I've watched this twice over and will again. Words can't describe how deeply touched I am by this. I'm new to classical music and hope to start learning my first instrument, my dream, the cello. I'm 46 and have no illusions I'll be anything more than a grateful novice, but I look forward to a lifetime of being inspired by this beautiful musician and this brilliant, insightful teacher. Thank you for producing this series, I honestly can't get enough.
I started the cello when I was 35: there is hope for you, you’re still young! My first teacher told me at the time: in three years you’ll start having fun (but until then it might be a little frustrating...but it’s worth it!). Get yourself a good teacher and have fun. I’m now 73, so glad I decided to rent my first cello in 1984! Have fun!!
I played the cello for 13 years until i had to stop playing for reasons beyond my control. I'm now 46 and finally have time to start again. Cello is not the easiest instrument but i believe it has the most similar voice to a human voice. One thing i dont look forward to is my thumb bleeding again... i remember the first thumb practices split my thumb and i bled many times. I still have a groove on the side of my thumb from years of playing. Good luck!!! Enjoy!!! and one thing my amazing teacher taught me was to sing while playing.
Try to listen to the recording by Jacqueline du Pre under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli. She was only in her teens with all the emotion and exuberance of youth when she made that recording. Quite magical.
The beauty of the Internet : it’s been 4 years, you should be 50 by now, did you start ? i’m 52, I started one year ago and having so much fun - and hard work for sure ! - learning this beautiful instrument. There’s always hope !
I have watched this video a dozen times and every time I’m moved to the depth of my soul. By Elgar’s unbelievably powerful forthright nobility, and his elegy for an era and a society he longed to represent and which the slaughter of the First World War proved to be hollow. Second by Zander’s ability to elicit such an equally powerful and deeply felt performance by such a young musician, a performance that shall follow me to my grave (at 88 that time approaches for me but this video has enriched my life, as have many other moments of transcendent beauty throughout the worlds of music, poetry, art and literature.
Elgar had struggled to rise from his lower middle class background (and a Catholic in Protestant England)to become the voice of empire. His music embodies the majesty and nobility of that great image, to be heard time and again in his great “nobilamente” themes. But the carnage of World War I showed that nobility to have feet of clay. So the cello concerto, his last major work though he lived another 14 years, is a farewell elegy to a world that not only had gone, but that perhaps had had a hollow heart. All that sorrow, with great reserve, us expressed in this masterpiece.
The way Marza Wilks plays and how Benjamin Zander brought out the very best in her playing and interpretation here, literally had me tears at times - she is a cello force to be reckoned with : ) And Maestro Zander is beyond description in the way he inspires not only the musicians but the audience too. He is not only an incomparable musician but a truly lovely and classy human being as well as a fantastic teacher and "architect" in helping people build their dreams. BRAVO ! ! !
Ben is not a violin or a cello teacher. He's more like a music life coach to his students. Everything he says is significant at several levels in their artist life / career and not meant as a plug in trick.
I knew from his commentary discs to his recordings that Mr. Zander is a remarkable person. Watching him do this all I can say: He is not only remarkable, he is outstanding.
Thank to you all, musicians, audience and technical team who allow me at Paris to be able to feel at least a bit of the atmosphere, the mood, the music on the other side of the screen :) Cellist myself, I was able to understand, feel, part of what Mr Zander was trying to share. Great moment. And great musical moment. Thanks for the evocation of Paris events Nicolas
Ive listened to Elgar in several of these videos and I am impressed with how beautiful all his pieces have been. This one was moving and she really communicated with the audience. Wonderful !
Absolutely amazing, fantastic *insert more beautiful adjectives here*. The level of reached is astonishing. And you can see it in the eyes of the Master. He does not stop her. He enjoyed the performance. Thanks you so much for this video.
One of the most magnificient cellist with a superb sound. I love when she dropped her bow, Ben reassures her with some real or invented story about his cello master.
Marza achieves a very high level of playing. This takes a lot of thought, concentration and energy. I find the most difficult part of playing an instrument is interpretation.
Very inspirational! I am a great fan of Elgar's Concerto. But I am a bit bothered about them leaving out those about 10 bars at 30:19 and again at 36:22 ...
At 53:07, 53:08 (and smaller around 53:00) you see the three on the right-hand side in the audience who play Mendelssohn's trio in d minor with Zander. Look at the girls' faces...
