Maurice Ravels Miraculous Orchestration The Music Professor 2024-10-13 | Maurice Ravels Miraculous Orchestration
Wagner Had A... Complicated Personal Life The Music Professor 2024-10-12 | There was nothing conventionally 19th century about Richard Wagner! He had a complicated personal life.
The Music Professor vs Glenn Gould The Music Professor 2024-10-09 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki0:09 Are dogs allowed?0:40 Thoughts about lecture format and who the channel is for…1:14 Introduction to Glenn Gould2:38 Deep dive into “How Mozart became a bad composer3:23 Gould’s playing and some inner contradictions4:50 Gould’s argument5:24 What Gould leaves out!5:46 The opening of Mozart’s C minor concerto7:07 Mozart, improvisation and laziness.8:44 Inter-office memos, Divertimenti and Amadeus10:48 The essence of Mozart’s genius11:28 Sequences and predictability 12:37 How the piano begins: Mozart’s unique approach.13:53 The sequential passage, Messiaen and rhythm15:05 Simplicity, hemiolas, travelling, acceleration, arrival17:23 What the orchestra does18:09 Sir Humphrey Price-Davies, pomposity, tradition and iconoclasm20:40 An 'appalling collection of clichés’ 22:47 Spinning gold from the tropes of the classical style23:35 Mozart’s use of sequence and a comparison with Bach25:39 Delinquent scales and arpeggios 26:56 Variation, canons and astonishing rhythmic invention28:40 Mozart is still relevant to us! In this video, Matthew King goes head to head with Glenn Gould. It's a deep dive into his famous 1968 TV essay, ‘How Mozart became a Bad Composer’. Matthew discusses the context of Gould’s criticisms and then debates the details, always conscious of Gould’s genius and his admirably mischievous interrogation of the classical canon. The key bone of contention is whether Mozart was a great musician of the late 18th century or whether he remains relevant today. Matthew also emphasises a key part of Mozart’s genius, rarely discussed: his wonderful sense of rhythm.Glenn Gould’s original 1968 TV essay, ‘How Mozart became a Bad Composer’ can be seen here: youtu.be/1wLMdi8R4qgEdited by Ian Coulter#GlennGould #HowMozartbecameabadcomposer #themusicprofessor⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon
Beethoven, Late Style & Megalopolis The Music Professor 2024-10-02 | 0:00 Apology for ‘impressionistic’ picture0:05 Beethoven’s rarely performed late Bagatelle in G1:06 Brief discussion of the bagatelle2:01 Late Style poses more questions than it answers3:24 Megalopolis4:34 Empty cinemas5:44 Late work is often judged harshly6:43 We should have more respect for aging artists7:12 What do you think?In this short, one-off video, Matthew King plays a rarely performed late Beethoven Bagatelle and discusses the curious phenomenon of Late Style, when artists, in their later years, move beyond their own orthodoxy and embrace mystery and experimentalism in their final works. Matthew then reflects on his recent experience of watching the 84-year old Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis in an empty cinema, and asks some questions about the future of creativity and the curious deluge of hostility that has greeted the film, comparing this general critical negativity with similarly dismissive attitudes to late work in the past.Beethoven: Bagatelle in G major (from the 1826 Diabelli edition of Op. 119)Pianist: Matthew KingEdited by Ian Coulter#Beethoven #Megalopolis #themusicprofessor⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon
The Moonlight Sonata - All 3 Movements On A Fortepiano The Music Professor 2024-09-28 | 0:00 First movement (Adagio sostenuto)4:55 Second movement (Allegretto)7:16 Third movement (Presto agitato)Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata is one of the most famous pieces in the entire piano repertoire. Written in 1801, when Beethoven was 30, it was his 14th piano sonata (Op. 27, no. 2) and is the second of a pair of sonatas published together with the subtitle ‘Quasi Una Fantasia’ (the nickname ‘Moonlight’ came later). Beginning with the famous, poetic adagio, it progresses to a mid-tempo minuet and concludes with a ferociously high-speed finale.The animated performance on this video was made quite spontaneously, on a fortepiano (the instrument for which Beethoven originally composed the piece). Matthew King recorded the 3 movements with very little preparation, but nevertheless considers the performance, for all its technical shortcomings, to be a relevant document in revealing some of the thrill and spontaneity of Beethoven’s music which has, to some extent, been concealed behind more than 200 years of virtuoso Romantic interpretation, on instruments which no longer closely resemble that for which Beethoven composed.⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonThis channel is very grateful to an anonymous donor for the use of a fortepiano for the recording of the first movement at the end of the video. Beethoven: Sonata quasi Una Fantasia Op 27 no. 2 Pianist: Matthew KingEdited by Ian CoulterHere are the original videos on this channel with a detailed explanation about each movement:First movement: youtu.be/Ejsh-NZCWm8Second movement: youtu.be/c0fpWX8Tgl0Third movement: youtu.be/HXBkrm-4M-w#Beethoven #Moonlightsonata #themusicprofessor
Chopin didnt Go Down Well With The Critics #themusicprofessor #chopin #piano The Music Professor 2024-09-21 | A clip from the full lenght video about Chopin's E minor Prelude: youtube.com/watch?v=cXjrLB1yaT4&t=1363s&ab_channel=TheMusicProfessor
The Tristan Chord Revealed The Music Professor 2024-09-14 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki1:22 Wagner - a colossal figure1:58 Tristan und Isolde - his most famous achievement2:21 Historical context: Revolution in Dresden3:31 Rethinking opera3:42 The Ring Cycle and the invention of the Leitmotif4:05 Wagner’s influence on literature4:38 Wagner interrupts work on the Ring Cycle5:27 A philosophical explanation of Tristan & Isolde6:21 The objective and the subjective6:42 Tristan and Isolde’s dilemma 7:34 The potion reveals pure subjectivity8:24 The most dramatic end to any operatic act!8:49 Act 3 is one of the most amazing things...9:03 Context: what does the Tristan chord represent?9:52 No one had ever begun a piece of music like this before10:40 Orchestration and symbolism12:00 The sound is enigmatic12:43 continuing phrases13:39 Tonality is being outlined very systematically15:13 It tends to be explained out of context15:49. Wagner’s teachers, Partimento and the Rule of Octave19:49 Harmonising a descending A minor scale bass line20:23 Augmented 6th chords21:11 The French 6th plus an appoggiatura21:57 Transforming convention: a definition of genius22:58 Wagner’s use of the chord throughout the opera24:18 Tristan & Isolde is the seed of modernity25:26 The final resolution of the chord at the end of the opera25:47 Later developments: Debussy and Stravinsky27:59 Tristan opens a new realm of possibilities28:31 Reading through the opening of the Tristan Prelude at the pianoThis video is a deep dive into Wagner’s Tristan chord, the most famous and enigmatic harmonic event in history. Matthew King explains the chord from a number of perspectives, and helps to put this microcosm of Wagner’s genius into a broader dramatic and historical context, with some discussion of Wagner’s development, and a quick survey of subsequent literary and musical events that occurred under the spell of Tristan und Isolde.Friedrich Nietzsche, who in his younger years was a close friend of Wagner’s, wrote that, for him, "Tristan and Isolde is the real opus metaphysicum of all art... insatiable and sweet craving for the secrets of night and death. . . it is overpowering in its simple grandeur". In 1868 he wrote about the effect of the Prelude: "I simply cannot bring myself to remain critically aloof from this music; every nerve in me is a-twitch, and it has been a long time since I had such a lasting sense of ecstasy as with this overture". Long after his split with Wagner, he still admired Tristan und Isolde: "Even now I am still in search of a work which exercises such a dangerous fascination, such a spine-tingling and blissful infinity as Tristan — I have sought in vain, in every art." ⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonHere is a fascinating discussion for anyone wanting to look in more detail at the Tristan chord from the perspective of the Rule of Octave: youtu.be/YQRXbIV3gCc Here is an interesting philosophical discussion about Tristan, the Ring and Parsifal between Sarah-Jane Leslie and the late Roger Scruton: youtu.be/vj4wKO_a56g Hans Knappertsbusch’s recording of the Tristan Prelude (with the full score): youtu.be/bgObIjsSfYo Marie Jacquot performs the Prelude and Liebestod (orchestra only) in 2022 with the WDR Symphony Orchestra: youtu.be/5aaXzYn86GU Waltraud Meier, Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan orchestra perform the Prelude and Liebestod: youtu.be/n4bqRlNSQQE Daniel Barenboim conducts Act 1 of Tristan under Isolde (with English subtitles): youtube.com/watch?v=QyfIIxW3rW4 Carlos Kleiber’s legendary recording of the entire opera (get hold of the libretto on line!) youtu.be/tzrPQkGjuII Pierre Boulez conducts Wagner's rarely heard concert version of the Tristan Prelude which includes a fascinating new transition to the final B major resolution at the end of the opera: youtu.be/hcYjKs_9ov8?t=85#wagner #tristanchord #themusicprofessor
