Brahms/Anon/ZRI Clarinet Quintet (Free But Lonely, Street Tune)

[kshitigarbhadasa]

Woof... I don't know how to say thanks to you, smalin. You keep opening so many doors for me in music. It's really true!

Big hug!!

[pidekaar]

Thats not the piece that you can just take and f*ck up so easily and then say something like: "brahms was influenced by gipsy music bla-bla-bla".

[ZRiMusic]

@pidekaar Which piece would you suggest?

[pidekaar]

@ZRiMusic Hungarian Dances of course, first and second piano trio, quartets.

[PianoDude1011]

i think i've heard this music before...

[jeffamarie]

This is the best thing you've done so far, I think... you treated the tempo changes PERFECTLY, and it certainly helps that it's a stellar re-hashing of Brahms' vision. Did you even lower the frame rate at the end, or am I imagining this?

[smalin]

@jeffamarie The video is 30 fps throughout (but I think you don't mean frame rate, but rather scrolling speed, which only changes in the obvious fast/slow and slow/fast transitions --- not at the end).

[jeffamarie]

@smalin no, definitely was seeing something happen to the frame rate, but it was probably just lag - anyway, would have been a great intentional effect at the near-ending of the piece!

[smalin]

@jeffamarie I'm guessing that YouTube/Google decided to lower the frame rate based on the speed of your internet connection.

[UniverseApproved]

This is very beautiful. The visuals really suit the music. I love the stylistic choices you made here. I really enjoyed the combination of the music with the visuals at transitions within the piece, like between 3:30-3:42, or like between 3:54-4:05. Very effective and evocative.

[mikedressner]

Please do Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin or some Erik Satie

[smalin]

@mikedressner There's some Satie on my DVD (hint, hint). I can't do Rhapsody in Blue without permission of the copyright holder for the composition and a recording; if you can get me those permissions, I'll do it.

[b43xoit]

I think the fast parts represent "free" and the slow parts the "lonely" aspect. The latter remind me of the pairing of Debussy's "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" with a cartoon of a lonely satyr in the movie _Allegro Non Troppo_.

The use of different symbols for different types of instruments in the visualization is pretty interesting. I do like better the mappings where you represent more data dimensions (the symbol height doesn't seem to correspond well to the dynamics here).

[ZRiMusic]

@b43xoit That's a cool interpretation, free but lonely is a translation of 'Frei Aber Einsam'. This was a musical code that Brahms used throughout his compositions. He never married (free) but was very lonely. The first 3 notes of the piece are A F and E - that's the Fri Aber Einsam spelled out in music, albeit in a different order...I like your interpretation though, especially as the fast sections are only fast because ZRI does it like this, no-one else would!

[b43xoit]

Interesting notation.

[fualfalo]

Wonderful!!

[arist006]

and... big thumbs up. Awesome visualization is awesome.

[arist006]

bad, but I have decided that I can't understand this.

[b43xoit]

Have to come back to this in the daytime, maybe use headphones. Want to hear the quiet instruments but not have the loud ones bother the neighbors.

[LOTRzagorath]

Wow, I love the section where it picks up like a dance melody :D

I'd love to see this sort of thing done to the first movement :D

[oroblanco]

Is osom this music ..... love it!!

[b43xoit]

@oroblanco took me a while to figure out that "osom" means awesome. Yes, this is an interesting arrangement/piece (I hadn't any familiarity with the piece as originally arranged, so to me this is a new piece just as it is).

[blkbeltmage]

is the strummed instrument a mandola?

[smalin]

@blkbeltmage Santouri.

[Hougmaku]

Gorgeous~

[UberMenschNowFilms]

I haven't really been impressed with your recent experimenting of video formats lately, but this... this just leaves my with a bad taste in my mouth.

Then again, why am I complaining? I'm here for the music, which has been great in the past weeks. Keep up the good work!

