I think it's important to note that improvements in recording technology might also be driving some of these stylistic changes. Before microphone improvements allowed the subtitles of "crooning" to be recorded with any fidelity, that style of vocals wasn't viable commercially. You get really, really close to this when you mention Elman's performance being "so matter of fact." It was likely performed that way so it could be clear and understandable through old microphones and old radios. Many of the the radios playing that song while it was being broadcast were likely made in the 40s and 50s.
that would explain the abrupt attacks on every note so public could clearly hear each seperate note.... i guess with the audio system then as i hear them indeed it would ve sound like an unclear blur.....what would make you think they would play quite differently live?
There is some point here but it is a mistake to think that the old guys were playing to compensate for anything about recording technology. They were just playing the way they played in the hall. Moreover, the microphones of the early high fidelity era(1950 and 1960) were not in fact at all accurate-- they had nasty higher frequency resonances. I heard these "old guys: live (Grumiaux and Heifetz and Szeryng-- I missed Elman) The recordings are not representative of what was really heard when one heard them live. Actually even today very few recordings really sound like live violin sound. Audio people live in a dream world where they are recording real sound. Fat chance. The microphones are way too close for a start. (We won;t even go into the fact that speakers vary all over the map)
And I like that this is liked lol! Hopefully Brett and Eddy listen to their audience! I love the light and funny stuff, but these informative and still comedic videos have real potential to reach audience with education.
As a pianist I can tell you that one of the things that made Glenn Gould famous is that he totally changed the way pianists play Bach. Before Gould, pianists would play Bach the same way they would play Liszt: lots of pedal, lots of dynamics, lots of rubato, lots of legato. But after Gould, pianists play Bach with little to no pedal, more subtle dynamics, and a stricter tempo with clearer articulations.
But the thing is that Gould was playing Bach on an equal temperament instrument which completely changes the melodic lines. He convinced a whole generation that the purpose of the 48 was to demonstrate that it is possible to play in all keys with improved tuning, but it is not true. The idea was to demonstrate music written for the distinctive colours you would get in each key: so Gould's interpretations, though brilliant of course, give a very misleading idea of Bach's intentions.
I prefer Shunsuke Sato, he has amazing Bach and Vivaldi recordings on UA-cam. And he won the International Bach Competition as an added bonus. So did Rachel Barton Pine, her Bach is also great.
I am not a musician, nor do I know much of anything about Classical music. Your video just popped up in my Suggested Feed. With that being said, your enthusiasm for differences, what at first listen for me, would have sounded more or less the same, was infectious. It was a joy to see you both have dumbfounded awe at the same spots on something I have zero idea about. Thanks for the smile.
No matter how you play it, i sound great Also, Liszt didn’t start the no sheet music tradition. Clara Wieck (Schumann) did when she was a kid. She was a prodigy and people back in the day called her Linglara Lingenhaussen. In fact Robert Schumann was jealous of his wife's capabilities as a pianist, so he wrote pieces that would require large hands so that she couldn't play them. But then he himself couldn't play some things he wrote either, and hurt his own fingers while trying to stretch them with a weird finger stretching device. Back in those days, there were ads like "Do you want a bigger hand and longer fingers? Click here!" and sadly Robert Schumann clicked on them. Which redirected him to a page where there were videos of pianists with big hands fingering chords, and Robert got jealous again and purchased the whole hand enlargement set. I mean, I'm not sure if this is all correct tho. I heard it from Brahms...
Hi Kimberly. I'm your older brother and partner in the 1%. Born in 1951. Grew up listening to a Readers Digest Classical music collection. Played the 12 LPs non-stop (better than doing homework!) TwoSet takes me back to the 60s (not sure they would like to hear that given the subject of this vid!). I am the only person I know who walks around humming Danse Macabre!
@@richardigp Wow, I'm a new timer (born in 1992), also grew up listening to Reader's Digest classical music collection! Both my father and grandmother had them. My grandma taught me all the composers, I could identify about 50 famous pieces and their composers when I was five :)
I have heard them both in concert, Milstein and Grumiaux. Grumiaux sounded like I had never heard anybody before and never again after. He has left deep traces in my memory. Although it is half a century ago I´ll never forget that sound like a huge soft cloud floating at me. Milstein was very impressing too with his sound as well with his Bach. I don´t believe in the idea of "right" or "wrong" interpretations, nor that a "historic" interpretation would be the only legitimate one. We play modern instruments (even a Stradivari with a longer neck, steel strings, modern Bow, higher bridge...) which require that we play differently from, say, the 18th century. There is a relatively wide corridor of possible interpretation and in the end it is one´s taste and liking as long as it is coherent and convincing. I still like Milstein best.
Grumiaux Sonatas and Partitas are still my Go To performances. The Josef Szigeti performances of the Bach are also something special. He fills a tiny volume of space with the music. It's like watching a candle flame. Very melancholy in a charming way.
Rachel Podger is my hero. I’ve had the opportunity to meet her several times, and I was sure to ask about her string set. She uses a Toro E, Gamut A, D, and Pirastro olive G.
@@blixten2928 Good question. Toro is an Italian company that makes gut strings by hand. You wouldn’t have heard of them unless you use gut strings. Gamut is very similar, but they’re located in the U.S. I’ve spoken with Mr. Gamut before, and he’s a very nice gentleman that takes pride in his work. Pirastro is a German company that makes both synthetic and gut strings. Their most popular string is Evah Pirazzi. I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I manage a small violin shop in Northern California.
@@Violamanben Thank you so very much! Wonderful that you manage a violin shop, perhaps something (remotely) good about the pandemic is that people can turn back to their instruments (and practice)! And I hope videos such as Twosets really spread knowledge and appreciation of the instrument. It's one of the great achievements of human civilisation.
All those years playing "early"stuff probably means that Rachel's interpretation of bach is grounded in performance similar to that that of musicians contemporary with him (Ithink of it like a spoken accent) and her beautiful intonation is probably due to natural ability and not having to match discordant equal temperament
Is it only me or Brett is so charming today? It must be because of he is so pureblood. So much classical nerdy stuff makes him even happier lol. Look at him, he has not a deadpan face for the first time LOL.
Beyza Özbek Brett was more talkative in the old day and took the command. Eddy has matured during the years and now talks more than Brett. I have always wondered why. Maybe you have the answer. They haven’t that much pure classic violin music in their videos any more?
Yeah. I like their fun and silly videos but my favorites are always videos like this where they focus on the music and show their expertise. I've loved classical music for a long time but I'm still just a layman and so it's nice to hear the perspective of actual musicians. And of course they're still funny and entertaining while doing it. I think this particular format (comparing different interpretations) could become a great series.