Moonlight Sonata Finale - How To Scare The Listener The Music Professor 2024-08-31 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki0:27 Picking up on previous videos about the Moonlight Sonata1:08 Beethoven’s talent for finales2:10 Music of absolute ferocity2:57 Sonata form3:59 First subject: galloping horse opening4:21 Both radical and conservative4:49 Improvisatory elements5:57 The Passus Duriusculus with examples7:21 Toccata-like figuration8:18 Comparison with Beethoven 99:01 Transition (modulation)9:19 Second subject and the influence of Mozart.10:56 Funky rhythms12:40 Neapolitan harmony14:08 String-quartet-like texture15:44 Development section17:03 Dominant pedal17:48 Recapitulation18:40 Coda with cadenza elements20:15 Influence on Chopin21:29 "Music that sounds as if it could never have been otherwise”23:00 Spontaneous performance on a fortepiano with analytical commentaryThis video is about the third movement finale to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. It follows previous discussions on this channel about the first movement (youtu.be/Ejsh-NZCWm8) and the second movement (xyoutu.be/c0fpWX8Tgl0).The finale to the Moonlight Sonata is one of the most famous examples of Beethoven’s most tempestuous style. After the dreamy and mysterious poem of the first movement and the subversive minuet of the second movement, Beethoven created a furious, galloping horse ride of a finale, composed in sonata form. In 1801, when it was composed, it was music of unprecedented virtuosity and power. Played on a fortepiano (the instrument for which it was composed) it has an unprecedented wildness. But, behind its turbulence, is a masterful control of form, and a respect for Mozart’s approach to sonata form in its profusion of themes.In this video, Matthew King explains the entire movement in the context of Beethoven’s use of sonata form, showing how some of the compositional material reveals Beethoven’s skill as an improviser. The video ends with a recording of the complete movement, played on a fortepiano, with an animated analysis. The recording was made spontaneously on a fortepiano, without prior preparation and is therefore far from error-free! It is meant to be a demonstration of the music’s spontaneity and the absolute wildness of sonority which Beethoven originally intended when he first composed this music.⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonThis channel is very grateful to an anonymous donor for lending us a fortepiano for the recording.Beethoven: Presto Agitato (movement 3) from Sonata quasi Una Fantasia Op 27 no. 2 Pianist: Matthew KingThe video about the first movement can be seen here: youtu.be/Ejsh-NZCWm8The video about the second movement can be seen here: xyoutu.be/c0fpWX8Tgl0#Beethoven #Moonlightsonata #themusicprofessor
Chopins Prelude in E Minor - Annotated Score The Music Professor 2024-08-17 | This video features a performance of Chopin’s Prelude in E minor with animated commentary. It comes from a longer video which features a detailed discussion of the prelude (youtu.be/cXjrLB1yaT4). Chopin’s E minor Prelude comes from his Op. 28 set of preludes in every key. The E minor prelude is a quintessential Romantic lament. Composed in the late 1830s, Chopin discovered new, unexplored harmonic possibilities in this apparently simple music, composed in 4 lines, shifting downwards in semitones. The music is a wonderfully concise and poetic depiction of melancholy in just two ’sentences’, each consisting of a sighing melody of fixed notes in the right hand over subtly shifting chords in the left hand. As it progresses in long, descending chromatic lines from tonic to dominant, the prelude gives rise to a rich and labyrinthine pathway of magically coloured harmonies.Chopin Prelude in E minor Op 28 no. 4.Pianist: Matthew King.The longer video, featuring Matthew King's discussion of the prelude, can be seen here: youtu.be/cXjrLB1yaT4#Chopin #EminorPrelude #themusicprofessor ⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon
Rhythms And Algorithms The Music Professor 2024-08-13 | 0:00 Celebration of 50K subscribers with Loki0:29 Loki leaves0:44 Please like and subscribe and consider donating to the channel!1:18 To celebrate 50K I’m going to play something from Bartok’s Mikrokosmos…1:30 Brief chat about Bartok and his dances in Bulgarian Rhythm2:05 My first encounter with Bartok2:41 Bartok’s 4th Dance in Bulgarian Rhythm from Mikrokosmos Book 6.A celebration of 50K subscribers to the Music Professor channel, featuring a celebratory rendition of Bartok’s 4th Dance in Bulgarian Rhythm from his Mikrokosmos Book 6.Bartok: Dance in Bulgarian no. 4 from Mikrokosmos Book 6.Pianist: Matthew King⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonBartok’s own magnificent (1940) recording of his Dance in Bulgarian no. 4 from Mikrokosmos Book 6: youtu.be/cqPU_hf7I4AThe complete (1940) recording of Bartok playing all 6 pieces in Bulgarian rhythm: youtu.be/Cj306a_qTPk#Bartok #Mikrokosmos #themusicprofessor
Is This Really The Raindrop Prelude? The Music Professor 2024-08-03 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki0:24 Pronunciation of Chopin’s name1:00 Background1:30 Chopin’s Preludes Op. 28 and the example of Bach2:50 The radical thing about Op. 283:31 Romantic fragments and ruins3:56 What Schumann said4:54 What Liszt said5:26 Every character is there5:59 The holiday in Majorca with George Sand6:44 George Sand’s account10:03 Which prelude is ’The Raindrop’?11:31 A study in quaver motion with a pedal note13:12 The melody15:35 The nocturne genre17:49 The middle section in C sharp minor22:25 A very characteristic chord23:10 Recapitulation23:26 The magnificent anti-cadenza24:40 D flat ‘Raindrop’ Prelude Op. 28 (with animated commentary)This video is an introduction to Chopin’s famous ‘Raindrop’ Prelude in D flat major, the longest in Chopin’s set of preludes Op. 28. Matthew King explores the background to Chopin’s preludes, both in terms of his desire to create a systematic set of works in the tradition of Bach, exploring every key and a huge range of musical characters. At the same time, the pieces are radical Romantic works: ‘Ruins’ and ‘eagles’ pinions’ as Schumann described them. Matthew King also discusses the famous holiday in Majorca with George Sand, and her magnificent but rather Romantic account of their composition. The piece is then analysed at the piano. The video ends with a complete performance of the prelude with animated commentary.⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonChopin Prelude in D flat major Op 28 no.15.Pianist: Matthew King.Excerpts (read during the video) from George Sand's 'Story of my Life' in an english translation by Robert Graves.Horowitz’s 1971 recording of the prelude: youtu.be/Sh03YXzvDF4Blechacz's recording of the complete Op.28 preludes can be heard here: youtu.be/SqXYIteAfNs?si=ybVoFOr3p3vk_hGT#Chopin #raindropprelude #The MusicProfessor
Was Mendelssohn Greater Than Mozart? The Music Professor 2024-07-20 | Check out the full video this clip is from here: youtube.com/watch?v=xqf4Ezvg8aQ&t=6s&ab_channel=TheMusicProfessor
Boring Classical Music (According To Reddit) Part 2 The Music Professor 2024-07-13 | 0:00 Welcome to Part 2 (and please watch Part) Liszt’s sonata is playing.0:14 Handel’s Messiah and the Hallelujah chorus1:00 Handel and Stravinsky1:24 Bruckner2:10 Myaskovsky2:28 Chopin’s funeral march4:41 Delius5:09 John Cage: 4’33’'5:33 Vivaldi’s mandolin concertos5:55 Mahler’s 5th Symphony7:23 Chopin’s…what?7:34 Pachelbel’s canon8:26 Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder9:16 Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker10:56 Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms11:43 Schubert’s G major Quartet11:51 Boulez Structures I & 2.12:13 Dvorak’s New World Symphony slow movement13:00 Music and magic13:30 Use your Ears!13:53 Over to you…Can classical music be boring? In this video, Matthew King reacts to a Subreddit discussion in which certain classical composers and pieces are said to be boring. Part 1 - youtube.com/watch?v=xqf4Ezvg8aQ&t=3s⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonHave a listen to the marvellous Solomon’s Knot performing a section of Handel’s Messiah (nothing boring here!): youtu.be/sEGympB8Tx4?si=vIa4MeGycobmU152Krystian Zimerman plays Chopin’s 2nd Sonata (with the funeral march): youtu.be/DhB59YCvxuw?si=9WEZz3i-N8a-vpieStravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms in a performance by Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: youtu.be/VUSfrgPQjRM?si=BGawZM9ewtCXIwq0Krill Petrenko and the Berlin Philharmonic perform John Cage’s 4’33’’: youtu.be/AWVUp12XPpU?si=GV8lTPZCuuFWkwJtSchoenberg’s Gurrelieder in a performance by Riccardo Chailly and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin: youtu.be/cs0jPBzntuI?si=kMbWFeXp-GyMLmHASchubert’s G major quartet performed by the Melos quartet: youtube.com/watch?v=WaAeI2GKZ9cBoulez Structures I & II: youtube.com/watch?v=6sfGLoF5IUY and youtu.be/3GiJ53_BVbE?si=hLNCjDOYYHt6i7_u#Boringmusic #themusicprofessor
Boring Classical Music (According To Reddit) The Music Professor 2024-06-29 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki0:27 Can classical music be boring?0:57 Chopin wrote a fugue2:10 Viola sonata by Mendelssohn3:23 Beethoven’s influence on Mendelssohn4:38 Satie’s Vexations5:38 Ravel’s Bolero8:02 Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony11:15 Vaughan Williams ’The Lark Ascending’12:15 Anything written by Haydn12:58 Comparison with Stamitz14:39 Haydn’s Trumpet concerto15:06 Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra15:50 Mahler’s first symphony17:10 Einaudi17:14 Pachelbel’s Canon in D17:23 Many composers…18:33 Brahms 1st piano concerto18:48 Liszt’s B minor SonataCan classical music be boring? In this video, Matthew King reacts to a Subreddit discussion in which certain classical composers and pieces are said to be boring. ⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonThe full performance of Satie’s Vexations by Matthew King can be heard here: youtu.be/vCeg1Rf-C9I?si=o_8KGDQVWZGpomKgKrystian Zimerman plays Liszt’s Sonata in B minor: youtu.be/IeKMMDxrsBE?si=7C_tgPC9V9NLMd--The full performance of Stamitz's symphony in D op. 5 no. 2 by the Capella Accademica can be seen here: youtu.be/uesCmExPPpE?si=TqfIqLIuyoMYhq-RRavel’s Bolero with a recording by the LSO conducted by Gergiev can be heard here: youtu.be/pNlXrdJFTAM?si=Bdq0yTR_4np2T7wv#Boringmusic #themusicprofessor
