Added: 2 years ago
From: smalin
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  • Regarding the key signature - Brahms originally had this in C # minor but changed it to C minor. The E major would be the raised third, a key area exploited starting from very late Hadyn and mid period Beethoven onward.

    For those into counterpoint,it is rather amazing the intricacy of it and yet the primary lines still get through.

  • Too boring for me, still can't get the meaning.

  • To imagine such beauty exist then it has to end, is quite disturbing.

  • I love the pizzicato (spelling?) around 8:00.

  • I like this take of the performance more than the one with the other animation style. There are subtle differences between the two performances. This one sounds a little more flowing and weepy, which I prefer. The other seems too quick with certain notes. Am I just too picky? :P I still love this song most out of almost everything on the channel though.

  • Nice post, nice video, nice explain.. ! (:

  • Q: Why am I crying?

    A: I don't know, but the first time I heard this piece in a concert, I cried too. I also cried the first time I read through it with string players. Something about it.

    Thank you for answering in advance.

  • Anyone have the Midi form of this? I went to the site in the description, but it only seems to have the mp3 form. Thank you!

  • brilliant

    

  • no, were all going to denny's at 3pm sharp dont be late this time smalin

  • also, in response to azppiano, could you please add a 'love' button so that viewers can express their feeling to be more than a simple like.

  • Dear YouTube, There is a dislike button. Please fix this problem by removing it, because the music is too good to have such a button. Thank you

  • The counterpoints are amazing....they weave in and out with such melodic perfection...another breathtaking example of the genius of Brahms

  • Ahh, Brahms. He writes in the typical Geraman style that i find so redundant and common of his time period. But. He wouldn't be so popular if wasn't a great composer. Thnx smalin.

    TBT

  • I have to admit that this is one of the few pieces that actually touches my heart, so thanks Brahms.

  • This piece is soo relaxing and beautiful. Thank you for posting this video :)

  • @mustlovestring I find it more than relaxing, and this may sound cliche, but this literally brought me to tears.

  • @somnynightin78 Me too, both the first time I heard it in person, and the first time I played through it with string players. As a composer, it humbles me that I have so little understanding of what makes it so powerful.

  • thumbs up if you like this type of music on a badass slow motion fight scene on movies lol

  • it's such a lovely piece of music, it's wonderful to see it represented graphically

  • THIS is beautiful ... i get lost in the whole thing i shut my eyes and can just picture thfect ballet routine. Perfect.

  • The Tenor Clef is throwing me off so much. hahaha

    LOVELY Piece. I love this so much.

  • Why is the score stating the music in C#minor/E major? It says C minor on the video, doesn't it? And all movements are in C minor, so no exception if the score says so in another key, unless it was a deliberate modulation - for which it is unlikely.

  • @Montyleeny14 The quartet as a whole is in C minor, but this movement is in E major.

  • @smalin I see.

  • @smalin E major is relative to C# minor so it would have the same key signature anyway.

  • @Shanelololol That's true, but this is C minor (not C# minor). This movement is in a very different tonal area than the rest of the piece.

  • @smalin ah. i see.

  • @smalin Yes - it is.

  • @Montyleeny14 Composers change key for middle movements a lot. Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto in c minor also uses E major in the middle movement. Beethoven sonatas will do this a lot, too. Op. 13 in c minor has Ab Major for the middle movement.

  • ew, tenor clef, there goes my dream of playing a string instrument

  • @orangebhuddy29 Reading tenor clef is the easy part.

  • this is what beauty sounds like.

  • @ihatechildren1110 The dissonance between the disposition of your comment and the sentiment of your name made me chuckle.

  • @TAfTfilms Right!? The shark contrast between an internal dislike for offspring, and a resolute eye for beauty makes me think of classical irony.

  • @Flynamix Either the username is not seriously indicative of their beliefs, or they are cartoonishly pretentious. If they had on a turtle neck when they posted that, it would not surprise me one bit. Not to say turtlenecks are inherently ironic or pretentious.

