What Did the Great Composers Look Like in Person?
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
- 0:00 Schubert
0:40 Chopin
1:13 Shostakovich
2:04 Berlioz
2:29 Haydn
2:51 Tchaikovsky
3:14 Mozart
3:36 Liszt
4:51 Mendelssohn
5:17 Beethoven
6:06 Rachmaninoff
6:44 Handel
7:16 Mahler
7:38 Brahms
I've curated a selection of firsthand accounts detailing the physical appearances of some of the most celebrated composers, as well as the impressions they left on those around them. The images I used can be found online; I tried to include plaster casts whenever I could.
*The first description of Haydn is the only one that isn’t a direct quote from someone who saw him; it was paraphrased by Harold Schonberg in his book. Unfortunately, there were no in-text citations that I could directly point to, only a bibliography (which I was NOT about to comb through just to find one little quote).
📚 References 📚
Cairns, David. Berlioz. University of California Press, 2000.
figures-of-speech.com/2017/02/...
Swafford, Jan. Johannes Brahms. Knopf, 1997.
Swafford, Jan. Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph: A Biography. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.
Swafford, Jan. Mozart. HarperCollins, 8 Dec. 2020.
Rockstro, William Smyth. The Life of George Frederick Handel. United Kingdom, Macmillan, 1883.
A General History of the Science and Practice of Music, by Sir John Hawkins. Volume the First [- Fifth].. N.p., n.p, 1776.
Wilson, Elizabeth. Shostakovich: A Life Remembered. United Kingdom, Faber & Faber, 2011.
Scott, Michael. Rachmaninoff. United Kingdom, History Press, 2011.
Chaĭkovskiĭ, Modest. The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky. United Kingdom, J. Lane, 1906.
Hadden, James Cuthbert. Chopin. United Kingdom, J.M. Dent & Sons, 1911.
Todd, R. Larry. Mendelssohn: A Life in Music. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2003.
Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt. United States, Knopf, 1983.
Franklin, Peter. The Life of Mahler. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Stafford, William. The Mozart Myths: A Critical Reassessment. United States, Stanford University Press, 1991.
Schonberg, Harold C. The Lives of the Great Composers. New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.
🎶🎶
Schubert: Musical Moment Op. 94, No. 3
Chopin: Prelude no.22 in G minor, molto agitato
Shostakovich: Symphony no. 12 mvnt 1
Berlioz: Overture ‘Le Corsaire’
Haydn: Mass in Bb Major, Kyrie
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet (overture-fantasia)
Mozart: Symphony no.40 in G minor
Liszt: Liebestraum no.3
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto, Op.64, mvnt 1
Beethoven: Symphony no.3 “Eroica”, mvnt 1
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no. 2 mvnt 1
Handel: Water Music Suite no.2, Alla Hornpipe
Mahler: Symphony no.1 “Titan”, mvnt 4
Brahms: Symphony no. 1, Op. 68 mvnt 4
#classicalmusic #history #beethoven #composer #piano #orchestra
So, Rachmaninoff was scary, Beethoven was ugly, and Shostakovich looked simply “irresistible”…
Whenever I stumble upon firsthand accounts of the physical appearances of these great gentlemen, I automatically try to picture them before me. Reading the words of those who actually saw, lived and worked with them, enriches my imagination in a way that simple paintings and photographs cannot. I hope that this video will do the same for you!
Btw, Beethoven isn’t ugly at all! He might’ve been a lil’ sloppy, but his face looks perfectly average to me (with great eyebrows).
beethoven was very attractive at his early age til he was 30 or something. then he started looking like a grumply uncle but honestly i can not imagine him looking any different. also, schuburt looks like a fine gentleman, leave him alone.
Sounds like Beethoven was sick a lot of the time and stressed out about his hearing. And later in life finances. I’d look grumpy and let myself go, too… 😉
Not Schubert and Beethoven getting roasted 💀💀
By “friends” at that…
@@secondchairmusic poor Schubert and Beethoven 😔😢
At least Schubert wasn’t straight up called UGLY!! 😂😂 and Beethoven wasn’t even that bad! He just needed a comb!
@@secondchairmusic xD yea fanny fanny mendelssohn tho... damm shes so pretty lol
@@secondchairmusic YEAH LOL
Imagine being an amazing composer and still people demand you must not only create beautiful things but be beautiful which is outside your control.
I'm loving all the juicy 19th and 20th century music gossip 😂
I don't give a hoot about modern celebrity gossip, but 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century composer gossip? I can't get enough of it. lol
So Schubert was basically a Hobbit? He matches the description perfectly. Also, for a handsome guy, Liszt really got roasted for his appearance🥵
Schubert was adorable. Idc what anyone else says. 😂😂
As for Liszt, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess…
@@secondchairmusic aww, yes Schubert is adorable, I've always thought that too. As for Liszt, I'm glad not everybody finds him attractive. Less competition, lol 🤣
Schubert was cute, he was only 1.55.
What is up with that emoji at the top💀
@@Itibitydetskuholy crap I’m the same height 😨
Few people can write such exact and eloquent descriptions anymore. Since we have photography and video we don't need to. Its still sad, the loss of all these adjectives.
Couldn't keep up with the text and had to play this at half speed.
Yeah, I’ve gotten a couple complaints about that. I’ve learned my lesson, though!!
Beethoven 's Stieler portrait is the most beautiful and evocative in the history of music... Immersed in the woods while writing the Missa Solemnis
Personally, my favorite Beethoven portraits are the Mähler ones, especially the one where he’s in black. But the Stieler portrait is by far the most iconic!
No, no disrespect to Handel..