[smalin]

@UberMenschNowFilms Indeed, why are viewers complaining? It puzzles me. Do people think I'm unaware of what works and what doesn't in my videos? Sure, there are things I don't like about this video, but like most of what I'm doing these days, it was an experiment, and I thought it was better to share it as is than to wait until I figured out something completely satisfactory (if I ever did). Some people prefer other formats, but my time is limited, and I want to try new things, to grow.

[ZRiMusic]

@UberMenschNowFilms I think they're awesome, but then I would! Still loving it, so are all my friends

[C0urante]

Perfect timing with the applause at the end--I'm guessing that wasn't an accident? ;)

[smalin]

@C0urante Yes, I edited out some of the silence to make it line up.

[TheMoreTheMerrier21]

...aaaand *finally* becomes interesting at 03:38 !!!

[smalin]

@TheMoreTheMerrier21 Do you ever ask yourself: why did Brahms choose to write uninteresting music?

[TheMoreTheMerrier21]

@smalin Do YOU ever ask yourself: "why am I always so sarcastic and negative about people's comments?" You do it ALL THE TIME! I didn't imply it was boring before; I merely said *I* was the one that thought it started becoming interesting at 03:38. Stop being touchy; the music's great!

[smalin]

@TheMoreTheMerrier21 Imagine you're giving a performance in public, and somebody in the audience says, in a way you can hear, "this isn't very interesting."  Imagine, then, that you put up with this kind of thing, day in and day out, for years. If you can't imagine it, let me tell you: it can undermine your own sense of politeness.

[TheMoreTheMerrier21]

@smalin You're pushing it far... too far! I'll stand by my previous comment. Plus, I didn't know an entire orchestra needed my constructive criticism and could read my comment through a PC screen! (You're taking this too seriously!)

[smalin]

@TheMoreTheMerrier21 The performers and the maker of this video read these comments. And as for taking this seriously ... well, yeah; this is my life's work. Are you taking my responses seriously?

[TheMoreTheMerrier21]

@smalin Hardly... If I blame someone it's Brahms; the orchestra did a fantastic job! But Brahms was a musical genius of the romantic musical period, so I see why you thought I insulted the orchestra. I have a bigger problem with your sarcastic behaviour than I do with the orchestra's performance, though...

[smalin]

@TheMoreTheMerrier21 The group chose to arrange and perform this music and I chose to make a video of it; a criticism of the composition is, implicitly, a criticism our choices, and I don't see why we shouldn't take that seriously. My response was to suggest the possibility that if you find this music uninteresting, the shortcoming is yours, not Brahms'. Don't I have as much right to criticize you as you have of criticizing, Brahms, ZRI, and me?

[TheMoreTheMerrier21]

@smalin Of course you have! And that's what you do... with me... with ANYONE ELSE in any of your previous videos. I appreciate what you do and I enjoy the music you upload, but you have some serious issues to deal with when it comes to your social skills in this site. Go back to any of your previous videos and see how negatively, sarcastically and sometimes plain rudely you replied to a few honest comments. You tend to misunderstand comments like mine...

[smalin]

@TheMoreTheMerrier21 In what way have I misunderstood you? What did you mean by your (original) comment? What was your point in posting it? What did you want the performers and me to feel in response to it?

As for being negative/sarcastic/rude, what would've been an appropriate response to your comment? Or to rafaravioli's ("Bleh. The clarinet is such an ugly sounding instrument.")?

[TheMoreTheMerrier21]

@smalin Both myself and that guy expressed our personal thoughts by commenting them were appropriate. I personally hate the sound of bagpipes and I wouldn't have any hesitation whatsoever telling that in front of a bagpiper. It's not a universal truth: "Clarinets and bagpipes sound ugly"; just a personal preference. Pointing out what you *don't* like is just as important as pointing out what you *do* like!

[smalin]

@TheMoreTheMerrier21 I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on what's rude.