  • What does opus 60 mean? Thank you!

  • @abhisekpan It means (more or less) that it was the 60th piece of music by him that was published.

  • @smalin

    Interesting! This was included in a 60 bits per min music playlist.. but the graphical representation seemed to suggest that the bits per minutes were not constant.. Hence I asked.. Thank you for the clarification.. Also thank a lot for the FAQ.. interesting and informative :)

  • I wanna learn it!! ^_^

  • This took almost a half-hour to load (Internet troubles) but it was so worth it I love this so much.

  • So lovely♥

  • Wouldnt it be C# Minor?

  • @mar93ram No. The piece itself is C Minor, excepting this movement.

  • @CzechViolist Ok gotcha! : )

  • Q: Why am I crying?

    A: Because you have a soul.

  • I would love it if you made more videos like this, smalin...y'know, with the bars and sheet music. Anyway, fantastic work. I really enjoyed it!

  • OH MY GOSH I JUST CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS PIECE! :D it is simply fantastic...

  • congratulations,

    this is a very usefull way to teach music,

    I will use it in my classes,

    thak you

  • The ensemble playing is the St. Petersburg Camerata Quartet. Look up "Brahms: The Chamber Music" on itunes. It's my favourite recording of the piece :-)

  • Oh God... another BRAHMMY!

  • Thanks for uploading this, smalin. There are so many people who say they don't "get" Brahms - but I think this video will help. Brahms was such a master.

  • How did you capture this with MIDI ?

    beautiful.

  • @jian2069 I didn't.  I had a MIDI score (from Sibelius) which I synchronized with audio using software I wrote.

  • Epic Cello Solo!!!

  • This piece is so beautiful, every time I hear it, it brings tears to my eyes.

  • Didn;t this originally have bubbles?

  • @spellinganimals There another video with bubbles (and bars for the piano).

  • Smalin, your knowledge, passion and understanding of such complex pieces of music rivals that of my music professors. i would guess you are a teacher yourself, if you are not, you definitely should consider teaching at some universities or something. you have a knack for helping others learn this stuff, which is very difficult stuff to teach people. i am subscribing to your channel. cheers!

  • @HomelingMonsoon My college degree is in music theory and composition, and I have taught in a university, in private seminars, and one-on-one with individual students. I hope to find better ways of teaching what I know, and I am just now at the point of beginning to work on this full-time. Wish me luck.

  • @smalin Good Luck!

  • Nice, and wonderful !!! :)

  • Just absolutely one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. This is music.

  • @ultracoolhomies Yes, this piece is exceptional.

  • @ultracoolhomies I completely agree. This is beautiful. -happy sigh- ♥

  • does anybody else noticed the second violin wrong/false note at 4:19 ?

  • also at 8:19

  • @RemovdSande11 I don't hear the one at 8:19 either. There is a wrong note in this performance, but it isn't either of those; I'll add a note to the FAQ about it.

  • @smalin

    hm yes I ment the viola at 4:19.. hm to me it sounded the player played that note a little out of tune.. when I hear this piece in my head this note is always like jamming to me xD like hrr unpleasant

  • @RemovdSande11 At 4:19? I don't hear anything wrong there. The second instrument is a viola (there's only one violin). What note is wrong and what should it be?

  • froehlicherelter

    Listen to this masterpiece . . . It brings you to a place you never dreamed of . . . There is no gesture which does not overwhelm you . . . And how theses interpreters (who they may be) got inspired and worked it out as never. Every good music listener should hear this

    and be brought to light!

  • Agreed.

  • Magical music....

  • Van Halen's better

  • Amazing! First silenced me, then made me cry.

  • Yes. How does it do that.

  • This is beautiful.

  • This playlist has some amazingly beautiful songs. I love common practice period style music but unfortunately i do not have any real reportoire sources. Besides the pieces that i perform in my ensembles or analyze for classes i really do not know much music. Could anyone tell me a good resource for where i can gain good reportiore knowledge and hear and learn pieces and styles of composers? I love this music but can't even really identify the difference between reniassance and romantic. Thanks

  • Listen to some of Griegs work. He's very romantic in his pieces, especially the Holdberg suite (Sarabande and Air especially) and also his "Last spring" are amazing. Very easy to listen as well and they've got some great easy to "get" emotions.