I'm not a musician myself actually, but I find their videos entertaining, inspirational, and informative! I want to dabble into playing the violin now :)
As a listener, though Milstein’s interpretation may be not acceptable in the modern era, but I love the large soundstage and the rich tone that he produces. It almost sounds like 2 people playing. 😃
I prefer Milstein. I don’t understand how conservatoires are able to dictate how to be creative 🙄 Historically informed performances seem somewhat sterile and pretentious.
old school violinists: hm. i will fight for originality and distinction in a time where recordings are limited and everyone must make a name for themselves modern violinists: I AM FOUR PARALLEL UNIVERSES AHEAD OF YOU
Please, please, PLEASE make more of these videos. I absolutely love musicians listening to other musicians. The raw emotion they conjure in you both is such a joy to watch and that coupled with your knowledge is an absolute joy.
It's good to remember that "old school" playing didn't just pop up out of nowhere: the late 19th and (much of the 20th) centuries were all about interpretation, which became more extreme as the era wore on. Composers expected it of players. I adore "informed performance", but I'm no longer getting caught in the "this is good/that is bad" thinking I used to when I first fell in love with "informed performance".
Being a Baby Boomer (yes, some of your viewers were born between 1946 -1964) I've listened to those big changes in interpretation over my lifetime. You guys entertainingly pointed out so many specific details to highlight the passage of time. I hope violin teachers are getting their students to subscribe to your offerings.
I am of the same generation (born mid sixties) and, like you, have lived through the changes. Maxim Vengerov (new school) is one of my favourite violinists but l still love the old school performances of Yehudi Menuhin and David Oistrakh.
Hey :) I highly appreciate the episodes where you two just sit together and talk about music so I came up with another idea for a video: Introducing us Ling Ling wannabes to pieces that are very famous these days but were not appreciated at all or even flopped when they were published back in the days e.g. Rite of Spring etc. Thank you for inspiring me every day, please stay safe :D
Appreciate this kind of video so much. I'm a beginner on the violin and the struggle is real. To hear Two Set talk about the music and explain what they hear (that I don't, yet) is like a master class. Appreciate also thoughtful comments. Too often the comments deteriorate into silly shipping and crushing. (Just my opinion, no hate.) This is one of my favorite Two Set videos in a long time.
I would be considered ancient according to TwoSet, born in 1950!! and grew up with classical music. I've played the piano since I was 10 and I do hear many of the things they are talking about. I've also got a good ear for pitch which is helpful. But I'm certain as you progress in your studies of the violin, you'll pick up on more of the subtleties that the boys are talking about. So much of musical "feelings" comes with time and, of course, practice! I own and have listened to numerous recordings, from various times, of classical pieces and this was very interesting for me because it was actually a short span of musical time that they covered. At least for me it was! :-)
Great video, guys. As a non-musician music lover, I learned a lot. As a record collector, please permit me to correct at 1:35 "There's no more older school that that (1950s) 'cause recording wasn't even invented." Although 1948 marked the beginning of high fidelity recording when Columbia introduced the long playing vinyl record (LP or microgroove), commercial recording goes back another 60 years. Here's a short history of early audio recording. Around 1890, German-American inventor Emile Berliner invented the first Gramophone which played flat disc records. Edison is credited with inventing sound recording in 1877 with a machine that used tinfoil wrapped around a metal cylinder as a medium, but not much happened until he switched to using hollow wax cylinders a decade later. (Interestingly, records are still referred to as "wax" or "stacks of wax" by DJs and the area between the last music groove and the label is called the "deadwax.") Disc records and cylinders competed for market share over the 2 decades, with disc records becoming dominant by the 1910s, spawning the 2 major American record companies, Columbia and Victor (which evolved from Berliner's company, joined with RCA in 1929 to become RCA Victor, and is now called Sony Music Entertainment). Disc records of this era are called "shellac" records from the material of which they're made or "78s" from the nominal speed at which they rotated, although this varied greatly among labels. Until 1925 when electrical recording with microphones began, all records were made acoustically, which refers to the method not the instruments, since all instruments were acoustic. The musicians gathered around a large horn which vibrated a diaphragm mechanically connected to a stylus which cut the master record into a soft wax (later lacquer) disc. Although these early recordings have limitations (lower fidelity, surface noise, time constraints, easily damaged, limited lifetime), they're the only source we have for performances prior to 70 years ago. If you want to hear Caruso sing, Rachmaninoff or Paderewski play their own compositions, Toscanini conduct, or Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five play "Heebie Jeebies" then you have to go back to the old recordings (or transfers made to newer media like vinyl, CD, or digital files). Consider that Liszt died in 1886 and Edison's first wax cylinders were released in 1888, so the world missed the priceless opportunity to hear him play by just 2 years. How great would that have been? I have records going back to 1905 including Heifetz playing the Sibelius concerto (1935) and the 4th Mozart concerto (1948) and they sound pretty darn good, once you adjust your ears to the limitations of the medium and concentrate on the performance.
Don't forget non-US recording technology such as wire recorders (predecessor of tape) and the precision mechanical recording of piano performances (predecessor of MIDI files from modern keyboards).
@@johndododoe1411 Yes, piano rolls we're an important early recording medium, albeit for only one instrument. Gershwin famously recorded >140 piano rolls of popular music of the day and a smaller number of his own compositions. I have an early 1950s 10" vinyl record on Telefunken of Edvard Grieg playing some of his Lyric Pieces recorded on a piano roll in 1906. The fidelity obtained from these piano rolls exceeds that of disc recording of the day, although it could be argued that piano rolls are not audio recordings at all, but merely capture the position of keys and pedals at various times. Wire recording WAS the first magnetic recording medium, but I didn't mention it because it was never used to record music for commercial release. Rather, it was limited to mainly office & home use for dictation and personal recording, and some military and aviation applications in the 1940s to early 50s.
I love how music progresses. Being able to pinpoint a time in history and show the differences in how we express music is a wild concept and I'm happy that you two are having so much fun teaching the world about this. Have a great day!
This was so good to watch. As a non musician, to watch and hear as you guys enjoy the music and explain *why* one part hits different and *how* they achieve it was fascinating!! Please expand this series, do it with people who are experts at different instruments, because it's so FUN! Thanks for sharing your talents
We need more of this kind of content! You guys taught me how classical music is meant to be appreciated. You guys pointed out all the subtleties I wouldn’t otherwise notice.
Double memorize. I remember getting yelled at about how many steps were in each measure from 60-72! "Well then, what measure is the time signature change in?!" "Where do you need to be by the and of 3 on measure 67?!" "Get there!" "Project! I need to hear you from the box!" "Alright! Full tempo! 180!" And the pushups. So many pushups.