Beethovens 9th - Whats that all about?! (Part 1) The Music Professor 2024-06-15 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki0:35 200th anniversary of Beethoven 90:53 The Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna1:14 Proposal of a soap opera format. What do you think?1:50 The 9th century in Beethoven’s career2:47 The evolution of Beethoven’s style3:17 The middle period3:41 The Theatre an Der Wien concert in 18084:00 The premiere of the 5th and 6th symphonies4:48 The Choral Fantasia and the Ode to Joy6:36 Years of struggle7:28 The Phoenix-like emergence of the late period8:58 Schiller’s Ode to Joy and Beethoven’s universal hymn9:20 There’s more to the 9th than the finale!9:37 Beethoven never repeats himself10:21 The open ‘primal’ 5th12:10 Dotted rhythms12:46 Momentum12:58 The emergence of D13:15 The main theme13:54 Beethoven: Romanticism and looking back14:37 Almost like a French Overture15:12 Harmony comes in15:37 The Neapolitan (E flat)16:04 answering phrase on the dominant16:18 Beethoven disrupts rhythm at the cadence17:38 The 2nd sentence on tonic18:32 The emergence of B flat19:00 Transition (Liszt’s transcription)19:25 We’re on the move! The Toccata 20:08 A comparison with Beethoven’s 5th symphony (Learned Style)21:02 The canon and the wonderful modulation22:32 The new serene Pastoral character22:55 It’s like a play23:10 Do you want a 2nd episode on the 2nd subject…?23:40 Liszt’s arrangement of the 1st Subject of Beethoven 9 with analytical commentaryTo celebrate the 200th anniversary of the premiere of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in May 1824, this video attempts to explain a work which has attained monumental status within Western culture. Matthew King discusses Beethoven’s final symphony in the context of his entire career and the evolution of his style. There is a comparison between Beethoven’s triumphant Viennese symphonic concert in 1808 and his ‘return’ concert in 1824. Matthew King then explains the extraordinary opening of the symphony, emerging as if out of primal mystery, and he considers how Beethoven’s material manages both to look forward to Romanticism, and also back to the past with elements of Baroque style. If you would like the survey of Beethoven's 9th symphony to continue, please say so in the comments below.⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonBeethoven Symphony no. 9 in D Minor Op. 125 (transcription by Franz Liszt)Pianist: Matthew King.Liszt’s complete transcription of the first movement of Beethoven 9 can be heard here in a recording by Cyprien Katsaris: youtu.be/3h7e_UI24BU?si=Qt4Jg_3hMZ1X5mMDA fine (historically informed) performance of the original music can be heard here, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner: youtu.be/rJH9b9EQtHM?si=1gbBCuQcYJ264Qa-A wonderful performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia of 1808 can be heard here, with Martha Argerich at the piano, conducted by the late Seji Ozawa: youtu.be/GjXBKR4iDS8?si=BSLe7fkDlWfaFQ6u#beethovensymphony #odetojoy #TheMusicProfessor
The Music prof. Breaks Down Bernstein on Beethoven 7 The Music Professor 2024-06-01 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki0:36 This is one of the most unremarkable melodies1:14 Bernstein’s showing off1:31 Allegretto tempo1:46 “It isn’t a good tune”2:33 The primary element is rhythm3:15 Schubert was obsessed with this material4:00 "Do you like the melody?"4:36 The chromatic drop5:10 Is Beethoven a great melodist?6:00 “There’s nothing there!”6:21 "He spent his whole life trying to write a good fugue"7:26 Comparison with Mozart7:40 The late fugues8:23 The Archduke trio8:49 Simplicity is a hugely undervalued quality9:31 The Russian tradition of melody9:45 Beethoven learnt his compositional tricks from Haydn10:08 "Beethoven was a nobody!”10:49 An example from the Appassionata12:24 Orchestration? The 8th Symphony13:04 Beethoven’s deafness affecting his textures14:21 Bernstein’s hyperbole14:41 Mahler’s reorchestrations of Beethoven14:59 Slightly old fashioned gestures in late Beethoven15:24 Comparison with Berlioz and the younger generation16:36 Lenny’s really going for Beethoven17:14 "In Beethoven’s case, the form is all”18:28 "No composer ever had that - even Mozart!”18:41 “It’s so unpredictable and so right”19:09 “He struggled!” 19:31 Works that Beethoven was planning when he died19:58 A digression about Beethoven’s unfinished String Quintet sketch21:12 Beethoven’s crazy life22:28 Struggling with severe disability23:00 “…phoned in from God!”23:42 Berio and sculpture24:02 "But he wrecked himself trying to achieve this inevitability”24:43 “It could be no other way.”25:01 Berlioz listening to Beethoven’s 5th symphonyIn this video Matthew King reacts to an extract from Leonard Bernstein’s conversation with Maximilian Schell about Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. The focus of the discussion is the famous Allegretto second movement. Bernstein’s comments on the piece are characteristically brilliant and perceptive but also full of hyperbole and exaggeration. Matthew King analyses Bernstein’s remarks, using them as a springboard for a broader discussion about Beethoven’s life and work.The original discussion between Maximilian Schell and Leonard Bernstein about Beethoven’s 6th and 7th symphonies can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=OuYY1gV8jhUMatthew King's discussion about West Side Story can be seen here: youtu.be/Dd0Oso0Rplw?si=BBZHi82K6L3By-PsBernstein can be seen conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in the Allegretto from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony here: youtu.be/mkRmjdik1Yo?si=G-arWfjFceiqAoVABeethoven's Allegretto can be hear in Carlos Kleiber’s superb performance (and tempo) with the Royal Concertgebouw orchestra here: youtu.be/2Sw97NzvvsE?si=57hOtkixzc8qL52Z&t=737⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#Bernstein #Beethoven7 #TheMusicProfessor
Prelude in E Minor: How Chopin Baffled Critics The Music Professor 2024-05-18 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki. 0:28 Chopin and the advance of harmonic vocabulary1:10 The Preludes, Chopin and George Sand1:31 Chopin and improvisation2:27 Improvisation and composition, a historical perspective.3:07 The structure and key relationships of the Preludes3:31 Simplicity and complexity4:01 A huge compendium of Chopin’s virtuosity4:20 A comparison with James Joyce5:51 The E minor is a Lament5:13 Dido’s Lament by Purcell.5:54 The Passus Duriusculus6:35 Bach’s Crucifixus7:29 Beethoven’s 9th Symphony8:29 Chopin’s lament breaks with tradition10:03 The pedal note and the sigh11:20 The chromatic descent in 3 parts13:05 Chopin’s magical harmony 14:51 The first half: more and more poignant17:16 The second half: faster and more turbulent20:33 Contemporary criticisms of Chopin in the London Press in the 1840s23:16 Chopin, the radical: new vistas, new colours, new harmonic possibilities.24:17 Chopin’s E min or Prelude (with animated commentary)This video is an introduction to Chopin’s Prelude in E minor: the quintessential Romantic lament, popular among virtuoso pianists and amateur players alike. Composed in the late 1830s, Chopin discovered new, unexplored harmonic possibilities in this apparently simple music, creating a wonderfully concise and poetic depiction of melancholy in just two ’sentences’: each one consisting of a sighing melody of fixed notes in the right hand over subtly shifting chords in the left hand. As it progresses in long, descending chromatic lines (in all 3 parts) from tonic to dominant, the music gives rise to a rich and labyrinthine pathway of magically coloured harmonies.Apologies for the slightly fuzzy resolution on this video. Matthew had the camera on the wrong setting!Chopin Prelude in E minor Op 28 no. 4.Pianist: Matthew King.⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonAlfred Cortot’s wonderfully evocative, almost improvisatory 1933 recording can be heard here: youtu.be/OkxKCW8nq0Y?si=iGSwkS0GHxUEgM1JBlechacz's recording of the complete Op.28 preludes can be heard here: youtu.be/SqXYIteAfNs?si=ybVoFOr3p3vk_hGT#Chopin #EminorPrelude #themusicprofessor
The Dune Soundtrack: What the **** is Hans Zimmer doing...!!!? The Music Professor 2024-05-04 | In this video, the Music Professor reacts to the epic soundtrack to ‘Dune’ by Hans Zimmer.Encouraged by a younger viewer to "check out the Dune soundtrack", Matthew King, without any prior knowledge, reacts spontaneously to a short online video of Hans Zimmer and friends performing the soundtrack live. Matthew's reaction includes various attempts to play and ‘sing’ extracts from Zimmer’s score in the moment (and inevitably there are occasional lapses of memory and inaccuracies!)This is really an exercise in instantaneous reaction. Feel free to react spontaneously (if politely!) in the comments below.Thank you for watching.The original film of Hans Zimmer and his ensemble can be heard here: youtu.be/_j5GgGdSwjE?si=NRKeaXt5wgHXoSmF⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#HansZimmer #Dune #TheMusicProfessor
Is This Really The Best Piece Ever Written...? The Music Professor 2024-04-13 | This is the second part of Matthew King’s critical reaction to Classic FM’s notorious 'Hall of Fame' and features the thrilling final countdown to ONE. Matthew King, without any prior knowledge, attempts to play and ‘sing’ pieces on the spur of the moment (and inevitably there are terrible displays of ignorance, along with occasional lapses of memory, inaccuracies and some truly appalling vocalisation!) This is really an exercise in instantaneous reaction. This is really an exercise in instantaneous reaction. Feel free to react spontaneously (if politely!) in the comments below. Thank you for watching. You can see Part 1 of Matthew King’s reaction to the 'Hall of Fame' here: youtu.be/UfWs3P7wnmQ?si=vxE_JHLa9XLWjfvo⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#ClassicFM #HallofFame #TheMusicProfessor
Death In Venice is Seriously Creepy The Music Professor 2024-04-11 | Matthew saw the Welsh National Opera perform Death In Venice by Benjamin Britten. Here is what he had to say about it.