Beautiful to see the development of playing and noble characteristics come through on Zander's instruction. Only one thing was off for me, the Israeli bombs comment struck me as very one-sided & simplistic. Especially given the massively destructive bombs being dropped on Palestinians right now & elides the 75 plus years of occupation and apartheid that is the context.
the fourth part of the concert’s debt belongs to the Russian theme; the theme of 1917 is revealed there; revolution the fall of the tsarist regime Lenin Soldiers no longer want to fight the Germans and so on
music has to be in 3s cause the pattern is 3 fold pattern of all things chords are the same way in 3s pattern comes from a word that means father your heart has a beat and you have vocal chords and beucanator muscles trumpets ever har dont blow your own trumpet lol see the pattern represents the god head so it must be in 3s
I look at this masterclass with mixed feelings. Is it ok that Mr. Zander kneels and dances before the student, even touches her arm? That he tries to impose his will on the cellist? That he uses (and amuses) the audience in a manipulative way? Well that's the old school Mr Zander represents where the teacher is a master whose will has to be executed. I also watched a masterclass in youtube with YoYo Ma. Ma is only asking questions, so the cellist has to reflect her way of playing. In this case Ma is more of a partner, perhaps less of a master - and he freely admits that he might learn something from the student. The emotional impact of Mr Zanders lessons seems bigger - but Mr Ma gets the student to find her own interpretation. What do you think of those different approaches to cello teaching?
Yep - he’s cringe to watch sometimes and moves away just when you need relief. But other than that I think he’s awesome. I don’t mind his imposing his view - the player can always ignore his advice after the class but still add a different interpretation to their palette.
I prefer the tradition... I also loved Ma’s class, it was amazing! But it’s YO YO MA! Many middle class teachers try the same and it’s a tragedy because the student thinks he is a king, there is no humbleness. Zander remembers the old great musicians: Nelsova, Parisot, Gutman, Navarra, Shapiro... when the student used to come to listen and learn from those poets of the sound. Shut up and listen! Try it, experience it, feel it, imitate... after some years you can disagree of everything and make it your way. I think this relationship of “master / pupil” is pretty important in music. I haven’t seen too friendly and open minded professors make great musicians. What do you guys think?
But thing is, unless the mistakes are so obvious that they greatly impact the flow of the music, usually it will only be musicians that will notice or care about them. There is space for perfect technique or intonation in music, and all musicians should work very hard at acheiving them, but the way a player communicates emotion through their respective instruments is more important. Another way to say this is a musician can nail all the technical aspects of a piece but if they cannot convey the intended feeling by the composer or their interpretation they have failed as a musician.
I don’t think you can be so clinically in tune all the time unless it was a recording. There is more than playing in tune to this - which is the whole point.
Sad to hear that Zander is dishing out these racist tropes about "English" music and highlighting the player's ethnicity. DuPre, who is considered the definitive player of this piece, played it with such a frenzied passion, probably what he would call "Latin" flavor, and she was English! It's all so silly and unproductive.
It’s not racist at all to say English is this or that. Stereotyping for sure but not racist. Isn’t there an Irish way of playing traditional Irish music or a Spanish way of playing flamenco etc. The language he uses conveys meaning. Besides, in the next sentence you’re using the same language referring to Latin flavour (to convey meaning) and referring to Jacqueline’s nationality yourself. Nothing racist in your comments either.
the fourth part of the concert’s debt belongs to the Russian theme; the theme of 1917 is revealed there; revolution the fall of the tsarist regime Lenin Soldiers no longer want to fight the Germans and so on
I can't believe this is free
I've watched this twice over and will again. Words can't describe how deeply touched I am by this. I'm new to classical music and hope to start learning my first instrument, my dream, the cello. I'm 46 and have no illusions I'll be anything more than a grateful novice, but I look forward to a lifetime of being inspired by this beautiful musician and this brilliant, insightful teacher. Thank you for producing this series, I honestly can't get enough.
Ma'isah ElysiumDevi I wish you well!
I started the cello when I was 35: there is hope for you, you’re still young! My first teacher told me at the time: in three years you’ll start having fun (but until then it might be a little frustrating...but it’s worth it!). Get yourself a good teacher and have fun. I’m now 73, so glad I decided to rent my first cello in 1984! Have fun!!
I played the cello for 13 years until i had to stop playing for reasons beyond my control. I'm now 46 and finally have time to start again. Cello is not the easiest instrument but i believe it has the most similar voice to a human voice. One thing i dont look forward to is my thumb bleeding again... i remember the first thumb practices split my thumb and i bled many times. I still have a groove on the side of my thumb from years of playing. Good luck!!! Enjoy!!! and one thing my amazing teacher taught me was to sing while playing.