Fascinating for one who started the violin in the mid-1950 and heard Menuhin, Milstein, Oistrakh, Ricci, and a VERY young Perlman. Style was passed down through the teachers - starting with the great mid-19th century ones. Remember, there was a long period when Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and others were hardly played, so there was a break in the tradition.
pmichael73 I love that you stand up for your age. All fans aren’t 25 or younger. Twoset have an active and big fan base and it’s all of us together who make this community so great. Also, thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Wowww that's so cool. Did not know that. Why were those composers not in fashion? Man, gotta look up music history. Thanks for sharing your perspective
Omg! This recording with Vengerov was made in my country! I was at that concert in Sofia, a little girl about 8-9 years old. It was such a wonderful concert!! 💜
This has nothing to do with anything but I'm not wearing my glasses and for a split second I thought ur pfp was Obama. I think I'm blinder than I thought 😂
"Woodwinds just can't memorize." Me, a saxophone player, about to argue, but then realizing that I haven't been able to memorize the music for my field show for the past 3 years: "Yeah, you right."
I love how each musician has their own interpretation. My biggest wish is that musicians don't get penalized or looked down upon as often as the do if they decided to play in older styles or different interpretations than is considered "right" or "mainstream" these days. Too often I have experienced berating of musicians because they didn't play it exactly as a teacher or instructor or peers wanted or believed it should be played. It feels in modern days people are trying to make too many musicians into robots to play a piece the same way no matter what. At least that is how I felt in University. I felt a lot of my creativity was being challenged too much because it didn't fit someone's expectations.
@tubenshaft Why are you interrogating me? Yes, I meant what I wrote. Why on earth would you think that I didn't? I have no idea what you mean by an "Inside joke only students of Classical Music will get" (nor why you had to render most of the clause in italics). I intended no joke and I can see none (except a quite accidental quibble on catgut, perhaps, which is hardly side-splitting stuff).
One thing that happened was that people began to play for recordings. In a big hall, the accented style smoothed out. This is a huge effect. Heifetz on records sound a bit crunchy. In concert reality, he sound smooth as silk. (I know--I heard him live). I never heard Elman live but the effect was probably similar. Recordings have made people smooth themselves out. Is this better? Who knows? But it is a good idea to understand why it happened. Isaac Stern used to talk about this, about how when he recorded he would tone down the accents and emphases because the close up microphone of "high fidelity" recording(and especially the nasty resonant treble microphones of the 1950s )picked up the accents and made things sound more aggressive than they would sound to a concert audience. When one plays for recordings one plays a different way. I need to put up my own recording of Dvorak to illustrate this point. It is very close- so I smoothed it out. It works. But in a hall it would have sounded too smooth. Try it for yourself. The old players did not all smooth themselves out so they sound aggressive. But in concert they did not. People were in ecstasy over Elman's tone in reality. To understand this , you need not just to know about violin playing you need to know about how recordings work, what they do to sound.
So true about the glissing. I was taught to use certain "schmaltzy" pitch changes back in the 60's and 70's. I personally prefer the cleaned up versions. On the Bach, I learned to play the first chord like Milstein's example (actually saw him porform in Chicago years ago) -- broken in half. Later, a more modern teacher preferred a harp-like rendition. I love that music has so many interpretations! We get quite a variety of input if we study with different people.
Super interesting guys. Great video. I've encountered the same thing listening to 1970's recordings of early vocal music - imagine Palestrina with every singer doing a different vibrato...
I LOVE that first recording. It is so ballsy and fresh sounding 70 years later. It sounds like what I would want to hear in a Dracula movie! And though it isn't as subtle, it has so much raw emotion to it. I would love to hear that aggression, but then have someone also pull out the goosebumps approach. Music like this is best with DYNAMICS, my friends.
Remember though, early recording was done through a giant metal trumpet thing, and it couldn't pick up the nuance in sounds. That could be one reason why that dude was pumping out the Meditation. If he played gently, the notes would probably disappear completely!
By the 1960s the old wax cylinders were no longer used. Listen to a recording of Joachim or Ysaye, who actually did have to play inside a horn. The recording quality was infinitely worse than what Elman would have faced.
That old piece of film looked & sounded like it hadn’t been stored properly & had experienced signal degradation as a result. I’ve seen/heard colour film from the 1930s that was in better condition than that. 🎞
About 20 years ago I had the enormous pleasure to tour for a week with Janine Jansen with a large Dutch university orchestra. She was a rising star at that time. She was not only an amazing violinist, but also an amazing lovely open, funny and joyful person. On our last concert in the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) I was the lucky dude (literally all dudes and most girls wanted that honor, we were all in love with her) who got to give her the flowers during the ovation. I recently refound the pictures of that accasion. Pleasantly surprised with seeing someone she knew instead of the normal Concertgebouw valet, all smiles, she spontaneously kissed me on both cheeks in front of 1000+ people. Dear memories. What a talent. What a lovely person.
I find it really odd that classical music, a genre that depends for its popularity and survival almost entirely on works written by people born before the 20th century is also full of people who think very little of classical musicians from even just a few decades ago. The reason Elman's interpretation is so striking is that it is one.
They said that classical music recordings start around 1950. Entirely wrong There are recordings of Joachim from 1903. Heifetz recorded as far back as 1911 while a kid in Russia.
@@nidurnevets That's true... but I don't think it's unfair to say that recording technology made a pretty significant leap in the 1950s. I listen to Szell-era Cleveland Orchestra stuff all the time and most of it sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday, but you go back even ten years and there's a dramatic difference. But still, right. There are Edison cylinders of classical music, obviously.
1:35 Brett: there's no more older school than 1950 because recording wasn't even invented Reality: We have recordings of Rachmaninoff playing his concertos in the 1920s. By the 1950s there's already over a decade of colored movies, let alone sound recordings!
Ling Ling! I love your shows! I know this is a little late in the game. You recorded this show 4 years ago. As a kid in grammer school entire classes were treated to Jascha Heifetz concerts on film. He is really old school! However I would wear Heifetz merch if it was available. Ling Ling too-just sayin'. I don't play anymore music myself, but I LOVE to listen. Your shows are so boss and cool... Are you still recording new shows? If not, why not? Everything old is cool again! Like the old school joke: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice Practice Practice! I will continue to watch and listen. You guys are really mahvelous dahling. Signed a true fan in Montana, Diane MacIntyre.
More interesting, do this how OLD the player is. Is there reliable recordings of the same pieces by Menuhin, Perlman, Stern that span their careers? Oh, the Jansen really moved me, an' I was born in '64!
As a fellow woodwind player i can tell you it's because we aren't able to look at our fingers. If we could watch ourselves play, like string players and pianists, memorizing would become easier
@@connorfast388 you've unveiled the biggest world's secret here, thanks 😂 I won't be ashamed anymore when people are like "YoU DoN't KnOw It By HeArT ???"