Classic FM Made A Stupid List - Reaction The Music Professor 2024-04-06 | This video is a purely reactive one. Matthew King, without any prior knowledge, checks over the top 50 items (this is part 1) in the Classic FM 'Hall of Fame’ and reacts spontaneously to them. The reaction includes various attempts to play and ‘sing’ extracts from some of them on the spur of the moment (and inevitably there are quite a few lapses of memory and inaccuracies!)This is really an exercise in instantaneous reaction. Feel free to react spontaneously (if politely!) in the comments below. Thank you for watching. ⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#ClassicFM #Top50 #The MusicProfessor
Träumerei: Schumanns WONDERFUL Dream! The Music Professor 2024-03-23 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki0:14 Kinderszenen: a song cycle without words0:30 The Mendelssohns invent a genre1:11 Schumann invents a genre1:36 A turbulent year. Separation from Clara1:56 Clara: a child prodigy2:20 A radical marriage2:43 Clara instructs Robert to be more popular3:26 Florestan and Eusebius4:20 Conversation with Wagner4:52 Schumann's introspection5:20 Träumerei in film5:35 Horowitz and Träumerei6:45 Debate between Berg and Pfitzner7:07 Inspiration vs analysis 8:01 Tempo, metronomes and historical change.9:40 Träumerei played at its original tempo10:28 Loki leaves the room11:21 Schumann’s original intention and subsequent slowing down.11:45 The still centre of the cycle12:29 8 phrases, each with a rising 4th13:12 Schumann’s ‘organic’ variation13:45 3 steps and horn calls14:10 Phrases of 5 beats and 3 beats15:00 Every phrase is harmonised differently16:20 Quick analysis16:44 Counterpoint like a quartet17:09 The melancholy turn17:22 B flat17:46 The 7th18:44 Schumann represents Clara in music.19:33 Influence on Debussy21:00 Schumann’s Träumerie: performance with annotations.⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonThis video is an introduction to Schumann’s Träumerie of 1838, one of Schumann's most famous piano pieces, used frequently in cinema, and the subject of some controversy. It is the still, dreamy, central 7th piece in a 'song-cycle without words' of 13 miniature piano pieces called Kinderszenen (‘Scenes from Childhood’). Its wonderful evocation of dreaminess grows out of its rhythmic ambiguity and the beautiful subtleties of its melodic and harmonic writing. Each phrase floats like a song melody and then dissolves in a delicate web of counterpoint.Robert Schumann: Träumerei (1838)Pianist: Matthew King.One of Horowitz’s many recorded performance of Träumerei (this one in Moscow in 1986) can be seen here: youtu.be/3fhKaAX5dOcAnother performance by Horowitz, this time with the whole of Kinderszenen: youtu.be/yibf6QNjgGUAndreas Staier’s recording of Träumerei on a fortepiano can be heard here: youtu.be/ws_hMJsu8TMEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King#Schumann #Kinderscenen #themusicprofessor
When Schumann Gets Intimate The Music Professor 2024-03-09 | Robert Schumann composed Von Fremdmen Ländern und Menschen (‘From Unknown Lands and People’) in 1838 while he was separated from his future wife, Clara, whose father refused permission for the couple to be together. It is a wonderfully poetic opening to a sequence of 13 miniatures called Kinderszenen (‘Scenes from Childhood’), a song-cycle without words. In its tiny frame, the piece explores fascinating changes of mood and a unique approach to transition. Schumann floats a soaring phrase several times over a gentle triplet accompaniment, like a barcarolle, with the notes divided between the hands. Inside the texture, the musical notes BACH revolve mysteriously. Schumann loved ciphers - the musical letters in Clara’s name (CAA) also appear in the piece, to magical effect.In a future video, Matthew King will discuss some of these things in more detailRobert Schumann: Von Fremdmen Ländern und Menschen (1838)Pianist: Matthew King⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King#Schumann #Kinderscenen #themusicprofessor
Saties VEXATIONS (complete): All secrets are revealed! The Music Professor 2024-02-24 | 0:00 Hold onto you seats0:13 Bass line0:28 Harmony0:43 Inversion0:58 The 3 lines1:58 The chords3:02 Music without a tonal centre3:26 The phrases3:56 The reason this music can bear repetition5:09 Satie’s mysterious instruction6:24 The New York premiere7:23 Satie’s relationship with Suzanne Valadon8:24 Suzanne Valadon’s hat9:23 Suzanne Valadon’s portrait of Satie9:54 Satie admiration for Valadon10:23 A pet goat10:52 Cats and caviar11:08 A corsage of carrots11:22 Valadon leaves Satie13:36 Satie’s calligraphy14:52 Satie’s portrait of Valadon15:56 More pictures by Suzanne Valadon16:55 Valadon as model18:20 Satie falls out with Paladin21:25 Peladin’s novels22:14 Writers who admired Paladin24:20 Peladin’s cult24:50 Satie is official composer26:30 Peladin’s Salon27:33 Satie’s differences with Paladin 32:20 Gregorian chant35:19 Satie’s Open Letter36:46 Friendship with Debussy37:25 Satie’s influence on Debussy39:19 A picture of Wagner40:46 Advice to Debussy45:45 Disagreements over Wagner48:10 Vexations is a response to Wagner51:16 Humour and seriousness52:41 Satie influences Debussy’s career54:45 Satie and the Windmill57:42 A painting by Renoir58:41 Bohemianism01:00:41 The Monkish phase01:02:00 A spoof cult01:04:10 Which instrument?01:06:20 Satie’s apartment as Abbey01:15:00 Strange letters01:22:00 Satie’s changes of style01:22:52 The Velvet Gentleman phase01:24:30 Comparison with David Bowie01:27:30 Brian Eno01:29:31 Written before Brahms01:31:00 A challenge to German music01:33:27 Satie’s influence01:36:28 Satie and Stravinsky01:38:23 New accommodation01:39:34 Radical politics01:41:23 Zizek01:44:23 Furniture music01:49:25 Communism01:50:53 A minimalist order: a better world01:57:21 Satie and Debussy02:02:56 Debussy’s piano playing02:04:20 Lunches with Debussy02:07:47 Debussy’s eggs and cutlets02:11:13 Satie and Debussy: very different political ideas02:20:21 Debussy becomes prosperous02:22:45 Photograph by Stravinsky02:24:40 Stravinsky’s recollections of Satie02:32:10 Bottles of water and a hammock02:35:07 Satie describes his own music02:38:35 The form of Vexations02:42:04 Socrate and Princess de Polignac.02:46:04 Stravinsky’s memories of Socrate02:50:34 Debussy, Satie and Stravinsky02:54:29 Satie describes his working day03:06:04 Satie and Debussy quarrel about Parade03:07:24 Picasso03:09:54 Debussy’s jealousy. Jeux etc.03:12:58 Parade03:18:56 Satie writing about his tragic rift with Debussy03:29:50 Satie and surrealism03:31:00 Poulenc describes the premiere of Parade03:42:39 Debussy dies03:45:13 Satie writes about Debussy03:47:43 Satie and Poulenc03:52:12 Satie and Ravel03:56:39 Satie admires and criticises Ravel04:02:13 Poulenc remembers Satie04:04:21 Satie’s influence on Cage04:07:38 Cage discovers Vexations04:11:35 Cage organises premiere04:14:31 Christian Wolf remembers the premiere04:18:32 Cage on Satie04:21:33 Poulenc on Satie04:23:38 100 umbrellas04:25:27 Pumice and Paranoia 04:29:30 Poulenc remembers Socrate04:33:50 Satie played the piano badly04:38:24 Satie’s aphorisms04:46:42 The new spirit04:53:18 Satie on Animals04:58:15 Satie on Artistic Truth05:05:32 Satie on Stravinsky05:07:48 Satie’s Conservatory Catechism05:09:39 “What I am”05:19:43 Intelligence and Musicality among Animals05:32:08 Child Musicians06:10:00 Musical Spirit06:33:22 Theatricalities06:42:58 Perfect Surroundings06:48:48 Montmartre Musicians06:52:13 Odd Corners of my LifeThis is a complete performance of Erik Satie’s 'Vexations' (with a written commentary). Satie's famous, and mysterious notations, half joking, half serious, on a single page of manuscript have inspired the longest video yet released on this channel. Vexations (like a Samuel Beckett play) is mysterious, absurd, baffling and unsettling in equal measure, occupying a strange twilight between comedy and tragedy: a circular, self-referential paradox. But Satie also invented the idea of ‘furniture music’. Listeners should feel free to dip and out of this video or to have it playing in the background while they do other things.Satie’s instruction, "At this sign customarily the theme of the Bass will be presented” is somewhat ambiguous, since the “theme in the bass” is present within each harmonised passage. For this performance, to save time (!) Matthew King departs from orthodox performance tradition and has interpreted the “theme of the Bass" as simply occurring within the 3 part texture, not on its own. This follows the recommendation of the Satie Scholar, Robert Orledge: “My advice to pianists would be to play the bass theme at the start, and then the two chordal strands as many times as they can without hallucinating or collapsing from exhaustion."Bon Appetite!Erik Satie: Vexations (1893)Pianist: Matthew King.An edited version of Igor Levit’s marathon performance in 2020: bit.ly/49suEJW#Vexations #Satie #themusicprofessor