Try to listen to the recording by Jacqueline du Pre under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli. She was only in her teens with all the emotion and exuberance of youth when she made that recording. Quite magical.
The beauty of the Internet : it’s been 4 years, you should be 50 by now, did you start ? i’m 52, I started one year ago and having so much fun - and hard work for sure ! - learning this beautiful instrument. There’s always hope !
I have watched this video a dozen times and every time I’m moved to the depth of my soul. By Elgar’s unbelievably powerful forthright nobility, and his elegy for an era and a society he longed to represent and which the slaughter of the First World War proved to be hollow. Second by Zander’s ability to elicit such an equally powerful and deeply felt performance by such a young musician, a performance that shall follow me to my grave (at 88 that time approaches for me but this video has enriched my life, as have many other moments of transcendent beauty throughout the worlds of music, poetry, art and literature.
Elgar had struggled to rise from his lower middle class background (and a Catholic in Protestant England)to become the voice of empire. His music embodies the majesty and nobility of that great image, to be heard time and again in his great “nobilamente” themes. But the carnage of World War I showed that nobility to have feet of clay. So the cello concerto, his last major work though he lived another 14 years, is a farewell elegy to a world that not only had gone, but that perhaps had had a hollow heart. All that sorrow, with great reserve, us expressed in this masterpiece.
The way Marza Wilks plays and how Benjamin Zander brought out the very best in her playing and interpretation here, literally had me tears at times - she is a cello force to be reckoned with : ) And Maestro Zander is beyond description in the way he inspires not only the musicians but the audience too. He is not only an incomparable musician but a truly lovely and classy human being as well as a fantastic teacher and "architect" in helping people build their dreams. BRAVO ! ! !
This is the first time i've ever heard a teacher say "use as much bow as you need, not as much as you have"
Right...
Ben is not a violin or a cello teacher. He's more like a music life coach to his students. Everything he says is significant at several levels in their artist life / career and not meant as a plug in trick.
@@patrick6110 He’s a cellist
When Marza plays Elgar she inserts such beauty and feeling into it, I can hear the cello crying. Her vibrato matches it perfectly.
Just want to take a moment to appreciate how beautiful that cello is.
I knew from his commentary discs to his recordings that Mr. Zander is a remarkable person. Watching him do this all I can say: He is not only remarkable, he is outstanding.
Es ist wirklich großartig!!! Mit soviel Leidenschaft und intensiven Gefühlen! BEIDE!!!
Big bravo to young Marza Wilks !!!!! A real life changing experience with Mr. Benjamin Zander ..... big bravo !!!
Such a beautiful 53 minutes. Thanks to Ms Wills , Dina and Dr Zander
Simply off the scale in its beauty, inspiration, sheer pedagogic power and .............thank you to all 3 of you.
She is so receptive !
Thank to you all, musicians, audience and technical team who allow me at Paris to be able to feel at least a bit of the atmosphere, the mood, the music on the other side of the screen :)
Cellist myself, I was able to understand, feel, part of what Mr Zander was trying to share. Great moment. And great musical moment.
Thanks for the evocation of Paris events
Nicolas
Ive listened to
Elgar in several of these videos and I am impressed with how beautiful all his pieces have been. This one was moving and she really communicated with the audience. Wonderful !
Absolutely amazing, fantastic *insert more beautiful adjectives here*.
The level of reached is astonishing. And you can see it in the eyes of the Master. He does not stop her. He enjoyed the performance.
Thanks you so much for this video.
Paul Vergé and I love
Blown away. Just beautiful. Who needs an orchestra! Thank you.
One of the most magnificient cellist with a superb sound. I love when she dropped her bow, Ben reassures her with some real or invented story about his cello master.
Use only as much bow as you need...not as much as you have.
Marza achieves a very high level of playing. This takes a lot of thought, concentration and energy. I find the most difficult part of playing an instrument is interpretation.
What a great way to learn at home. Thank you so much for this beautiful gift. I will make sure I share it with my children and many others.
Such a shame that there are very few subscribers, viewers, and likes !!
It's true, I just found this channel and I am amazed by its content, such a rich musical knowledge being shared here!!
Everyone is too obsessed with quick shallow satisfaction ... this channel suggests work, practice and expressions of humanity. It's a shame
Fourth Movement 28:20
I love Zander so much, damn! 😭😭😭😭
His so kind and so thoughtful
thank you mr. benjamin zander,really thank you
Ben z..OMG you are so funny in your gestures...LOL....so gifted you are in so many facets....thank you my online guruji !