Many years ago, I had a friend who was learning to play the bassoon. After a playing session one day, I told him I thought the bassoon was an ugly-sounding instrument. He called me a fool, stormed off, and never spoke to me again. I thought he was over-reacting, but I eventually decided that it was a rude thing to say, and that I was indeed a fool to say it. (I later came to love the sound of the bassoon.)

[TheMoreTheMerrier21]

@smalin I'm OK with agreeing to disagree on that.

That guy sounds like he *was* over-reacting. If I played an instrument and loved it it wouldn't matter to me the opinion of anyone on how beautiful/ugly or nice/bad it was. And a good friend knows to tell their truth to their other friend and the other friend knows to appreciate the fact that people differ on thoughts and opinions. Just saying the night is cold does not make it any colder than it already is...

[ZRiMusic]

@TheMoreTheMerrier21 Brahms would maybe even agree with you - his last venture out of his home was to listen to his friends play this piece; he stopped them and ask for some Weber instead. It may be of interest to you to know that the first 3 notes of the clarinet spell out one of his sad motifs that reflect his love life - Frei Aber Einsam, Free But Lonely. All I know is that this performance had a crowd of kids, twenty year olds and older audience members totally spellbound. I love it!

[TheMoreTheMerrier21]

@ZRiMusic Yes, I've heard he was a mighty perfectionist! He kinda envied his lifelong friend Johann Strauss II for creating such a masterpiece like the Blue Danube waltz and once wrote a few notes from the Blue Danube in an autograph signing: "Alas, not by Brahms!" He was a miracle worker by himself, though; I don't deny that!

[CPLains]

Awesome!

Is it possible to view the whole song in a high-res screenshot? I'd love to see that. Would give a nice map to the structure of the piece i think :)

[smalin]

@CPLains I gave it a try, and it looked terrible. Pretty much a mess. I'd have to spend some time redesigning the whole look to make it work. And my sense, looking at the mess and imagining the best it could look (based on having made overviews of other pieces and knowing what they tend to look like), is that it wouldn't be as useful as you expect.

[experiment117]

I like how you utilize alot of methods of demonstrating sound here. I really like the "squiggles". I'm sorry, but I can't identify the instrument.

[CptOatmeal]

Amazing, as usual, though the white background makes it harder to follow all the patterns; it's easier for the eye (and peripheral vision) to note light against a dark background than dark against light.

[alfamale05]

wow i really loved that coughing at the very end lol

[jeebus022]

@alfamale05 poor dude probably held it in as long as possible

[ZRiMusic]

@alfamale05 yep, that's a live concert for you, rest assured I gave the kid a pretty stern look ;-)

[rafaravioli]

Bleh. The clarinet is such an ugly sounding instrument.

[smalin]

@rafaravioli Is that the kind of thing you say to clarinet players after attending their concerts?

[adtuna1192]

@rafaravioli i disagree. in the right context, ( key, tune, mood of the piece) a clarinet can be a beautiful instrument. it does very well here

[Iemanonymous1]

@rafaravioli Whaaat? I think it sounds very beautiful. I love the Clarinet, Oboe, all of those~

[piggemz]

dont worry about your criticism. i actually think that making each of the 12 tones their own color, and each instrument its own shape was a smart solution. and i like the trill shape too.

[fualfalo]

This is wonderful! I like the white background and the different shapes. I like the legatos represented, like drops of water dissolving into the other. Great work!

[CamButler]

I watched all 1448. I don't know why but I find it fascinating,

[SergiosTorrents]

i like this one! the animation is great and im glad you had different animations for different instruments...but the song wasnt really music to my ears. still, YOURE GETTING BETTER :D keep going!! you are a genuis

[terrybeaton]

I loved the format, and the choice of 'springs' for the Bazouki or whatever it was. The up-tempo parts sounded so much like 'Klezmer' it must have been an influence on him in those sequences. It seems everyones a critic, as they say, but It was pure joy and pleasure for me!