Violinists (good violinists) can usually play with their eyes closed. I don’t know if being able to see the fingers is the difference. Maybe it’s just cultural. Violin is so much more competitive, so memorization adds the extra wow factor? I started on violin, then switched to French horn, and for my first competition I was like, “I can memorize this,” and my teacher was like, “Really? That’s not necessary but ok,” and then the judges were like, “What are you doing?! Use sheet music.”
That happens with all music sorry to burst your bubble. Covers exist. A recent favourite of mine is listening to the original Can't Take My Eyez Off You vs Joseph Vincent's.
I was definitely around before 1962; older than dirt to you. Not too old to enjoy your fun videos, not too old to learn stuff from young whippersnappers.
Really? All I know is -- my teacher would murder me for abusing pedal, particularly in Baroque music. The only reason, she's told me over and over again, to use pedal in Baroque music, is to sustain a note. Never to cover your lack of scale practice. I choked.
@@emmyyang4339 that’s a solid approach. We should never use the pedal to cover up technical or musical problems. However, the mindset on baroque performance practice has started to shift in recent years. I think the pedal can be use subtly in places to add resonance and for contrasting timbre. It’s a myth that Bach didn’t like resonance (one of his favorite instruments was the lute-harpsichord and I imagine the chapels of the day are as reverberate today as they were back then). With all that in mind, I think it’s apropos to use pedal in Bach (to taste and never to cover up issues) for more than just sustaining notes that can’t be held otherwise.
@@ErikCPianoman yes, ofc, there are lots and lots of things pedal can be used for in Bach (I was referring a bit more to harpsichord music) but covering bad technique is not 'excusable'.
Just so everyone knows, audio recordings were actually invented much earlier than video recordings (~1877 audio and ~1951 video), so you can even find music recordings from all the way back to the early 20th century or even late 19th century for further "old school" recordings. For example, here's the internationally renowned violin virtuoso and composer Fritz Kreisler playing Thaïs Meditation in 1910: ua-cam.com/video/8G2JFgMoD90/v-deo.html I actually think it's quite a beautiful interpretation, and you can even hear a lot of similarities with how people might play it today, although there also of course clear differences on style as well. One cool thing about these old recordings is that you can sometimes find composers playing their own pieces, which can be very interesting. I'd love if Brett and Eddy made some mention/consideration of these older recordings too, maybe in a future video, but I doubt they'll ever see this comment or hear about these earlier recordings any time soon if they don't already know about them.
I’m new to classical music. I watched a documentary on Janine Jansen a recording session of Beethoven op 61. I fell in love with the music and her. The first 15 + minutes watching her just listing to the Orchestra how moved she was just grabbed me. She just becomes part of the music before she even played a note. She is a very beautiful woman but so much more than that. She is very expressive while playing and seems so connected to the orchestra. Well that started me down a path of exploration I don’t regret. This music makes me feel it. I’m a happier person for having found it. I could never go to a live concert of op 61 I would drive people crazy I can’t be still listening to it. Especially 1st movement.
I study astronomy now, but as soon I as I get my master degree (and becoming financially independent) I swear I will start the violin lessons, wish me luck >.
I think you should start as soon as you as you can afford it and have a bit of time. Because when you do you'll love it so much you'll wonder why you didn't learn it sooner. And we'll... life you know... Good luck anyway with your goals 😊
I don’t know why this popped up in my feed but these guys are so excited about classical music that I actually became interested! Love what you’re doing, please keep doing it!
To be perfectly fair to some of the older masters of the recording era... One rather prominent school of violin playing was heavily influenced by the limitations of recording technology, itself. Any nuance or dynamics would be minimized, if not lost entirely, from microphones and tapes of the era; and so, to compensate, players would incorporate thicker, more excessive vibrato, and brighter, more aggressive and "projective" playing. It's less due to a lack of skill, or even a lack of nuance on the player's part, but more due to the remnants of an older and very valid train of thought; one which remained very valid well into the 60s, particularly as far as live recordings are concerned. No disrespect to the old masters; but as much as I respect the likes of Elman or even Heifetz, neither of them are among my favorite violinists. However, their styles, albeit arguably excessive, make more sense in the context of the era they performed in.
Can I just say: watching you two fanboy over Janine Jansen's playing was so wholesome and heartwarming! Everybody loves a good roast, but it's so nice to hear you put somebody *up* rather than down.
I'm loving the balance among your types of videos lately! This one geeking out very nicely, too 😍 learned a lot just by little snippets of each...um...era? Wouldn't even mind watching you two go into a more detailed explanations for longer vids!
jokes aside, i like this type of video where twoset educate us on classical music knowledge. ive loterally learnt more classical music here than in my past music education. thank you twoset :D
As a Baroque violinist, baroque bows give you a more natural "swelling and deflating" sound. "Messa di Voce" is a powerful tool. On the spot embellishments are also done besides vibrato. Brett and Eddy, I suggest you guys give Baroque bows a try. Hehe
I do not play any instruments but I have a love for music that waltzes with the soul, makes me cry, gives me chills, reminds me that little else can sweep me away like a symphony does. Nothing compares to the violin. It is my absolute favorite and now I have a laughing good time learning from you and your friends. I am very grateful I found you. I binge watched you tonight. Loved your Hilary Hahn hula hoop/violin competition. You're both fun, intelligent and great musicians. Thank you for your light-hearted ways. What a difference you make in my day!
I honestly like Milstein's performance over the modern style. The same way I like Hahn's Erlkönig or any interpretation of Sibelius' Finlandia. It's fucking metal.
You guys, your reactions are what gives the best part to your videos. I am not a musician, although not left out of the opera and ballet world. I grew up with the old school and yes, born before 1962. I have had a lot of fun capturing your videos. I am going to introduce your sight to my young grandson, who has taken interest to the violin. Thank you for the shred joy. I continue to learn.
i love the way brett and eddy play to demonstrate and explain it! 💜✨ (+their expressions are precious-cuteness overload😫💜) brighten up my day with knowledge✨✨ please make another one!!✨✨
Vibrato hides the lack of technique
Me, a pianist: *smirks in pedal*
Me, also a pianist: raises both hands and right foot in agreement
😂😂😂😂👌
@@diana_cantabile what? I use me left foot for pedaling...
R E V E R B
I just wiggle my finger on the key idk it feels right
Brett's secret to aging backwards is sticking his head in lights
lmao
I’m gonna order one
that's probably why he's so bright
(...and being Asian)
@@ilymeow yes he smart boi
My interpretation is so unique no one hardly recognizes that I play Bach.
can relate!