Ravels Tiny Masterpiece The Music Professor 2024-02-10 | The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare https://skl.sh/themusicprofessor022410:00 Introduction with Loki0:09 Ravel’s marvellous underrated Prelude0:35 It’s an easier piece (quote from Scarbo played by Argerich)0:47 The year 19130:54 Three great ballets of 19121:32 Collaboration with Stravinsky1:46 Trois Poèmes de Stephane Mallarmé1:57 Ravel, a composer of masterpieces2:30 Inspiration of Schoenberg and Stravinsky2:43 The third song in the Mallarmé cycle3:33 Ravel straightens out the Mallarmé motif4:22 A sight-reading test piece for the Paris Conservatoire5:09 A short analysis of the Prelude5:40 a simple illustration of Ravel’s harmony6:13 Radiant D major, bitter-sweet D minor6:44 Comparison with Puccini7:14 More poignant than before7:36 The most beautiful phrase of all.8:11 Debussy: “It is the product of the finest ears that have ever existed”8:55 Ian Coulter introduces Skillshare10:37 Ravel’s Prelude in A minor (with animated commentary)Ravel’s exquisite Prelude in A minor of 1913 is one of his shortest and least played pieces. This video explains the prelude in the context of Ravel’s life and work during the period it was written. There is a short explanation of how the music works, followed by a performance of the prelude with animated commentary at the end of the video.Prelude in A minor (1913) by Maurice Ravel. Pianist Matthew King.Check out other videos about Ravel on this channel: An animated commentary on Ravel’s ‘La Valse’: youtu.be/ts7K4yCP5tIAn animated commentary about Ravel's Gaspard de la Suite: youtu.be/LYOQaHuxf0AAn animated commentary about Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin: youtu.be/q6oOo8izmyo⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King#Ravel #Prelude #TheMusicProfessor
Is The Poor Things Score A Masterpiece? The Music Professor 2024-01-30 | Matthew gives a very quick, concise review of Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things, featuring Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo. Tell us your own thoughts on the film.
Moonlight Sonata 2nd Movement - Full Performance The Music Professor 2024-01-27 | This is an animated recording of the second movement of Beethoven’s Sonata quasi Una Fantasia Op 27 no. 2, more commonly know as the Moonlight Sonata.In September 2023, this channel released a video ( youtube.com/watch?v=c0fpWX8Tgl0&ab_channel=TheMusicProfessor ) which included a longer discussion of the origins and cultural context of this piece, focussing on the second movement. In response to the various comments and requests for the score and recording alone, we are now releasing this separate video without the preliminary discussion, and containing just the first edition score, and a recording, on a fortepiano, of the second movement, plus an animated commentary.
Träumerie - When Schumann Had A Dream The Music Professor 2024-01-13 | Robert Schumann composed Träumerie in 1838. It is the still, dreamy, central 7th piece in a cycle of 13 pieces called Kinderszenen (‘Scenes from Childhood’). Its wonderful evocation of dreaminess grows out of its rhythmic ambiguity and the beautiful subtleties of its melodic and harmonic writing. Each phrase floats like a song melody and then dissolves in a delicate web of counterpoint.Robert Schumann: Träumerei (1838)Pianist: Matthew King.A longer video about this music, with detailed discussion, can be seen here: youtu.be/o27vccd30Vo?si=m89KbWaHaIlOv-vc&t=557⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#Schumann #Traümerie #Kinderscenen #themusicprofessor Edited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
Was Napoleon Any Good? The Music Professor 2024-01-05 | Matthew gives a very quick, concise review of Ridley Scott's Napoleon, featuring Joaquin Phoenix. Tell us your own thoughts on the film.
What is this instrument? The Music Professor 2023-12-30 | Matthew has stumbled upon quite a strange instrument at Walmer Castle. What is this thing called?
Carol Of The Bells Arranged For 7 Hands The Music Professor 2023-12-25 | The Carol of the Bells is a popular Christmas carol based on an old Ukrainian song called ‘Schedryk’. The King family have created our own version of the carol with 7 hands at the piano (the 7th hand moves from the bottom to the top of the keyboard). We dedicate this little Christmas piece to the people of Ukraine this Christmas.Pianists: members of the King family#carolofthebells #ukraine #themusicprofessor #christmasfun ⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
This Is How Christmas Sounds The Music Professor 2023-12-23 | 0:00 Introduction with Loki0:12 Liszt’s Christmas Tree Suite0:30 Not the sexy Liszt or the grand Liszt0:58 An old man, struggling with alcoholism, depression and a nomadic life1:52 Christmas 1881 in Rome2:21 Liszt’s upright piano3:00 Debussy’s visit and Liszt’s pedal3:17 The soap opera3:39 Cosima3:43 Hans von Bulow4:09 (similarity to Stockhausen)4:36 Rehearsals of Tristan and Isolde5:12 Wagner’s affair with Cosima5:31 The kids and their stepfather6:00 Wagner’s wide brimmed hat6:14 Daniela’s career6:24 Liszt or Daniela?6:44 Reaction against virtuosity6:55 The late style at its most charming7:16 In Dulci Jubilo7:45 The pastoral atmosphere and the siciliano rhythm8:09 Greensleeves8:29 Liszt invents Christmas harmony9:50 A sign of genius10:10 Gregorian chant and bells10:47 The middle of the piece: E major - a shift of colour12:28 Liszt’s arrangement for two pianists12:57 A beautiful Lisztian coda reconciles the two keys14:02 The final chord14:30 Liszt’s ’Shepherds at the Manger’ (with animated commentary)‘Weihnachtsbaum' (Christmas Tree) is a suite of 12 pieces for solo piano by Franz Liszt which he dedicated to his granddaughter Daniela. The first performance took place in Daniela’s hotel room in Rome, in December 1881. This video is about the third piece in the cycle, which represents the shepherds at the manger, and uses the melody of an ancient Christmas carol called 'In Dulce Jubilo’ with a rocking siciliano accompaniment, halfway between Gregorian chant and a lullaby. Its wonderfully simple and unpretentious style is so effective that it almost single-handedly defines how Christmas music is meant to sound!Die Hirten an Der Krippe (from Weihnachtsbaum) by Liszt. Pianist Matthew King.Stephanie McCallum’s recording of Liszt’s Weihnachtsbaum can be heard here: youtu.be/16WOBK0tlPgYou can see Marta Argerich and Daniel Barenboim play Liszt’s duet version of the first piece of the cycle here: youtu.be/CTXjCIFnkZU#themusicprofessor #liszt #christmasmusic ⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
This Is The Most Annoying Thing On The Internet The Music Professor 2023-12-15 | The internet seems to be becoming increasingly saturated with ads promoting super-fast musical tuition and promising spectacular results over very short periods of time. My main concern about these claims is that they promise the El Dorado of musical accomplishment without having to bother with the (fabulous and rewarding) journey of genuine musical training. Music teachers are consequently portrayed as old-fashioned, boring pedants who should be avoided, whereas, in actual fact the opposite is true: always TRUST those who have genuine experience and expertise and (as always in life) AVOID the charlatans and confidence tricksters who are trying to sell their nice easy ’too good to be true’ package.This video is dedicated to the many brilliant, hard working, underpaid music teachers all over the world, including those wonderful teachers who have taught me, and encouraged and inspired members of my own family, who have made music tuition a joy not a chore, and have found so many different ways to open windows onto the vistas of sound, making music exciting and attainable for their students. Thank you.Don’t trust the charlatans. Support your local music teacher!Piano improvisation on 'Three Blind Mice' by Matthew King With spoken contributions from George Vere, Christina King and Ian Coulter.#stephenridley #parody #themusicprofessor ⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿ patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
If Chopin Had Written Now And Then By The Beatles The Music Professor 2023-12-13 | Taken from our longer video which discusses The Beatle's new song Now and then (bit.ly/3NkKeOz), here is Matthew improvising on the theme in the style of Frédéric Chopin.
Was Maestro Oscar-Bait? 🎥🏆 The Music Professor 2023-12-11 | Matthew gives a very quick movie review of 'Maestro', the new biopic on Leonard Bernstein. Edited by Ian Coulter
New Arrangement Of Wagner The Music Professor 2023-12-02 | Matthew is in Inverness this weekend where his new version of Wagner’s Siegfried Act III for chamber orchestra is being played by The Mahler Players.
