I was despairing of ever hearing this again. While I was in high school in the mid-1950s I subscribed to the Concert Hall (I think it was) series of musical performances and their analyses - sets of a 10" LP with the analysis together with the performance of the work on a 12" LP. I had this, the Brahms 4th and the Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony. I loved everything Lenny Bernstein did - I also had his What Is Jazz? LP. Thank you, shellac1925 for again showing us the light.
I have only recently began to enjoy classical music at the age of 30…oh have I been missing out …. My gf and I saw Brahms No. 4 at our local orchestra and it has changed my life
Brilliant analysis. I think Lenny was more consistent as a teacher than as a conductor. His "Unanswered Question" is good, too, but this is great. More, please!
Amazing ! Bernstein was a consummate pedagogue, his clarity in communication was his greatest strength. Is this from one of the episodes from the Omnibus Series in the 1950's or is it a radio documentary / extra track on the CD ? More of such musicological analysis by him is most welcome.
3:30 - why on earth does he think a symphony’s finale is “usually in rondo form?” About 80% of the famous symphonies I can think of have sonata form finales. Even among the Mozart symphonies (Mozart was particularly fond of rondo form) pure rondo form finales are rare.
The prevailing argument in current sonata theory is that rondo form is a form of sonata form - Hepokoski and Darcy's type 4 to be precise. This, of course is debatable.
Brilliant. I'm not an expert and I don't get at 6:03 the "weakest part of the measure" commentary, and how he plays it "almost as a syncopation". Never heard it done that way by any conductor. And as the score starts with anacrusis, the first beat is on the second note: ta-TA, ta-Ta, ta-TA, ta-Ta.... and not TA-ta, TA-ta, TA-ta, TA-ta as Bernstein plays it here. It reinforces his commentary about the agitation and breethless feeling of the theme , but I don't see it in the score that way. Could anybody clarify this for me? thank you!
I think he just exaggerated this syncopations to show his point clearly. If listen to Bernstein recording of this symphony, obviously he doesnt conduct Ta-ta but neither ta-Ta. And nobody does. The main beauty of this theme, of this two notes is consists in duality of itself. It is descending "lamento" interval, and this side of its nature asks to play like Ta-ta, but also it is obviously off-beat. I think this uncertainty really reflects whole idea of romantic era.
@@user-uj2wx6zt5m Thank you very much for your response. I think I understand your point (even if I'm not very knowledgeable on the matter). But what I meant by ta-Ta is downbeat more stressed (if slightly) than upbeat. The orchestra plays it that way, then Bernstein changes it in the piano and that is what I don't get, it sounds extreme to me. To me to call those first bars agitated is not that obvious at all. I apreciate your point of view about the uncertainty, I enjoyed it and totally agree with it.
This is very interesting indeed, but I'm afraid it finally clarified for me why I have never warmed to Brahms, even though he ticks all the boxes for the sort of music I like. Everything that Bernstein so eloquently describes here is of course standard stock in trade for any half-way competent composer, but from Brahms, in the end, it feels like it all comes from the music. By which I mean it doesn't transcend to become an utterance of Brahms expressed through the natural development of music.
What a pitiful assessment of a giant. Either you live in with your head stuck so far up your A$% or your lack of comprehension is only second to your stupidity. Which, ultimately means, you must love Bruckner! Pity indeed!
Видеоклипы
I was despairing of ever hearing this again. While I was in high school in the mid-1950s I subscribed to the Concert Hall (I think it was) series of musical performances and their analyses - sets of a 10" LP with the analysis together with the performance of the work on a 12" LP. I had this, the Brahms 4th and the Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony. I loved everything Lenny Bernstein did - I also had his What Is Jazz? LP. Thank you, shellac1925 for again showing us the light.
I just love it. He was such a Teacher!
I have only recently began to enjoy classical music at the age of 30…oh have I been missing out …. My gf and I saw Brahms No. 4 at our local orchestra and it has changed my life
That was a tease! I want LB to explain the whole symphony
This is so brilliant!
Brilliant analysis. I think Lenny was more consistent as a teacher than as a conductor. His "Unanswered Question" is good, too, but this is great. More, please!
Great! Thanks for uploading!
Thank you.
Amazing ! Bernstein was a consummate pedagogue, his clarity in communication was his greatest strength. Is this from one of the episodes from the Omnibus Series in the 1950's or is it a radio documentary / extra track on the CD ?
More of such musicological analysis by him is most welcome.
This particular analysis came from the early 1950s. I think it was a standalone piece. If there are others in a series I'm not aware of them.
3:30 - why on earth does he think a symphony’s finale is “usually in rondo form?” About 80% of the famous symphonies I can think of have sonata form finales. Even among the Mozart symphonies (Mozart was particularly fond of rondo form) pure rondo form finales are rare.
The prevailing argument in current sonata theory is that rondo form is a form of sonata form - Hepokoski and Darcy's type 4 to be precise. This, of course is debatable.
Why does Lenny's piano have a seatbelt?
Brilliant. I'm not an expert and I don't get at 6:03 the "weakest part of the measure" commentary, and how he plays it "almost as a syncopation". Never heard it done that way by any conductor. And as the score starts with anacrusis, the first beat is on the second note: ta-TA, ta-Ta, ta-TA, ta-Ta.... and not TA-ta, TA-ta, TA-ta, TA-ta as Bernstein plays it here. It reinforces his commentary about the agitation and breethless feeling of the theme , but I don't see it in the score that way. Could anybody clarify this for me? thank you!
I think he just exaggerated this syncopations to show his point clearly. If listen to Bernstein recording of this symphony, obviously he doesnt conduct Ta-ta but neither ta-Ta. And nobody does.
The main beauty of this theme, of this two notes is consists in duality of itself. It is descending "lamento" interval, and this side of its nature asks to play like Ta-ta, but also it is obviously off-beat.
I think this uncertainty really reflects whole idea of romantic era.
@@user-uj2wx6zt5m Thank you very much for your response. I think I understand your point (even if I'm not very knowledgeable on the matter). But what I meant by ta-Ta is downbeat more stressed (if slightly) than upbeat. The orchestra plays it that way, then Bernstein changes it in the piano and that is what I don't get, it sounds extreme to me. To me to call those first bars agitated is not that obvious at all. I apreciate your point of view about the uncertainty, I enjoyed it and totally agree with it.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍♥️
This is very interesting indeed, but I'm afraid it finally clarified for me why I have never warmed to Brahms, even though he ticks all the boxes for the sort of music I like.
Everything that Bernstein so eloquently describes here is of course standard stock in trade for any half-way competent composer, but from Brahms, in the end, it feels like it all comes from the music.
By which I mean it doesn't transcend to become an utterance of Brahms expressed through the natural development of music.
What a pitiful assessment of a giant. Either you live in with your head stuck so far up your A$% or your lack of comprehension is only second to your stupidity. Which, ultimately means, you must love Bruckner! Pity indeed!
Como casi siempre es de lamentar la pésima traducción al Español de estos vídeos tan interesantes. 🇪🇦😞😞😞😞🇪🇦
: )