  • @MrKennyBones Thankyou for the reccomendation, as i type this i'm listening to several of his pieces and enjoy them a lot. But what i'm refferring to is the people (im sure you know some or are one) who just have massive reportoire knowledge. They can name one hundred baroque composers before i can name ten composers. If i want to be like these people, without emptying my pockets and buying all the cd's in the classical section at a store, how can i do it?

  • I have no idea.. I only know the most typical composers and Grieg is the only one I've delved into just yet. I find alot of classical music to be just "fill ins" where the music isn't really getting any real progression. That's why I love Grieg so much. There are no dead parts in his songs. And no fill-ins, just progression. And his songs were often shorter as well. Much like a traditional pop song, which wasn't really typical in those days. I think? Correct me if I'm wrong :)

  • @MrKennyBones >>>You say that you find a lot of classical music to be just "fill ins" and yet Grieg is the only composer you've "delved into". Grieg wrote some nice music however there are composers

    far far greater, ie Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Wagner, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Sibelius, etc.

  • btown, it takes a lot of listening and studying. I don't know about everyone, but i personally have taken theory history courses where you are required to learn numerous composers. That still is only a few. I would just suggest that if you're interested, do some research.. The internet is awesome for that! Or public library. They usually have a lot of music to listen to also :)

  • @btown2345

    I honestly think that you are starting at a good place. For instance you noticed that this play-list have some beautiful pieces (I agree). Comments on video, help as well.. When you come across something your unsure of, just do a quick research on Wiki, or something. Eventually you will find what you are looking for. Whether it be more knowledge, favorite composer, even a new piece you want to learn.. Good luck =]

  • is this set up manually or does a software automatically put the music into those blocks?

  • see the FAQ

  • it's devine

  • As in Sydney Devine? No, it's Brahms.

  • god this is so beautiful. brahms is such a great mind!

  • Yes, yes. I have cried in response to music only a handful of times, and once was when hearing this movement.

  • I am alittle confused. The key signature on the staff doesn't really seem to match to C minor. It is implying C# minor. How does this work?

  • The piece is in C minor, but this movement isn't.

  • @smalin I was gonna write something, and then you said it. The story about him and Clara Schumann is so intense, and then when you hear this, you wanna just blubber thinking of the impossible bliss the composer is dreaming of. Schön!

  • the cello sounds so beautiful in the beginning, cello pride XD

  • yeah!

  • hahha u a fellow cellist?

  • yup! high five !

  • low four!

  • @smalin

    *claps*

    oh and thanks for this very cool upload :D and that other stuff too.

  • Oh cool! im a cellist too! Mellow Cello. : D

  • great job out there smalin!!!! keep it that way... ;)

  • Beautiful...

  • Wonderful recording, had been perfect if the violist hadn't missed that d sharp at 5:26

  • lol rebostorm it really is kickass

  • My favorite video you've posted and i've watched them all multiple times...I keep coming back to this piece and it melts me.

  • Yep, it's a real melter.

  • this is kickass

  • I adore what you post <3 Its helping me get through studying when my computer's being stupid and I can't get on to my main account with all my music. Thank you!

  • can someone explain to me, what is 1st movement, 2nd or 3rd movement about? what is the different?

  • movements are parts in which a longer work is divided, so that there are two or more different themes in the same work. kinda works like acts in theater. Example: if we talk about beethoven's 14th piano sonata (moonlight) we could be talking either about its passionate adagio sostenuto or its presto agitato full of rage, those are movements each one.

  • So would it be possible to do works such as "4'33" in this style? or would there simply be nothing?

  • 1000 thanks for these excellent vids! I am showing them to composition students for score-reading + analysis. Your choice of works is wonderful. What happens when you try non-european music (eg Javanese Gamelan)???????