When I play “moonlight sonata” people keep calling it “strangling a cat”
@@abdlhmdx my cat sounds better than me
Same same
😄😄😄😄
"interpretation is how the musician interprets the music"
- Brett 2020
Klara Marden this should be in textbooks XD
Now everything makes sense
Its like saying
People die when they are killed
Every 60 seconds in Africa a minute passes. Together, we can stop this.
"The way a music piece is PLAYED is how a music piece is PERFORMED."
"interpretation is how the musician interprets the music"
Every 60 seconds in Africa, a minute passes
ah yes you see the floor here is made out of floor
They want to include laymen enthusiasts in their viewership. That's laudable.
@@ririgawa1665 the argument is lack of data. What population? only that way would work
Haha
I want to like this comment but also want to leave it at 666 likes.....
I think it's important to note that improvements in recording technology might also be driving some of these stylistic changes. Before microphone improvements allowed the subtitles of "crooning" to be recorded with any fidelity, that style of vocals wasn't viable commercially. You get really, really close to this when you mention Elman's performance being "so matter of fact." It was likely performed that way so it could be clear and understandable through old microphones and old radios. Many of the the radios playing that song while it was being broadcast were likely made in the 40s and 50s.
Really good point! 😮 I'd love to see a music-focused UA-camr go into detail on that, across different musical styles?
that would explain the abrupt attacks on every note so public could clearly hear each seperate note.... i guess with the audio system then as i hear them indeed it would ve sound like an unclear blur.....what would make you think they would play quite differently live?
There is some point here but it is a mistake to think that the old guys were playing to compensate for anything about recording technology. They were just playing the way they played in the hall. Moreover, the microphones of the early high fidelity era(1950 and 1960) were not in fact at all accurate-- they had nasty higher frequency resonances. I heard these "old guys: live (Grumiaux and Heifetz and Szeryng-- I missed Elman) The recordings are not representative of what was really heard when one heard them live. Actually even today very few recordings really sound like live violin sound. Audio people live in a dream world where they are recording real sound. Fat chance. The microphones are way too close for a start. (We won;t even go into the fact that speakers vary all over the map)
@@robertgreene2684 Just curious then, after all you said, how was it hearing the old guys live compared to what you hear today?
I see they are getting more educational and I'm diggin' it
I read this as he was putting his face in the light...lol
two violin nerds making fun of people, but this video is very instructional
Yessss!
sameee
And I like that this is liked lol! Hopefully Brett and Eddy listen to their audience! I love the light and funny stuff, but these informative and still comedic videos have real potential to reach audience with education.
My dad: You watch way too much UA-cam.
Me, watching TwoSet Violin: it’s _educational_
Omg story of my life 🤣
yessir (or ma'am, no assuming genders)
Except I don't even play violin or have a violin at home
That's my excuse too , but they actually do teach me things
@@imhoneygreentea4782 true
As a pianist I can tell you that one of the things that made Glenn Gould famous is that he totally changed the way pianists play Bach. Before Gould, pianists would play Bach the same way they would play Liszt: lots of pedal, lots of dynamics, lots of rubato, lots of legato. But after Gould, pianists play Bach with little to no pedal, more subtle dynamics, and a stricter tempo with clearer articulations.
One of the true glories of Bach is that it sounds great in a variety of interpretations and styles.
But the thing is that Gould was playing Bach on an equal temperament instrument which completely changes the melodic lines. He convinced a whole generation that the purpose of the 48 was to demonstrate that it is possible to play in all keys with improved tuning, but it is not true. The idea was to demonstrate music written for the distinctive colours you would get in each key: so Gould's interpretations, though brilliant of course, give a very misleading idea of Bach's intentions.
“Rachel Podger is one of the more well-kown baroque violinists.”
Ray Chen: *Who’s Rachel Podger?*
Bahaha deserves more likes than this 😂
haha exactly my thought process as well. Ray dug a 6-feet grave that day
I prefer Shunsuke Sato, he has amazing Bach and Vivaldi recordings on UA-cam. And he won the International Bach Competition as an added bonus. So did Rachel Barton Pine, her Bach is also great.
Harrison Loeffler Sato’s recordings are amazing! The best I’ve ever listened to IMHO
That’s exactly what I thought of, I half expected them to play that clip 😅
" Rachel Podger - famous Baroque specialist "
*flashback to Ray Chen asking who was Rachel Podger*
Ray: "Who's Rachel Podger?"
Brett & Eddy: "OOOOOOOOOOH"
@@rockbell Ray: *confused cute face*
Why did i laugh at this hahahah
HAHAHAHAHAH YEAH!
im new to this channel who are these people
I am not a musician, nor do I know much of anything about Classical music. Your video just popped up in my Suggested Feed. With that being said, your enthusiasm for differences, what at first listen for me, would have sounded more or less the same, was infectious. It was a joy to see you both have dumbfounded awe at the same spots on something I have zero idea about. Thanks for the smile.
good for you for being so astute! enjoy. :) 🎼🌼
same here. I laughed my a** off. just by seeing their reactions and immediately understanding the point.
well done!!
No matter how you play it, i sound great
Also, Liszt didn’t start the no sheet music tradition. Clara Wieck (Schumann) did when she was a kid. She was a prodigy and people back in the day called her Linglara Lingenhaussen.
In fact Robert Schumann was jealous of his wife's capabilities as a pianist, so he wrote pieces that would require large hands so that she couldn't play them. But then he himself couldn't play some things he wrote either, and hurt his own fingers while trying to stretch them with a weird finger stretching device.
Back in those days, there were ads like "Do you want a bigger hand and longer fingers? Click here!" and sadly Robert Schumann clicked on them. Which redirected him to a page where there were videos of pianists with big hands fingering chords, and Robert got jealous again and purchased the whole hand enlargement set. I mean, I'm not sure if this is all correct tho. I heard it from Brahms...
Coolio
Clara schumann always gets the crappy end of the stick. Typical that the credit would go to someone else :(
I didn´t know that! Pls post that on the Liszt Paganini disstrack!
oh schumann s wife
Clara Schumann was a beast. It’s sad that she’s overshadowed sometimes
Hi Eddie & Brett: I'm in the ((1))%!!! Born in 1957 and tell all my family and friends to watch you guys. Love your content, always fresh and fun.
🖤🖤🖤
Hi Kimberly. I'm your older brother and partner in the 1%. Born in 1951. Grew up listening to a Readers Digest Classical music collection. Played the 12 LPs non-stop (better than doing homework!) TwoSet takes me back to the 60s (not sure they would like to hear that given the subject of this vid!). I am the only person I know who walks around humming Danse Macabre!
@@richardigp Wow, I'm a new timer (born in 1992), also grew up listening to Reader's Digest classical music collection! Both my father and grandmother had them. My grandma taught me all the composers, I could identify about 50 famous pieces and their composers when I was five :)
Another 1957 here. Also loved the readers digest collection 😃. These lads have reawakened my interest in classical music.
and I thought I was the only boomer who watched.