[ZRiMusic]

@terrybeaton Brahms was hugely influenced by the gypsy musicians flooding into 19th cent. Vienna. He would spend his evenings at Zum Roten Igel and listen to them. Really glad you like how we have brought that influence into focus

[gspahr]

Thanks for your videos, they're so entertaining!

May I suggest that you do a video with Liszt's Liebestraum?

[brukomura]

Great visual work!! Loved the string animation. I just wished you'd keep the old black background. Apart from that,I loved the "upgrade"

[B8Av3]

It would be nicer to see the older, more simple yet creative ones again. Also, the white background can be difficult to look at sometimes. I think that a darker color like you've previously used so many times in past would make everything else stand out and seem more alive. I really enjoyed this piece nonetheless.

[smalin]

@B8Av3 I tried the elliptical clarinet notes with a black background, but it was much less visible. That (and the fact that the clarinet is featured) was one of the deciding factors. All things being equal, a white background works better when things move, and black works better when things light up; this has both (I wanted to give each instrument it's own distinctive look, so it's pretty much a grab bag), so either choice involved a compromise.

[lonesomeg]

Lovely! Wonderful music well done.  Thx.

[ZRiMusic]

@lonesomeg Sooooo glad you like it!

[smtwl90]

That was awesome. Great visual art, I like the more complex animation in spite of what people are saying here

[orangebhuddy29]

I can definitely tell that Brahms wrote this. I can tell there are some distinct features in this piece that I can hear as well as in that string quartet that you (smalin) uploaded previously

[ZRiMusic]

@orangebhuddy29 Many people would say that this was Brahms's finest chamber work

[smalin]

@ZRiMusic  Especially clarinetists. ;-)

[RicSantiagoBrasil]

I agree with @executionator. Please, smalin, do keep doing the simpler ones as you promised.

[smalin]

@RicSantiagoBrasil It wasn't a promise; just a prediction.

[thecrazedgunman1]

@smalin I agree with the rest, this new format is way to hectic. I like the simple one better

[smalin]

@thecrazedgunman1 I don't know what you mean by "the rest." So far, we've got 7 who prefer the old and 26 who like this. (Not that I choose what to do based on an election; it's not a democracy. I do the animations based on what I'm interested in exploring, especially when I'm developing new software. I'm happy when people enjoy my work, but if it's a choice between doing what I like and doing what somebody else likes ...)

[executionator]

a lot of people will disagree with me, but i liked your earlier videos better. the simplicity made it easier to listen to the music. when i watch this, im distracted by the visual effects, maybe its just me though.

[smalin]

@executionator  Don't worry; I'll keep doing simpler ones, too.

[goldenhog]

mesmerizing! i like this ensemble!

[ZRiMusic]

@goldenhog Cool - see us at zrimusic.com

[didisse]

I love it !

[makerofjam]

The vibrato/trill markings are really cool too

[makerofjam]

I love the zither (Im assuming its a zither), it makes me think of Kodaly....

[smalin]

@makerofjam It's a santouri, which is a kind of hammered dulcimer.

[makerofjam]

@smalin good to know, thanks!

[Priest105]

This is one insane music and video.

[ZRiMusic]

@Priest105 Insane is what the rest of the band said when I suggested we play Brahms on accordions and santouris!

[amadeus5889]

This is by far your most interesting video yet and the arrangement is just fascinating.

[ZRiMusic]

@amadeus5889 So glad you like the arrangement, it took huge efforts to get that viola part onto a santouri

[amadeus5889]

@ZRiMusic I do, and well done!

[jcalvodiaz]

Muy hermoso! Me encanta. Enhorabuena.

Very beautiful. I'm glad it.

Greetings

[BLooDCoMPleX]

Masterfully done Mr. Malinowski!

[kubikpt]

As always, your videos are the nicest thing; I love to watch them. As for this one, I have a suggestion: have the mandolin trills' thickness correspond to their loudness at each moment. I think it would be nicer than the idea of a regular crescendo-diminuendo which the graphics now convey. I don't know if it is possible, but if yes it would be very nice.