The Beatles’ Now And Then In The Style Of 6 Composers The Music Professor 2023-11-30 | Right now, the first 500 people to use my link will get a one month free trial of Skillshare https://skl.sh/themusicprofessor112310:00 Introduction (minus Loki)1:01 Joni Mitchell’s 80th Birthday2:02 The release of ’Now and Then’2:54 The original version3:54 A short description of ’Now and Then’4:19 The part of the song that was edited out.5:11 The final version.6:43 The Beatles phenomenon7:49 Album after album8:28 Brief comparison with Hitchcock and Beethoven8:50 Moments when creative energy collides with the zeitgeist9:05 The fragmentation of the Beatles9:33 An essay in nostalgia10:12 Paul McCartney: the driving force10:44 A very touching document.11:04 Now and Then11:39 The brief return of Loki12:00 A word about Skillshare13:34 John Lennon’s Spanish style14:18 The Phrygian drop14:46 Conversational style in Lennon’s songwriting15:38 Improvising in the style…15:54 Improvising in the style of Beethoven18:37 J.S.Bach19:34 Mozart21:24 Chopin21:53 Liszt22:32 Ravel23:08 An absurd exercise and a question23:58 Ian’s button and YouTube membershipThis video is about the Beatles’ ‘final’ song, Now and Then, which was released on 2 November 2023. The video considers the origins of the song, John Lennon’s original home recording from 1977, the Beatles final version, the song's place in the band’s output, and its role as a cultural document. Matthew King reflects on the Beatles’ achievement and considers how the song fits into the story of a band who were once at the cutting edge of innovation and cultural change, and are now icons of a lost world.In the second half of the video Matthew improvises on the first phrase of the song in the styles of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Liszt and Ravel. Piano improvisations by Matthew KingThe Beatles: Now and Then (released 2 November 2023): youtu.be/Opxhh9Oh3rg?si=E5cRMu3yNOaTJWGRJohn Lennon’s original 1977 recording of Now and Then: youtu.be/y8ZDzdY86l8?si=i7jIhJAAPpIG-oQ4#Beatles #Improvisation #themusicprofessor⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
West Side Story and Bernsteins Tritone The Music Professor 2023-11-25 | 0:00 Intro1:09 Release of’Maestro’ in cinemas 0:45 Benjamin Britten’s musical trinity1:02 Bernstein overview3:56 pre-film thoughts4:37 Intro to West Side Story6:00 Bernstein understands tension6:57 The fusion of genres7:29 The tritone and the perfect 5th.9:29 The overture and the Jets10:19 Bitonality and rhythmic dislocation11:18 ‘Cool’ and the fugue13:34 A tritone bass in the pasodoble14:00 Romantic elements: ’Something’s coming’.15:06 Tony & Maria and the redemptive power of love…16:22 ‘Maria’17:15 Duet: 'A Boy like that’18:55 ‘I have a love’: the climactic tritone20:50 The final bars: a possibility of hope.21:46 footnote 1: Wagner’s use of the tritone22:34 footnote 2: Stravinsky’s use of the tritone23:50 ConclusionRecorded on the eve of the release of the movie ‘Maestro’, this video focusses on Leonard Bernstein and his multifaceted talent as composer, conductor and communicator before taking a deep dive into ‘West Side Story’, focussing on how Bernstein enhances the drama through his use of the tritone as a symbol of societal tension which can only find resolution through the redemptive power of love.There is a huge amount of footage of Bernstein conducting and communicating on YouTube. Here are some examples.Leonard Bernstein’s 1973 Harvard lectures: youtu.be/8fHi36dvTdE?si=yShL99NulcFWFckQ&t=1Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts with the NYP: youtu.be/U6JsfDIo4TA?si=BBuMCWkNkkGFVZ6yBernstein sings a Kinks song at one of his Young People’s Concerts: youtu.be/ygn7ORgPbEE?si=XGJlMApzuqRnJY1gBernstein rehearses the Cha Cha from West Side Story in 1985: youtu.be/efWW1PR0Phg?si=SfbFVVfFM9xsQIX3Bernstein conducts and plays Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in 1976: youtu.be/cH2PH0auTUU?si=xcSeuwaB9NN9qLEt#Bernstein #Westsidestory #themusicprofessor
Which Show Is This? The Music Professor 2023-11-23 | Can anyone tell us which show Matthew is talking about, in which he forgets the names of its two main characters? This may also be a clue as to what our next video will cover!
Mozarts miraculous final year...and Liszt The Music Professor 2023-11-18 | 00:00 Intro1:01 ‘Mysterious Mozart’1:19 A meal with Haydn1:44 The greatest creative year of his life2:28 What if Mozart had gone to London?2:57 Mozart and Haydn were friends4:44 Ave Verum Corpus5:47 Music and spirituality.6:11 Comparison with Shakespeare7:20 Mozart excels at every genre.8:00 Mozart's beginnings9:01 Then the chorus comes in9:25 It doesn’t matter whether you’re a believer or not.10:11 The second phrase 10:30 “On the cross” - on a suspension.12:07 The Third phrase…development14:40 The final phrase…like a recapitulation.16:00 The trial of death.17:34 Liszt in 186219:17 The Sistine chapel20:35 The Mozart miracle22:17 Liszt’s singing piano23:12 Tchaikovsky’s versionIn June 1791, Mozart took a break from composing his final opera, ’The Magic Flute’ in order to visit his wife who was staying in a spa near Vienna called Baden bei Wien. Constanza was expecting their sixth child (Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart). Whilst Mozart was in Baden, he composed a short motet, 'Ave Verum Corpus', for his friend Anton Stoll, who was director of music at St. Stephan, Baden. The motet is only 46 bars long and is scored for chorus with strings and organ. The striking mix of apparent simplicity and profundity in the score are characteristic features of Mozart’s late style. This video discusses Mozart's final year, his friendship with Haydn and the music of his ‘Ave Verum Corpus' in detail, and concludes with Liszt’s 1862 arrangement of Mozart’s motet for piano solo.Mozart: 'Ave Verum Corpus’ arranged for piano solo by Franz Liszt Pianist: Matthew KingMatthew King says more about Mozart's final year in his video about Mozart and the Glass Armonica: youtu.be/80gxGnm1vMU?si=JBNDxvUHCEB-_bjYThe book quoted near the start of the video is ‘Mysterious Mozart’ by Phillipe Sollers.Mozart’s original version of ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ K. 618 for chorus, strings and organ, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt: youtu.be/lqcCW0OA7es?si=sYXCf45HrhEMcm8XLiszt’s original 1862 piano piece, ‘A la Chapelle Sixtine’ in which Allegri’s ‘Miserere’ and Mozart’s ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ appear to be in a kind of theological dialogue: youtu.be/tkAMKzRSrjc?si=AnEDMt6L0aDNIv7QTchaikovsky’s arrangement of Liszt’s arrangement of Mozart’s ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ in his 4th orchestral suite, ‘Mozartiana’: youtu.be/6bYRgv-fiY4?si=OY-ZalCL-EbvLFt7&t=374Allegri’s ‘Miserere’, performed by Tenebrae: youtube.com/watch?v=H3v9unphfi0&ab_channel=TenebraeChoirIan Damrau’s performance of the Queen of the Night’s aria, 'Der Hölle Rache’, from the Magic Flute: youtu.be/YuBeBjqKSGQ?si=rNXICxgbcPvuNyxv⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
“How Is Music…Spiritual? The Music Professor 2023-11-15 | Mozart wrote his Ave Verum Corpus a few months before his death in 1791. Find out more about this short spiritual masterpiece in our next video.