I have heard them both in concert, Milstein and Grumiaux. Grumiaux sounded like I had never heard anybody before and never again after. He has left deep traces in my memory. Although it is half a century ago I´ll never forget that sound like a huge soft cloud floating at me. Milstein was very impressing too with his sound as well with his Bach.
I don´t believe in the idea of "right" or "wrong" interpretations, nor that a "historic" interpretation would be the only legitimate one. We play modern instruments (even a Stradivari with a longer neck, steel strings, modern Bow, higher bridge...) which require that we play differently from, say, the 18th century. There is a relatively wide corridor of possible interpretation and in the end it is one´s taste and liking as long as it is coherent and convincing. I still like Milstein best.
Grumiaux Sonatas and Partitas are still my Go To performances.
The Josef Szigeti performances of the Bach are also something special. He fills a tiny volume of space with the music. It's like watching a candle flame. Very melancholy in a charming way.
so many languages, and you speak with the true
Eddy: there goes your music degree
Brett: *whole life as a student in music university flashes in his eyes*
Maybelle Lee He looked just like the surprised Pikachu face!!
that moment when reality sets in 😂
“Music brings people together” -Eddy, right before he roasts other musicians.
the idea is to laugh at everyone and hate the child prodigies. thats what they mean by music brings people together
uniting people against child prodigies and violists.
*after
They have never hated on child prodigies. Only despaired at their own fate.
1:58
Violinist: **plays a chord**
Brett and Eddy: **start laughing**
Me: **not getting it and starting to feel weird**
GOT EM
I’m starting to believe that Brett gets a crush on any woman who plays the violin well
XD yes!! We have found the romantic strain in Brett at last!!
Who doesn't?
@@paulpedersen1329 other women lol! XD. But it really is just turned around for us.
Both Brett and Eddy clearly (and justifiably) have a huge crush on Hilary.
@@nellapenelope3240 Some would. 😉
The curious case of Brett Yang. Aging backwards video by video. I’m guessing by the 3mil drop Eddy will be playing Sibelius with a toddler Brett.
LOL
It's the Asian genes lol. That, and maybe because he stuck his head in the light. With a LIGHTER mood and a BRIGHT smile, one can seem a lot younger!
So, does that mean that Brett will TURN INTO a prodigy??
Adalia Alvarez yes he’ll become the fetus that can play Pag 24
@@elainewu4955 😂
Rachel Podger is my hero. I’ve had the opportunity to meet her several times, and I was sure to ask about her string set. She uses a Toro E, Gamut A, D, and Pirastro olive G.
I love her Bach Double recording; I listen to it so often.
What in the name of all that's holy are THOSE?
@@blixten2928 Good question. Toro is an Italian company that makes gut strings by hand. You wouldn’t have heard of them unless you use gut strings. Gamut is very similar, but they’re located in the U.S. I’ve spoken with Mr. Gamut before, and he’s a very nice gentleman that takes pride in his work. Pirastro is a German company that makes both synthetic and gut strings. Their most popular string is Evah Pirazzi. I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I manage a small violin shop in Northern California.
@@Violamanben Thank you so very much! Wonderful that you manage a violin shop, perhaps something (remotely) good about the pandemic is that people can turn back to their instruments (and practice)! And I hope videos such as Twosets really spread knowledge and appreciation of the instrument. It's one of the great achievements of human civilisation.
All those years playing "early"stuff probably means that Rachel's interpretation of bach is grounded in performance similar to that that of musicians contemporary with him (Ithink of it like a spoken accent) and her beautiful intonation is probably due to natural ability and not having to match discordant equal temperament
Is it only me or Brett is so charming today?
It must be because of he is so pureblood. So much classical nerdy stuff makes him even happier lol.
Look at him, he has not a deadpan face for the first time LOL.
i agree you can see how much he shines when listening to classical music
Haha totally
Aynen
Beyza Özbek Brett was more talkative in the old day and took the command. Eddy has matured during the years and now talks more than Brett. I have always wondered why. Maybe you have the answer. They haven’t that much pure classic violin music in their videos any more?
Brett is totally in his element here.
Another nerdy episode. I like it.
Listening various interpretations are important and also very enjoyable.
Yeah. I like their fun and silly videos but my favorites are always videos like this where they focus on the music and show their expertise. I've loved classical music for a long time but I'm still just a layman and so it's nice to hear the perspective of actual musicians. And of course they're still funny and entertaining while doing it. I think this particular format (comparing different interpretations) could become a great series.
Yeap. That's very cool.
I'm not a musician myself actually, but I find their videos entertaining, inspirational, and informative! I want to dabble into playing the violin now :)
As a listener, though Milstein’s interpretation may be not acceptable in the modern era, but I love the large soundstage and the rich tone that he produces. It almost sounds like 2 people playing. 😃
I prefer Milstein. I don’t understand how conservatoires are able to dictate how to be creative 🙄 Historically informed performances seem somewhat sterile and pretentious.
I will always rather listen to older recordings (1960’s-1980’s) over today’s recordings. The older ones are much better!!
Maxim Vengerov's interpretation of Sibelius Violin Concerto is the best alive to this day. Also thats your 3M drop 2Set.
I prefer Augustin Hadelich or emmanuel tjeknavoroan tbh
If I may add, his Variations on an original theme (Wieniawski) is sublime! The opening bars give me chills every time.
Christian Ferras? Heifetz? J. Bell? Perlman?
Nah Ray Chen's performance with the Gothenburg Symphony is equal to Vengerov's
Vengerov truly is the best
old school violinists: hm. i will fight for originality and distinction in a time where recordings are limited and everyone must make a name for themselves
modern violinists: I AM FOUR PARALLEL UNIVERSES AHEAD OF YOU
Please, please, PLEASE make more of these videos. I absolutely love musicians listening to other musicians. The raw emotion they conjure in you both is such a joy to watch and that coupled with your knowledge is an absolute joy.
Prediction: bretts lofi song will change the whole industry once again.
He created a new genre
Totally ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ
Demonic anxiety music
elpotatochip relaxing study music*
in 2120 people will be reviewing Brett's lofi
Brett: *kisses the light*
Me: Brett .... no
It's good to remember that "old school" playing didn't just pop up out of nowhere: the late 19th and (much of the 20th) centuries were all about interpretation, which became more extreme as the era wore on. Composers expected it of players. I adore "informed performance", but I'm no longer getting caught in the "this is good/that is bad" thinking I used to when I first fell in love with "informed performance".
SDxs
Being a Baby Boomer (yes, some of your viewers were born between 1946 -1964) I've listened to those big changes in interpretation over my lifetime. You guys entertainingly pointed out so many specific details to highlight the passage of time. I hope violin teachers are getting their students to subscribe to your offerings.