[smalin]

@kubikpt If I had a separate recording of the santouri track, I could have done that (see my recent experiments with solo violin and 'cello), but without that, it would've been way too much work.

[rriverstone1]

Damnedest thing I ever heard! This is magnificent!

[smalin]

@5random1 The video is made from a score of the music, so I'd have to "edit in" the ambient sounds if I wanted them to be visible.

[ZRiMusic]

Fantastic work Stephen, all of ZRI send you our heartfelt thanks, great to see that this has already started to help 'non-classical' audiences to fall in love with this music; ZRI's ultimate mission!

[blouistu101]

Veerrryyyyy similar to Claire de Lune

[ladythanatolia]

I just LOVE how you've done this animation...the complexity of the various instruments, the colors used, the techniques for each instrument...very well done! Of course, I'm more of a rocker, but this adds to my listening pleasure.

[Ratelzwatel]

Beautiful animation. A beautiful way to see the beauty of music.

[Jontman42]

The basic bar visuals are better imo, because they actually make sense, the note stays the same instead of going up like it would seem on the other visuals

[smalin]

@Jontman42 It's interesting to me how different people like different styles of visualization; I'm guessing that there is a corresponding difference in how people hear music.

[TheGilmer]

@smalin Agreed.  I like different visuals for different styles of music and different instruments, too.

Curious, are you ever going to do Jazz? (Sorry if you already have and I'm just blind/dumb. :])

[smalin]

@TheGilmer I've long wanted to do some jazz, but it presents two difficulties: permission (unlike Brahms, it's almost all under copyright) and getting the data (most of it doesn't exist in score). I've been looking for years for a jazz artist to collaborate with. I think I may have found one (or, rather, he found me). So it might happen.

[TheGilmer]

@smalin Oh, I see.  Well, I do wish you the best of luck; it would be amazing to see you interpret some Jazz!

[Jontman42]

@smalin These visualizations are fine too, but I still like the older bar style you used to have more. Dunno really, but maybe I like it because of its simplicity.

[b43xoit]

@Jontman42 in re "the note stays the same instead of going up", I agree with you that's a virtue. The "diamond" notation Smalin uses with the Beethoven 5th is like that, too.

[claireasmyself]

I loooove it! I like the quickened part the best but it was all awesome

[300musicmaster]

oh and i really don't know this piece very well but is it like a classical mash up?

[smalin]

@300musicmaster  Yeah, I guess you could call it that.

[300musicmaster]

this is some really good quality stuff here :D

[charissamarluk]

***sigh***

what a wonderful way to start sunday...

a new and amazing post from you.. thanks so much steve...!

[marian444]

Wonderful!!!

[logicape]

Love the way you handled the tempo changes :)

[smalin]

@logicape  I also did that in Beethoven's Heiliger Dankgesang movement. I think it's more effective here, kind of like the klezmer band stampeding the classical concert.

[roberto4396]

Was waiting for something like this

[Zeitungspapierhut]

I always discover so much good music because of your videos! Thank you very much! :)

[fr0nage]

Keep them rolling!

[Partyywizard]

Thanks man! It seems we all really appreciate these. It is quiet interesting how the musical patterns relate to visual patterns. Personally it it's easier to see the structure of the song as a whole when the notes are one consistent shape. Also, I'm assuming you took the recorded version of this song and added the visuals to it manually, as opposed to using Midi. If that's the case, that most of taken some time.

[smalin]

@Partyywizard Right, it's easier to see the structure when all the instruments use the same notation. In this one, though, I wanted to highlight the dissimilarity between the instruments (do something a little more playful). So line=string (which the violin, santouri and 'cello have aspects of), round=flexible pitch, solid=continuous sound, etc.

[yardman9]

d(*◡*)b ♪



[steampunknation]

Excellent! Please keep doing these!!! I love them. I always stop what I'm doing when I get the email that you've uploaded another one.

Thank you!

[bitterbum1]

ooo



[Freshman000000]

Thanks smalin.