Mozart And The Glass Armonica The Music Professor 2023-11-04 | 00:00 Start00:06 The Hydrodaktulopsychicharmonica00:30 Benjamin Franklin02:52 The ultimate late 18th Century gadget03:20 Associations with depression03:59 Composers who have written for glass harmonica05:58 Marianne Kirchgessner06:34 Mozart’s preference for unusual instruments07:59 1791 - Mozart’s final year08:51 Two opera commissions09:54 The mysterious stranger and the Requiem11:10 Salieri11:55 Mozart’s evolving style12:27 The Magic Flute: a preference for trios13:38 Ave Verum Corpus14:49 Tempo 15:14 Periodic phrase structure 18:10 The middle section20:40 Recapitulation, variation and embellishment 22:09 Mozart’s Adagio K356 (with animated commentary)The topic of this video is Mozart’s Adagio for Glass Harmonica of 1791, composed during the hectic final year of its composer’s short life. The video explains the historical context of the music, the origins of this mysterious instrument as a technological wonder of late 18th century, and its association with supernatural and melancholy effects. Mozart’s short work is explained within the broader setting of his frenzied activities in 1791 and his tragic untimely death.Mozart: Adagio for Glass Harmonica K 356, played on a piano.Pianist: Matthew KingMatthew King says more about Mozart's final year in his video about Ave Verum Corpus: youtu.be/SN2tZlJJtTs?si=jvfi4oSjhiWp7ZXwChrista Schönfeldinger performs Mozart’s Adagio on a glass harmonica: youtu.be/hqse6LNFfgA?si=kCy4zLGXZXFstI87A complete performance of Mozart’s Adagio and Rondo for Glass Harmonica quintet K 617: youtube.com/watch?v=EwswlusoEgo&ab_channel=WienerGlasharmonikaDuoAnna Netrebko's performance of the ‘Mad Scene’ (with glass harmonica) from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lamermoor: youtu.be/qc3Ml_Sse7M?si=lGSZTtxijg5f7AgGThe melodrama with glass harmonica from Beethoven’s ‘Leonore Prohaska’: youtu.be/3KCIecOXyao?si=7AH_gM0sJ9PMiTkI&t=235A fascinating German documentary about the glass harmonica: youtu.be/uZPKVRgOfWE?si=5_aBbFjNrjr_igdS#Mozart #1791#glassharmonica #themusicprofessor⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
Moonlight Sonata 2nd Movement...The Story Continues The Music Professor 2023-10-21 | 0:30 The dawn of Romanticism0:49 How does the second movement fit into the sonata?1:44 Heroes and teachers: Mozart and Haydn3:01 A post-French-Revolutionary world 3:40 Reading from a comment4:38 Beethoven was not an ‘abstract’ composer.5:10 Hearing loss and the Heiligenstadt Testament6:18 Minuet and Trio 7:26 “A little flower between two abysses"9:37 Beethoven disrupts the normal phrasing.10:21 Ritmo di Quattro battute12:14 Rhythmic reversals13:13 The same (enharmonic) tonality13:56 The pastoral trio15:59: Beethoven’s Shakespearian quality.17:11 End of movement 1 and the whole of movement 2 (with animated commentary)The topic of this video is the second movement of Beethoven’s 'Sonata quasi Una Fantasia’ Op 27 no. 2, more commonly known today as the Moonlight Sonata. This second movement has always been something of a Cinderella - a lighter, more classical minuet, sandwiched between the great warhorses that flank it on either side or, as Franz Liszt, more elegantly described it, “a little flower between two abysses”. The piece however contains some marvellously subtle rhythmic dislocations which seem to challenge the ‘aristocratic’ conventions of the minuet, and these are continued in the more rustic style of the trio section with its famous bluesy harmonies and swung rhythm.The video ends with a recording of the complete movement, played on a fortepiano, with an animated analysis.This channel is very grateful to an anonymous donor for lending us a fortepiano for the recording.Beethoven: Allegretto (movement 2) from Sonata quasi Una Fantasia Op 27 no. 2 Pianist: Matthew KingFor a longer discussion about the Moonlight Sonata and the first movement: youtu.be/Ejsh-NZCWm8?si=WktbALVWw8vf-5Tt#Beethoven #Moonlightsonata #themusicprofessor⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
It Sounds Wrong! The Music Professor 2023-10-18 | A short excerpt from our upcoming video on the second movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.Edited by Ian Coulter
The Truth About The Moonlight Sonata - 1st Mvt. Performance The Music Professor 2023-10-07 | This is an animated recording of the first movement of Beethoven’s Sonata quasi Una Fantasia Op 27 no. 2, more commonly know as the Moonlight Sonata.In September 2023, this channel released a video (youtu.be/Ejsh-NZCWm8?si=EaQHBTyCivlcuI4M) which included a longer discussion of the origins and cultural context of this piece, focussing on the first movement. In response to the various comments and requests for the score and recording alone, we are now releasing this separate video without the preliminary discussion, and containing just the first edition score, and a recording, on a fortepiano, of the first movement, plus an animated commentary.The recording of the complete first movement was made quite spontaneously, with limited equipment, and played on a fortepiano which was lent to the channel. Following Beethoven’s instruction that the pianist must “play this whole piece very delicately and without dampers”, a knee pedal, located below the keyboard of the fortepiano, was used to raise the dampers for quite long periods, allowing the strings to resonate. The poetic, mysterious and ghostly sound, resulting from pedalling this way, is probably what Beethoven envisaged: a sonority in which each harmony dissolves impressionistically into the next. Hector Berlioz described the effect:The left hand softly displays large chords of a solemn, sad character, and the length of these allows the vibrations of the piano to extend gradually over each one of them.This channel is very grateful for the use of a fortepiano (lent to the channel anonymously) for the recording of the first movement of the sonata.Beethoven: Sonata quasi Una Fantasia Op 27 no. 2 (first movement)Pianist: Matthew King#Beethoven #Moonlightsonata #themusicprofessor⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
The Mystery of Mozart’s Minuet in D The Music Professor 2023-09-30 | 0:37 Mozart’s operas and the French Revolution3:10 Revolutionary chromaticism, ‘Amadeus’ and Wagner7:59 Photo-serial augmented triads8:50 Speculation: Was this intended for a suite?10:06 Structure (miniature sonata form) and popular style11:18 “He hits you with this terrifying thing” (and Ravel), hemiolas and development13:12 The recapitulation “strange new counterpoints” but is it unfinished?14:14 Is this bit added by Max Stadler?15:03 Isn’t it likely that Mozart did something different?” Improvisation…speculation…15:30 “One more thing…15:55 Mozart’s Minuet in D K 355 (with animated commentary)In May 2023, this channel posted a short video about Mozart’s 'Kleine Gigue’ in G major, composed in 1789. The topic of this video is another miscellaneous keyboard work by Mozart, also composed in 1789 (near the end of the composer’s life, the same year he composed his wonderful opera, ‘Cosi fan Tutte’, and pretty much contemporary with the start of the French Revolution). Both the Little Gigue, and this little Minuet in D, display, in their tiny frames, a revolutionary tendency. Both are, in a sense, conventional binary-form pieces but both are saturated with chromaticism to such an intense degree, that tonality itself feels a little unstable. A common feature of the little Gigue in G major, and the little Minuet in D, is that they both seem intent on presenting all 12 chromatic notes in a systematic manner, almost as if Mozart were experimenting with his own version of proto-serial composition.Mozart’s Minuet was probably left unfinished. There is no manuscript, and the minuet was published with a trio (not performed in this video) composed by Mozart's friend, Maximilian Stadler, who may well have completed the minuet itself - this seems likely, given the slightly conventional and (by Mozart’s standards) unsatisfactory ending of the published version. This video discusses these issues, and features a recording in which Matthew King has improvised a speculative new ending.Mozart: Minuet in D K 355Pianist: Matthew King.Matthew King says more about Mozart's late style in his videos on Mozart's final year and the Ave Verum Corpus (youtu.be/SN2tZlJJtTs?si=_zdmRdhR9AjD8IjS) and Mozart and the Glass Armonica (youtu.be/80gxGnm1vMU?si=jx4WpT62kZL7HiBx)This channel's short film about Mozart's 'Little Gigue' can be seen here: youtu.be/xh_t1fq0tlA?si=wwHGMqDc5ngpROGNRobert Levin’s discussion and reconstruction of Mozart’s Minuet in D can be heard at the start of this lecture: youtu.be/Ilrnj7hPCDM?si=ldl3yV4uTdco0n9nTchaikovsky’s orchestration of Mozart’s Minuet in D, in his Fourth Orchestral Suite ‘Mozartiana’, can be heard here: youtu.be/6bYRgv-fiY4?si=0el3xp3IYzTJ0BvR&t=101⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#Mozart #piano #themusicprofessor Edited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
Unmasking Chopins Minute Waltz The Music Professor 2023-09-15 | 0:33 Introduction. 1:45 The minute waltz in a minute. 2:52 a short analysis. 4:00 hemiola rhythm. 4:52 “A portrait of a waltz”5:26 The influence of Italian opera. 6:00 Chopin’s playing. 7:20 The year 1847 and George Sand. 8:00 Lucrezia Floriani.9:41 A proper performance with animated analysisA while ago, in the early days of this channel, we posted a short video of Matthew King attempting to play Chopin’s Minute Waltz in a minute, to celebrate our first thousand subscribers. It was a silly party trick, which, now that we are celebrating 30K members of our wonderful and rapidly expanding community of subscribers, we have decided to repeat!So here is Chopin’s D flat Waltz Op 64 no. 1, first played ludicrously quickly, followed by a more sober discussion about its background, and then a second performance (with some analytical animation). According to a contemporary account, “Chopin especially liked Broadwood’s Boudoir cottage pianos of that date (1848), two-stringed, but very sweet instruments, and he found pleasure in playing on them.” The piano used for the recording, at the end of this video, is an old English Daneman upright, somewhat equivalent in sound to the 'Broadwood Boudoir cottage pianos' that Chopin apparently admired.A huge thank you to our loyal and generous patrons and subscribers, and also to new subscribers who have recently joined the channel.Chopin: Waltz in D flat Op 64 no. 1 (1847). Pianist: Matthew King (Two performances - the first very silly and the second one more serious)The quotations used in the video come from 'Chopin: Pianist and Teacher' by Jean-Jaques EigeldingerYou can read more about Chopin, Sand and her novel, 'Lucrezia Floriani’ here: https://interlude.hk/lucrezia-floriani-romantic-relationship-between-frederic-chopin-george-sand/⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#Chopin #Minutewaltz #themusicprofessor Edited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