I am of the same generation (born mid sixties) and, like you, have lived through the changes. Maxim Vengerov (new school) is one of my favourite violinists but l still love the old school performances of Yehudi Menuhin and David Oistrakh.
@@elainethemusician3310 Mid sixties is not the same generation.
Janine playing at the frog still sounds better than me playing in the middle of the bow
She will sound better than most of us even if she's playing while upside down, hold the bow at the tip instead of at the frog
I admit to really liking the old-school approach to the Bach piece. I like the impact and the weight it has.
Hey :) I highly appreciate the episodes where you two just sit together and talk about music so I came up with another idea for a video: Introducing us Ling Ling wannabes to pieces that are very famous these days but were not appreciated at all or even flopped when they were published back in the days e.g. Rite of Spring etc.
Thank you for inspiring me every day, please stay safe :D
randomclarinet075 Second that!
Yep, I'm all for balancing funny vids with educational ones
How about pieces that used to be epically overplayed and noone hears anymore.
OMG YES PLEASE
Great idea!
Appreciate this kind of video so much. I'm a beginner on the violin and the struggle is real. To hear Two Set talk about the music and explain what they hear (that I don't, yet) is like a master class. Appreciate also thoughtful comments. Too often the comments deteriorate into silly shipping and crushing. (Just my opinion, no hate.) This is one of my favorite Two Set videos in a long time.
Agree 100% :)
Absolutely. I'm not even learning violin, but it's still good to listen to them critique the old recordings.
Same! 👶🏻 🎻
Yes! I agree! I'm a beginner, and I love this kind of content. It's educational and entertaining, and I love them.
I would be considered ancient according to TwoSet, born in 1950!! and grew up with classical music.
I've played the piano since I was 10 and I do hear many of the things they are talking about. I've also got a good ear for pitch which is helpful. But I'm certain as you progress in your studies of the violin, you'll pick up on more of the subtleties that the boys are talking about. So much of musical "feelings" comes with time and, of course, practice!
I own and have listened to numerous recordings, from various times, of classical pieces and this was very interesting for me because it was actually a short span of musical time that they covered. At least for me it was! :-)
Great video, guys. As a non-musician music lover, I learned a lot. As a record collector, please permit me to correct at 1:35 "There's no more older school that that (1950s) 'cause recording wasn't even invented." Although 1948 marked the beginning of high fidelity recording when Columbia introduced the long playing vinyl record (LP or microgroove), commercial recording goes back another 60 years. Here's a short history of early audio recording.
Around 1890, German-American inventor Emile Berliner invented the first Gramophone which played flat disc records. Edison is credited with inventing sound recording in 1877 with a machine that used tinfoil wrapped around a metal cylinder as a medium, but not much happened until he switched to using hollow wax cylinders a decade later. (Interestingly, records are still referred to as "wax" or "stacks of wax" by DJs and the area between the last music groove and the label is called the "deadwax.")
Disc records and cylinders competed for market share over the 2 decades, with disc records becoming dominant by the 1910s, spawning the 2 major American record companies, Columbia and Victor (which evolved from Berliner's company, joined with RCA in 1929 to become RCA Victor, and is now called Sony Music Entertainment). Disc records of this era are called "shellac" records from the material of which they're made or "78s" from the nominal speed at which they rotated, although this varied greatly among labels.
Until 1925 when electrical recording with microphones began, all records were made acoustically, which refers to the method not the instruments, since all instruments were acoustic. The musicians gathered around a large horn which vibrated a diaphragm mechanically connected to a stylus which cut the master record into a soft wax (later lacquer) disc.
Although these early recordings have limitations (lower fidelity, surface noise, time constraints, easily damaged, limited lifetime), they're the only source we have for performances prior to 70 years ago. If you want to hear Caruso sing, Rachmaninoff or Paderewski play their own compositions, Toscanini conduct, or Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five play "Heebie Jeebies" then you have to go back to the old recordings (or transfers made to newer media like vinyl, CD, or digital files).
Consider that Liszt died in 1886 and Edison's first wax cylinders were released in 1888, so the world missed the priceless opportunity to hear him play by just 2 years. How great would that have been?
I have records going back to 1905 including Heifetz playing the Sibelius concerto (1935) and the 4th Mozart concerto (1948) and they sound pretty darn good, once you adjust your ears to the limitations of the medium and concentrate on the performance.
Don't forget non-US recording technology such as wire recorders (predecessor of tape) and the precision mechanical recording of piano performances (predecessor of MIDI files from modern keyboards).
Thanks for sharing! Really enjoyed learning more :)
@@johndododoe1411 Yes, piano rolls we're an important early recording medium, albeit for only one instrument. Gershwin famously recorded >140 piano rolls of popular music of the day and a smaller number of his own compositions. I have an early 1950s 10" vinyl record on Telefunken of Edvard Grieg playing some of his Lyric Pieces recorded on a piano roll in 1906. The fidelity obtained from these piano rolls exceeds that of disc recording of the day, although it could be argued that piano rolls are not audio recordings at all, but merely capture the position of keys and pedals at various times.
Wire recording WAS the first magnetic recording medium, but I didn't mention it because it was never used to record music for commercial release. Rather, it was limited to mainly office & home use for dictation and personal recording, and some military and aviation applications in the 1940s to early 50s.
I think they were joking but yeah I think they would be blown away if they heard the German magnetic tape recordings from 1944
I love how music progresses. Being able to pinpoint a time in history and show the differences in how we express music is a wild concept and I'm happy that you two are having so much fun teaching the world about this. Have a great day!
Thanks
This was so good to watch. As a non musician, to watch and hear as you guys enjoy the music and explain *why* one part hits different and *how* they achieve it was fascinating!! Please expand this series, do it with people who are experts at different instruments, because it's so FUN! Thanks for sharing your talents
We need more of this kind of content! You guys taught me how classical music is meant to be appreciated. You guys pointed out all the subtleties I wouldn’t otherwise notice.
Can't wait to see the memes of Brett's realisation face. 😂😂😂
Can´t wait to see the recorder players counterattack
TwoSet: WiNds caN’T meMoRiZe Me: Laughs in Marching Band
I've been searching for a comment like this. Thank you!! ❤😅 #saxgang #windinstrumentslivesmatter
Solo recitals are usually memorized too. I did my competitions from memory.
yeppp
*silence* yeah I can't memorize shit
Double memorize. I remember getting yelled at about how many steps were in each measure from 60-72! "Well then, what measure is the time signature change in?!" "Where do you need to be by the and of 3 on measure 67?!" "Get there!" "Project! I need to hear you from the box!" "Alright! Full tempo! 180!" And the pushups. So many pushups.
music is an art. every artist has their own interpretation, and all of them are great in their own ways
That may be true when talking about good musicians… Not all musicians are good in their way, lol
Fascinating for one who started the violin in the mid-1950 and heard Menuhin, Milstein, Oistrakh, Ricci, and a VERY young Perlman. Style was passed down through the teachers - starting with the great mid-19th century ones. Remember, there was a long period when Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and others were hardly played, so there was a break in the tradition.
pmichael73 I love that you stand up for your age. All fans aren’t 25 or younger. Twoset have an active and big fan base and it’s all of us together who make this community so great.