My Man looks like a heavenly angel too heavy to fly
WHAT?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 “too heavy to fly” has me actually chuckling.
@@secondchairmusic the Hanoverian Kings gave him a lot to eat so that he wouldn't fly away from them... Also he probably ate all his food earlier so that he could compose Messiah without eating..
I know a lot abt Handel. Do contact for more conspiracies and inside stories🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@HistoryWorld1826that is crazy 😭😭😭
Damn 😂 personally i dont think either Scrubert or Beethoven are ugly
They are just smol and chunky
Scrubber need confidence and Beethoven ....well is Beethoven
Both look perfectly average to me…those ppl were haters. 😂😂
@@secondchairmusic the paintings of beethoven i imagine went easy on him. we know they at least left out the poshmarks
Poor Beethoven never got a break. I never thought he was ugly from any of his drawings.
I always say that he looked perfectly average. I can think a handful of other composers who actually had faces only their mothers could love. 😬
Now Beethoven's brother, HE was ugly AF.
Did not expect to come away from this video with a raging crush on Liszt 😅😍
This is such a great video, thank you! ❤️
Glad you liked it!! ☺️☺️
Same xd
and one should not care whether schubert was handsome.
I don’t think that really matters, what really matters is the type of music they write
3:47 "brown hair" but in this photo Liszt's hair is blonde xd.
Amazing video, but please please slow down. Even at 0.5, it's too fast.
Man, that part was hard to figure out...I did have it slower, until it started to feel like it was dragging on and on. I figured that people could maybe pause to read. If you don't mind sharing, which parts in particular felt too fast? I'd appreciate any suggestions since I'm now working on the next no-narration video that also involves reading.
@@secondchairmusic all the parts were extremely fast. Also pausing or slowing it down it is kinda annoying especially when there is good music in the background
Gotcha. Thanks for the feedback! It’s very helpful. I’ll try taking more time with this next one. I never even considered that people might be paying attention to the music and that pausing might be annoying…😅😅
@@secondchairmusic Thank you! I love your channel!
And I love you!! ☺️☺️
Damn Beethoven and lizst getting flamed damn bruh 😭
Apparently i was irresistible? i’m flattered
thanks for my inclusion in the video, a lot of videos about classical composers seem to forget i exist
How can anyone forget you? You irresistible specimen…😘😘
maybe stalin was jealous of my gorgeous copper locks and that’s why he terrorized me
...or maybe it was your supple, yet strong figure 🤤🤤🤤
Well at the very least, your music is irresistible, Mr. Shostakovich.
i had a nice form when i had enough money to eat, but some times i was starving, and i certainly couldn’t have been too attractive in those conditions…
It would be nice if you add the name of the pieces.
interesting video.
Great suggestion…sure! I’ll add those a little bit later!
How come Brahms doesn’t get any music?
I knew those people didnt like me.
Hey Ludwig! 😄 I’ve got to say, your symphonies are like my favourite! And as for those people who called you ‘ugly,’ well, they clearly didn’t have their glasses on. By the way, I heard you had a habit of throwing things when you got angry - was that your way of composing a real-life symphony? 😅
Goodness, Pyotr seemed to be directing quite a bit of attention to Johannes… and the ladies clearly approved of his youthful good looks, as well. 😉
Why no music for Brahms?
Scriabin was described as not a particularly handsome guy who didn’t turn heads but always focused on his appearance.
Nah, Scriabin looked sharp! He always looked well put together!
@@secondchairmusic I’m only telling you what people thought of him in his day! I agree he has an iconic image. Maybe this was before he grew in his moustache.
No wonder I have a crush on Shostakovich... he was ACTUALLY HANDSOME😍😍😍😍😍
Yes, indeed. 😏
schuebert reminds me of pierre bezhukhov from war and peace. anyone else thought so?
YES. when i was reading war and peace, i basically imagined schubert as pierre
5:37 one of the Dreiundzwanzig Billionen vierhundertdreiundfünfzig Milliarden dreihundertsechsundvierzig Millionen neunhundertachtundsechzigtausendachthundertsechsundsiebzig women who rejected Beethoven's marriage proposal.
Indeed crazy.
Didnt know that 4 mov of 1 brahms was 4'33
What 4th no.1 Brahms
Symphony variations sonata concerto sonatina
Or provagly copyright
Not the comments rizzing dead composers lolololo
It's hilarious!! 😂😂
I'm Schubert
This video is great for mastering speed reading 😁
I'M SORRY!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You're not the first to complain about that! 😅
What program do you edit your videos with?
After effects/ Premiere pro
Nice Video.
hello fellow Brandon
Thanks for your kind words!
your videos are honestly amazing and i was wondering what composer i looked most like and i gotta say me and liszt are like twins but i have shorter hair xD
Hopefully young Liszt. 🤣🤣🤣
@@secondchairmusic Yes ofc xD also Do you have discordd or anything cuz id really love to chat more about classical to you !
Never used discord in my life, but I was thinking about it!
@@secondchairmusic You should honestly its fun as hell and i can show you how to use it :)
Maybe…eventually…someday. Lol
شكرا على الفديو الرائع💕
اهلا بك
5:17 wait, i can't recognize it, which piece is? (Beautiful anyway)
1st mvt of the Eroica symphony
nice.
So: Brahms looked not like a German, but rather more like a Russian Orthodox Priest:) Schubert looked like a hobbit. Beethoven was ugly ruddy and unhygienic, and Liszt, once handsome, aged terribly and when Queen Victoria saw him again after 45 years, described him as nearly toothless. I think I was better off when I only knew their portraits.
🤣🤣🤣
Oh, I was not expecting this… how flattering!
schubert war kein fescher kampl, dafür war es seine musik umso mehr