  • Gamelan calls for a different approach. I've spent time thinking about this, and designing a different type of display, but I haven't finished it ...

  • Thank you so much for getting me interested in classical music again...there is no better feeling than coming home after a bad day at work or school and sitting down to soft, beautiful music...I was able to entertain my nephew the other day with the displays too...as my sister put it, "Its like Guitar Hero for classical people"...thank you so much and please continue to post...

  • HAHAH this is so true :)

  • LOL. couldn't have put it in a better way myself : )

  • Smalin, you must put more. It's a real pleasure especially for music with different instruments. Tomorrow ill downolad everything. Bye from Italy.

  • Yes, I will do more, don't worry.

  • The Brahms videos are particularly visually pleasing. That is very interesting, and sheds light on how he conceives his compositions. Thankyou for these videos!

  • The four-sharps indeed indicate a E Major, if this had been a piece in major. However, most of the piece seems to be in C-Sharp minor. in any case. beautiful music.

  • It starts and ends on an E major chord, and it goes to lots of other key regions.

  • Who is the Cellist?

  • Sorry, I don't know who any of the performers are.

  • excellent work!

  • well, i have no idea what you people are talking about with C minor and mathmatiks... i just like this wonderful piece of music^^

  • Convite à doçura

    em cada belo fragmento

    - a redenção do homem !

  • I think this is actually C# minor. Is it convention to drop the sharp or flat when referring to music?

  • The quartet is in C minor, but this movement is in E major.

  • No, you keep the accidental, I believe. It would be confusing otherwise- Cb as opposed to C# would make all the difference in a performance.

  • its in C minor, but brahms decided to put this movement in E major, which is part of the same harmonic series as C minor

  • C minor has three flats; its notes are C D E-flat F G A-flat B-flat. E major has four sharps; its notes are C# D# E F# G# A B. So, as far as letter names go, they have no notes in common. These notes are "enharmonic equivalents" (not part of the same harmonies, but the same key on the piano): D#/E-flat G#/A-flat. So you could say that there are two common notes. Since keys have 7 notes and there are only 12 to choose from, 2 is the minimum number two keys can have in common.

  • It sounds to me like they were thinking of C major and E minor

  • Some people say that music is math. Im not sure that I can see it.

  • Neither can I, especially. I mean, you can look at a lot of things from a mathematical perspective, including music. But is music more mathematical than, say, architecture? Or aeronautics? Or office work?

    On the other hand, Einstein said that the insights that led to the theory of relativity came from musical thinking ... and ... well, I mean, he's Einstein for gosh sakes, so you've got to take him at least a little seriously.

  • Science, art and harmony all woven together, a gift from the Divine, along with the receptors and hard wiring to relish what otherwise would be nothing but intervals of vibrations. "Das ist ecstazy."

  • There is a book called "The Fractal Geometry of Nature" Its about odd-looking shapes you may never have heard of, but they're everywhere around you—the jagged repeating forms called fractals. If you know what to look for, you can find them in the clouds, in mountains, even inside the human body.

    I believe this also pertains to repetitions in music. Eureka !

  • Well, in theory, a lot of what we find beautiful is mathematic, without us realizing it. Architecture, manufactured products, collars of suits and folds of dresses, musical intervals. A simple scale in itself is extremely mathematically precise, not to mention the popularity of easily divisible time signatures (4 and 6) vs 7 or 9. So I can see where they're coming from by saying it's math.

  • *I'm not saying we sit around admiring manufactured products- it's just subconscious. Most of the things we see, from our lamps to our speakers, are symmetric.

  • By that reasoning, we could say that almost anything is mathematical, since most things have structures that contain symmetries. I'd prefer using a meaning of "mathematical" which didn't include everything.

  • Well yeah, just about everything is, but music without math would be largely listenable to us, it would be too random and dissonant. I mean, just looking at sheet music, there are so many patterns. If you'd prefer not to see it, that's fine, but I find it fascinating to try to figure out how the brain works and why we find things beautiful.