The Truth About The Moonlight Sonata The Music Professor 2023-09-04 | 0:00 Introduction: one of the most famous pieces in the world0:37 Things about the piece that are not so familiar1:14 The historical context1:55 The ’sacred tradition’2:29 Beethoven is going deaf3:00 Two new sonatas 3:08 The career-defining genre 3:41 Sonata quasi una Fantasia - an experimental approach to the genre5:17 “without dampers”5:56 The fortepiano of Beethoven’s time 6:18 The tempo and the sonority 6:53 Impressionistic sound 7:52 An enormous hit 8:22 'Moonlight’ was never Beethoven’s title 9:01 Connection with Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’13:08 The beginning 13:41 The ‘funeral march’ melody and Op 2615:13 A ghost scene 15:49 The '2nd subject’ lament 16:00 Dissonance16:33 The dedicatee 17:45 The development section 18:52 The recapitulation 19:09 The coda 19:26 The whole form flows 19:44 The combination of classical form and improvisation 20:11 The other movements20:40 The first movement played on a fortepianoThe topic of this video is the first movement of Beethoven’s second 'Sonata quasi Una Fantasia’ Op 27, more commonly known today as the Moonlight Sonata, with a discussion about some of the less familiar aspects of the music’s genesis (especially its probable connection with Mozart’s Don Giovanni) and challenging some very old misconceptions about its title, its meaning, its tempo, its pedalling and even the way it is meant to sound.The video ends with a recording of the complete first movement, played on a fortepiano. Following Beethoven’s instructions that the dampers be lifted from the strings throughout the movement, a poetic, mysterious and ghostly sound world is created in which each sonority dissolves impressionistically into the next.This channel is very grateful to an anonymous donor for the use of a fortepiano for the recording of the first movement at the end of the video. Matthew King has never been a good speller - we apologise for the misspelling of the word 'neapolitan' in the video.Beethoven: Sonata quasi Una Fantasia Op 27 no. 2 (first movement)Pianist: Matthew KingA recording of Mozart's trio from Scene 1 of Don Giovanni (the death of the Commendatore) can be seen here youtu.be/8wEMzWH52FA?si=q5MRB8-dFb_OvlwW (at 10:52) A while ago, Andras Schiff gave a fascinating Wigmore Hall lecture on this sonata. Here's the recording: youtu.be/H6u9Ocp039Y?si=60gxqjvUh6JZg3C6#Beethoven #Moonlightsonata #themusicprofessor⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King
Youve never heard this version of Fur Elise - (Full Performance) The Music Professor 2023-08-18 | In July 2023 this channel released a video (youtu.be/jblFQ1whX5s) which included a longer discussion of the history of Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’. In response to the various comments and requests for the score and recording alone, we are now releasing a separate video without the preliminary discussion, and containing just a score and recording, plus minimal written commentary.In 1810 Beethoven composed a short piano piece, which we now know as ‘Für Elise’. It has become (with the possible exception of the first movement of the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata) Beethoven’s most famous composition for piano, with one of the most famous melodies in the world. which is something of an irony, because Beethoven never had the piece published, and indeed the version we know today comes from a somewhat unreliable source having been transcribed in the 1860s from a manuscript that subsequently disappeared. The dedication, “Für Elise’ may itself be a misreading of a more likely dedication to Therese Malfatti, who turned down Beethoven’s proposal of marriage in 1810.Twelve years later, in 1822, after completing his final three piano sonatas, Beethoven put together an assortment of short Bagatelles for piano, some of them newly composed, and some revisions of older pieces. He sketched out a revised version of ‘Für Elise’, embellishing some of the material, rhythmically displacing the accompaniment, and slightly altering the structure. These modifications are a fascinating glimpse at the composer’s ‘tool-shed’, as we watch Beethoven altering and improving things that he appears to have disliked in the first version. In the end, he decided not to publish this revised version and so it was not included among the Op 119 Bagatelles.Published versions of Beethoven’s 1822 sketch differ slightly: the British musicologist, Barry Cooper published a version of the sketch in 1989, and in 2021 Bärenreiter Urtext published an excellent new edition of the Bagatelle in A minor (Für Elise) containing the original version, a printed version of Beethoven’s draft of the piece with his 1822 alterations, and a completion (from the revised draft) of the 1822 version by Mario Aschauer, which closely resembles the version performed in this video. The notated material in this video reproduces the essential elements in Beethoven’s 1822 revision. Any extra material, not found in Beethoven's original version, or in his 1822 sketch, is written in small notes in the video animation.Beethoven: Bagatelle in A Minor ('Für Elise')Pianist: Matthew KingThe original video (from which this is an extract) is here: youtu.be/jblFQ1whX5sMario Achauer, who edited the recent Bärenreiter Urtext edition, can be heard playing the 1822 version on a fortepiano here: youtube.com/watch?v=EShoB5FcYFs&ab_channel=MarioAschauerMario Aschauer's explanation of the 1822 version and the new Bärenreiter Urtext edition can be heard here: youtube.com/watch?v=m2tWq7AcNac&ab_channel=B%C3%A4renreiter-VerlagKarlV%C3%B6tterleGmbH%26Co.KG⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3PnnwonEdited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King#Beethoven #FürElise #themusicprofessor
Is This The Beginning Of Modern Music? (Satie: Gymnopedie 1) The Music Professor 2023-08-11 | Erik Satie wrote his three Gymnopedies in 1888. All three pieces are like different versions of the same music, and each is as radical and as beautiful as the one before. All three pieces have a lilting 3-in-a-bar rhythm, like a slow waltz with a held chord on every 2nd beat.The first Gymnopedie is very famous. Its dream-like character has made it popular with film makers, and it has become a common ‘relaxing classic’. Listeners are consequently unaware just how shockingly radical this decidedly strange music must have seemed in 1888.The music contains a number of elements which were highly unusual, even unique for the period: a subtle, almost bitonal use of modality; numerous dissonances and altered chords; a mysterious circling form; a melody like a procession of notes, often containing intriguing symmetries, and a radical tonal ambiguity. No less extraordinary is the stillness of the music; its non-progressive, non-developmental character - absolutely at odds with the prevailing Austro-German Romantic style of music of the period.With his first Gymnopedie, Satie boldly laid down the gauntlet in redefining what music can be: something ambiguous, static, circular, ambient, evocative…. this is nothing less than the birth of modern music.Erik Satie: Gnossienne 1Pianist: Matthew KingSatie's first Gnossienne can be heard here: youtu.be/4Y42P0G-kGYSatie's second Gnossienne can be heard here: youtu.be/B6OFHvHrtB8Satie’s third Gnossienne can be heard here: youtu.be/BY8QDzsDrtQ⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#Satie #Gymnopedie #themusicprofessor Edited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Matthew King (www.matthewkingcomposer.com)Professor of Composition Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Gnossienne 3 - Satie Does it again The Music Professor 2023-08-04 | Erik Satie wrote seven Gnossiennes. The third is dated 1890, Like its companions, Gnossienne 3 is radical in conception: It is in A minor and uses only minor chords throughout. Strikingly, the melodic material combines diminished triads (as a melodic shape) over minor chords, and the piece employs a mode of Satie’s invention: a ‘Hungarian minor’ scale with a sharpened 6th. In 1889, Satie had sketched and abandoned a 'Chanson Hongrois' for piano, sensing perhaps that the idiom was a little too conventional (since Liszt and Brahms had already made the Hungarian style popular earlier in the century). However, an element of the Hungarian style affected the modality of the Gnossiennes which he went on to compose in the 1890s. The third Gnossienne also makes extensive use of plagal harmonic progressions (with numerous drops down a 4th) generating a sense of continual downward movement, and frequent cross-rhythmic circling patterns (creating the effect of lostness) over extended plagal cadences. Towards the end of the Gnossienne he employs two expressive downward drops of a third, shortly before the final return of the melody. Satie also pioneered, in this music, an incantatory style that was to have a huge impact on composers in the 20th century. His striking use of accented semibreves with acciaccaturas was much imitated in 20th century music by Debussy, Stravinsky, Varèse, Messiaen and others.All Satie’s Gnossiennes are composed without barlines, and they all have a gently rocking accompaniment in the left hand, with an majestic and mysterious melody floating above it in the right hand. All the Gnossiennes use modes to create intriguing and mysterious melodic lines. The extraordinary simplicity of the musical texture and syntax belies the prodigious originality of the resulting music. Written before Brahms had composed his late intermezzi, these are fabulously experimental pieces in which the form consists of haunting melodic fragments which circle around without any specific direction or goal. In their circularity and stasis they seem to lay down a challenge to German 19th century dominance: music does not have to be developmental; neither does it have to be goal-directed or hierarchical. It can simply float along and be an evocative mystery. Satie’s music was enormously influential on several currents of twentieth century music: Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Poulenc (who orchestrated this gnossienne - see below), Milhaud, Varèse, Jolivet, Messiaen and, later on, Cage, Feldman, minimalist composers, Birtwistle, Bill Evans, Brian Eno, quite a few film scores etc. etc.Erik Satie: Gnossienne 3Pianist: Matthew KingThe first Gnossienne can be heard here: youtu.be/4Y42P0G-kGYThe second Gnossienne can be heard here: youtu.be/B6OFHvHrtB8Poulenc's beautiful orchestration of the third Gnossienne can be heard here: youtu.be/-8t8mTIr-z4⦿ SUPPORT US ON PATREON ⦿patreon.com/musicprofessor⦿ BUY US A Kofi ⦿ko-fi.com/themusicprofessor⦿ Support us on PayPal ⦿https://paypal.me/themusicprofessor?c...⦿ SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL ⦿bit.ly/3Pnnwon#Satie #Gnossienne #themusicprofessor Edited by Ian Coulter ( iancoultermusic.com )Matthew King (www.matthewkingcomposer.com)Professor of Composition Guildhall School of Music & Drama
