFER TO THE CLASSICAL PERIOD AS LARGLY HOMOPHONIC LOL. SERIOUSLY THOUGH THE CLASSICAL ERA IS MOSTLY POLYPHONIC . IT JUST TENDS TO CONTAIN A LESS DENSE POLYPHONIC STRUCUTRE.

[BirdValiant]

I definitely prefer this kind of animation over the bubbly one, though I wish there was a way to see the intensity of the notes played. This could be done by changing the intensity of the coloration.

[squiddmarks]

me and my quartet want to play this but our orchestra teacher won't let us play it because i can't play oboe as well as i can violin :/

for now, i'll just enjoy the recording. *tear*

[AdoloKanala]

Wouldn't the oboist run out of breath? o.O

[dominirican94]

@AdoloKanala ..whats there to say .. the oboist is really really good,lol

[Iloerk]

Breath is the least of your worries in this piece. Also, the oboe requires so small air that oboists actually have to breath out before they breath in.

[AdoloKanala]

@Iloerk i play oboe, and yes, you do have to breath out before you breath in if you want a proper breath, but still, ur lips would get sore and saliva will get onto ur lips, ruining ur embouchure

[Iloerk]

@AdoloKanala: Would the lips get sore because you breath out first? Then breath out of your nose, it can't have any effect on the lips.

[AdoloKanala]

@Iloerk for breathing, you breathe in and out through the mouth, not the nose. your lips get sore, because...........im not sure, they just do

[raticida123456]

oo very good!!!

[gulliversslave]

really cool

[drlawitts]

smalin how do you synch the animation with a live recording?

[smalin]

There are basically two main by-ear/by-hand steps. The first is to tweak the score so that it matches the performance (changes in articulation, writing out the ornaments, etc.) Then, I record a click-track that's in time with the recording. Then, I combine those two things with software the morphs the score timings to match the click track.

[drlawitts]

how long would something like that take, for example with this piece?

[smalin]

I think that tweaking the score took a few hours. For something bigger (like the Beethoven symphony movements I've done), it was many times that.

Recording the click track just takes as long as it takes to play the piece, plus a few minutes to move files around. Assuming I don't screw up.

The most time-consuming parts (assuming that I'm working with somebody else's performance) are creating the score (many, many hours) and going through the assembly process (in Adobe Premiere).

[radagast1986]

I pretty much love all of your videos. Thank you for taking the time to make these!!!!

[twilighter4life88989]

the oboe sounds so beautiful, i play the oboe and i love it!

[stp52x]

WoW! What would Mozart think if he saw this? Brilliant!

[xylotehwarrior]

one thing i think would be a worthy addition to your already amazing music animation machine (i have read through your website before, knowing your quest for a physical realization of your first hallucination) would be the visualization of slurs in the final product. being a former oboist from middle school, slurs were important in visualizing fancy in the music. just a thought :)

[smalin]

Yes, I hope to go in that direction.

[pieguyfry22]

@smalin also dynamics such as fade ins/outs or forte, piano, dimmer or brighter according to the dynamic

[xylotehwarrior]

mozart sure did love his trills

[Revolutionidea]

Dude, you find the greatest pieces!

[sil3ntkxbra]

that is a computer program?

[smalin]

see the FAQ

[Kurtyoungblood]

This isn't related to this particular video or a comment you made on this video, but smalin you seem like a very funny man.

Now to the video...

One of my new favorites, thank you haha

[smalin]

funny weird, or funny haha?

[JonathanTheGreat09]

haha, i would have to say. like from billy and mandy.

[Kurtyoungblood]

Both? But I meant haha funny.

[GiuMorgan]

Amazing. love your work :)

[mindygrahamkrauth]

there is nothing more joyous for me... than mozart.

thank you for making my monday worth getting up for...!

[ArcaneWaif]

Very nice, but I'm looking even more forward to Bach's Passacaglia.

[Maeldasage88]

great piece. GJ

[knop95]

thts tht true shit. how am i supposed to look classy with tha rock music? its like yo baby look at me rocking, u kno what they say to me? they freakin laugh! but when i roll in mah caddy to tht classic mozart, hunnies get all over dat. shit...

GET ALL DA HUNNIES WITH DA CLASSIC MUSIC!

[smalin]

Tell it.

[rabendranath]

hahaha it could be true man!!

[phainopepla95]

"greatly entertaining"- sorry!

[phainopepla95]

I agree with LordessDrakezul: greatly entertainly, a fun way to revisit old favorites!

[saladshootavvv]

Is it hard to sync the video to the MIDI scroll data when it's acoustic music as opposed to MIDI input?

If someone is off even a little or the tempo fluctuates then would it be off?

[smalin]

Oh, yeah, totally.

I make a click track from the audio, and I wrote software to morph the MIDI to match that.

I should probably add something to the FAQ about this ...

[saladshootavvv]

lol, is that really a question that's asked frequently?.....wow, this sounds like a lot of work! Love your channel, keep it up!!!

[zeryx28]

My first time hearing this piece. 'Tis quite refreshing.

[LordessDrakezul]

:D These videos always make me so happy. They're so fun to follow along with.