  • A little over 10 minutes of bliss...thank you for posting such beautiful music.

  • You should update more pieces to the playlist

  • dear sir thank you for your elegant posts

  • that's so romantic... :)

    i'm in love....

  • god that´s beautiful :):):)

  • It's a bunch of scales smashed together to make a beautiful piece of music.

  • wow im loving this, very relaxing

  • Stop squabbling and just listen. I think Brahms must still be alive somewhere...

  • It's riculous how beautiful this piece is...

    It might sound lame, but I don't feel worthy of this... It's just way too beautiful to common people to hear...

    It's just too beautiful....

    God bless all these beautiful soul and spiritual expressions...

  • I don't agree with that at all....'Common' people SHOULD hear this...if it so beautiful...then everyone should know of it surely?

  • well my friend, you right.

    But when I say common people I refer to those who don't appreciate this kind of music...

    You don't see comments from those people here, do you?

    And in some occasions, the few things those people can say are generally stupid and offensive.

    But, i admit my mistake... everybody should hear this (excluding those I've already talked about) because there is too many people in this world who can appreciate this pure and soulful human expression.

  • People change constantly by relatively staying the same, i love contradictions, everyone, everyone...everyone

  • I think this piece of music is really beautiful, so I sent this video to my friend. He said it was boring and he wanted to fall asleep. I am quite disappointed. :(

  • Time to get a new friend? :-)

  • Sir,

    Thank you so much for this experience.

    As we say here, in Brazil: OBRIGADO!

    Hugs,

    Leo

  • It really is beutyful nico.I dont understand all of it yet but thats what makes it nowhere near boring to me. Eventually I will be able to see where Brahms is coming from, until then Im going to enjoy it as much as I can.

  • Breathtaking composing! I love this video because it allows me to study the score as well as to appreciate the counterpoint in this fantastic piece. Whenever you feel furious with mankind, remember that this piece came from a human being. We sometimes forget how great we can be.

  • My name is Brahmjot! It means god's light in punjabi. lol!

  • This song is so incredibly graceful, and for lack of a more moving word, beautiful. I feel like a log compared to this wonderfuly sweet,moving music

  • this is a really good way to present it

  • wow, that was long although it was beyond words i thought it would never end, not like thats a bad thing or anything.

  • beautiful *-*

  • Brilliant, How Magnificiently Beautiful!!

  • it's great!

  • Oh my! This is the most complicated, beutyful music i have ever heard.I was in shock as to how anyone could compose such. music coming at me from all places. At times i seem so ignorant and unworthy of its tunes. I am in awe.

  • You may be ignorant, but people who know a lot about music are also in awe of this piece. I played it with some string players yesterday, and they were all very moved. Today, I showed this video to a guy who writes fugues, and he was very moved. No matter how much you learn, this piece will still be very beautiful.  So just enjoy it, and be glad that you're in the same universe as Brahms (and living after he wrote this).

  • yeah, i'm a music major, currently playing a Brahms intermezzo and ballade for piano, and it's so amazing. Brahms was totally awesome.

  • GUTEN TAAAAAAAAG!

  • I bring you arts-enriched Raisin Brahms!

  • It's good!

  • so sick, over 10 mins of beautiful sounds :D

  • it moves my heart

  • I think this is the most powerfull piece of music I've ever heard.. It's so, heartbreaking I think.. I really don't know what to say about it to justify my emotions when listening to this...

  • this is so beautiful, thanks for making the channel

  • beautiful! this is great

  • Yes, it took a fair amount of work to do the sheet music (tools: Sibelius, Matlab, Premiere).

    Definitely one of my more time-consuming videos.

    And definitely worth it (I love this piece)!

  • the whole graphic around 3:50 - 4:20 looks as beautiful as the piece sounds. I am now thoroughly convinced that Brahms is the master of strings.

  • He played the 'cello, you know.

  • I'm not Brahms' biggest fan, but this movement certainly has its moments. He also has a knack for moving the melody in directions I wouldn't expect!