Beautiful Marza!!! Congratulation!!!
Quite apart from this particular soloist, I love Dina's playing.
Genius at work.
Zander, I'm big fan. ♥️
Exquisite...Marza Wilks!
Wow just amazing
Very inspirational! I am a great fan of Elgar's Concerto. But I am a bit bothered about them leaving out those about 10 bars at 30:19 and again at 36:22 ...
I am in love with Dina.
7:16 that one dude looks like he has entered a different universe lol
She is so beautiful!
At 53:07, 53:08 (and smaller around 53:00) you see the three on the right-hand side in the audience who play Mendelssohn's trio in d minor with Zander. Look at the girls' faces...
this is the blues
Endorsements! Good night🙏
Beautiful to see the development of playing and noble characteristics come through on Zander's instruction.
Only one thing was off for me, the Israeli bombs comment struck me as very one-sided & simplistic. Especially given the massively destructive bombs being dropped on Palestinians right now & elides the 75 plus years of occupation and apartheid that is the context.
"... You can't paint that..." Me: Oh, but I have dear boy. Oh, but I have.
the fourth part of the concert’s debt belongs to the Russian theme; the theme of 1917 is revealed there; revolution the fall of the tsarist regime Lenin Soldiers no longer want to fight the Germans and so on
what were the cuts at 10:48 and 10:54??
28:30
music has to be in 3s cause the pattern is 3 fold pattern of all things chords are the same way in 3s pattern comes from a word that means father your heart has a beat and you have vocal chords and beucanator muscles trumpets ever har dont blow your own trumpet lol see the pattern represents the god head so it must be in 3s
I look at this masterclass with mixed feelings. Is it ok that Mr. Zander kneels and dances before the student, even touches her arm? That he tries to impose his will on the cellist? That he uses (and amuses) the audience in a manipulative way? Well that's the old school Mr Zander represents where the teacher is a master whose will has to be executed. I also watched a masterclass in youtube with YoYo Ma. Ma is only asking questions, so the cellist has to reflect her way of playing. In this case Ma is more of a partner, perhaps less of a master - and he freely admits that he might learn something from the student. The emotional impact of Mr Zanders lessons seems bigger - but Mr Ma gets the student to find her own interpretation. What do you think of those different approaches to cello teaching?
Yep - he’s cringe to watch sometimes and moves away just when you need relief. But other than that I think he’s awesome. I don’t mind his imposing his view - the player can always ignore his advice after the class but still add a different interpretation to their palette.
I prefer the tradition... I also loved Ma’s class, it was amazing! But it’s YO YO MA! Many middle class teachers try the same and it’s a tragedy because the student thinks he is a king, there is no humbleness. Zander remembers the old great musicians: Nelsova, Parisot, Gutman, Navarra, Shapiro... when the student used to come to listen and learn from those poets of the sound. Shut up and listen! Try it, experience it, feel it, imitate... after some years you can disagree of everything and make it your way. I think this relationship of “master / pupil” is pretty important in music. I haven’t seen too friendly and open minded professors make great musicians.
What do you guys think?
Her intonation is off at times :/
Notice that he does not pick up on those things because those little flaws dont matter as much as the mood she creates.
But thing is, unless the mistakes are so obvious that they greatly impact the flow of the music, usually it will only be musicians that will notice or care about them. There is space for perfect technique or intonation in music, and all musicians should work very hard at acheiving them, but the way a player communicates emotion through their respective instruments is more important. Another way to say this is a musician can nail all the technical aspects of a piece but if they cannot convey the intended feeling by the composer or their interpretation they have failed as a musician.
I don’t think you can be so clinically in tune all the time unless it was a recording. There is more than playing in tune to this - which is the whole point.
Sad to hear that Zander is dishing out these racist tropes about "English" music and highlighting the player's ethnicity. DuPre, who is considered the definitive player of this piece, played it with such a frenzied passion, probably what he would call "Latin" flavor, and she was English! It's all so silly and unproductive.
It’s not racist at all to say English is this or that. Stereotyping for sure but not racist. Isn’t there an Irish way of playing traditional Irish music or a Spanish way of playing flamenco etc. The language he uses conveys meaning.
Besides, in the next sentence you’re using the same language referring to Latin flavour (to convey meaning) and referring to Jacqueline’s nationality yourself. Nothing racist in your comments either.
Race based is not racist
the fourth part of the concert’s debt belongs to the Russian theme; the theme of 1917 is revealed there; revolution the fall of the tsarist regime Lenin Soldiers no longer want to fight the Germans and so on