Also, thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Wowww that's so cool. Did not know that. Why were those composers not in fashion? Man, gotta look up music history. Thanks for sharing your perspective
@@xandraxandra1437 That's a wonderful comment. I hope you have a great day.
Ricci was the first concert violinist I got to see in concert!
InTeReStInGlY they posted this on Bob Dylan's Birthday. "The Times They Are a Changing"
5:54 dang calm down. My woodwind friends felt that in their reeds.
🤣🤣🤣
Third degree burns.
Super effective on woodwinds.
my reeds burned into pieces
Reeding this was so kranji
every time we're running out of air , our mind goes blank hahahahah
Omg! This recording with Vengerov was made in my country! I was at that concert in Sofia, a little girl about 8-9 years old. It was such a wonderful concert!! 💜
No one:
Old school interpretation: *Play it thicker as possible.*
This has nothing to do with anything but I'm not wearing my glasses and for a split second I thought ur pfp was Obama. I think I'm blinder than I thought 😂
Yeah he play THICC!!!
"Woodwinds just can't memorize."
Me, a saxophone player, about to argue, but then realizing that I haven't been able to memorize the music for my field show for the past 3 years: "Yeah, you right."
I love how each musician has their own interpretation. My biggest wish is that musicians don't get penalized or looked down upon as often as the do if they decided to play in older styles or different interpretations than is considered "right" or "mainstream" these days. Too often I have experienced berating of musicians because they didn't play it exactly as a teacher or instructor or peers wanted or believed it should be played. It feels in modern days people are trying to make too many musicians into robots to play a piece the same way no matter what. At least that is how I felt in University. I felt a lot of my creativity was being challenged too much because it didn't fit someone's expectations.
Brett looks younger in recent videos. I'm not saying he looked old but now he looks like 18-20. Did he find some potion of the eternal youth?
The lack of regular haircuts at the moment?
he looks cute with his haircuts tho ;-;
Amazing what catching up on your sleep can do for you.
KatrinkaH86 Maybe cuz of his pop song! Lol 😅😇
@@Tubluer No kidding! I've been off work for 10 weeks now. I've been getting lots of sleep and to me I look 20 years younger.
As a jazz musician I like the "old school" version of Bach, I just dig the emotions and heavy/thickness of it
It was better than the other two. It had more guts.
Did have more "soul", honesty, spontaneity.
Agreed
@tubenshaft Why are you interrogating me? Yes, I meant what I wrote. Why on earth would you think that I didn't? I have no idea what you mean by an "Inside joke only students of Classical Music will get" (nor why you had to render most of the clause in italics). I intended no joke and I can see none (except a quite accidental quibble on catgut, perhaps, which is hardly side-splitting stuff).
@@francoisdelarochefoucauld7298 OK. I was a bit too quick to condemn.
One thing that happened was that people began to play for recordings. In a big hall, the accented style smoothed out. This is a huge effect. Heifetz on records sound a bit crunchy. In concert reality, he sound smooth as silk. (I know--I heard him live). I never heard Elman live but the effect was probably similar. Recordings have made people smooth themselves out. Is this better? Who knows? But it is a good idea to understand why it happened. Isaac Stern used to talk about this, about how when he recorded he would tone down the accents and emphases because the close up microphone of "high fidelity" recording(and especially the nasty resonant treble microphones of the 1950s )picked up the accents and made things sound more aggressive than they would sound to a concert audience. When one plays for recordings one plays a different way. I need to put up my own recording of Dvorak to illustrate this point. It is very close- so I smoothed it out. It works. But in a hall it would have sounded too smooth. Try it for yourself. The old players did not all smooth themselves out so they sound aggressive. But in concert they did not. People were in ecstasy over Elman's tone in reality. To understand this , you need not just to know about violin playing you need to know about how recordings work, what they do to sound.
Og's remember this:
Ray: Who's Rachel Podger
Brett and Eddy: Laughing out loud
Ray: *Confusion noises*
Charades
Omg I love that episode.It's HILARIOUS!!!🤣🤣🤣
Visible confusion intensifies😂😂😂
Anyone who remembers this is falling behind on their Ling Ling regiment.
Interpretation is when a musician *interprets.*
Cool, didn’t know that.
Gut strings are made out of gut.
Andrew Hollins the floor is made out of floor
So true about the glissing. I was taught to use certain "schmaltzy" pitch changes back in the 60's and 70's. I personally prefer the cleaned up versions. On the Bach, I learned to play the first chord like Milstein's example (actually saw him porform in Chicago years ago) -- broken in half. Later, a more modern teacher preferred a harp-like rendition. I love that music has so many interpretations! We get quite a variety of input if we study with different people.
"1962! None of you were born- Ok some of you guys are"
Damn, I feel called out now
Just Some Guy without a Mustache Although most of their fans are under 25 they shouldn’t forget us. We have the money to buy their apparel. :)
My mom wasn’t even born in 1962 😂😂
Hey Twoset! I was born in 1948. My granddaughter got me into watching you. Now I'm a subscriber and subsidize her apparel purchases. Just sayin'.
Susan Blonsky Omg, this is so wholesome ❤️❤️❤️ YESS.
@@xandraxandra1437 LOL! True!
Super interesting guys. Great video. I've encountered the same thing listening to 1970's recordings of early vocal music - imagine Palestrina with every singer doing a different vibrato...
dude, you are the best guitarist in the world for me
Omg, hi Josh. I love your work so much.
The seventies is when they really started to figure this out.
Oh I have heard it: the BBC singers.
I LOVE that first recording. It is so ballsy and fresh sounding 70 years later. It sounds like what I would want to hear in a Dracula movie! And though it isn't as subtle, it has so much raw emotion to it. I would love to hear that aggression, but then have someone also pull out the goosebumps approach. Music like this is best with DYNAMICS, my friends.
“There you go, that’s your university degree”
@Jessica C S Brett: :O
I felt the pain and I've never even been to university
Imagine how confused someone new to their channel would be by the first minute of this video 😂
Fun watching B and E’s reaction to Vengerov. What exquisite playing!!
Remember though, early recording was done through a giant metal trumpet thing, and it couldn't pick up the nuance in sounds. That could be one reason why that dude was pumping out the Meditation. If he played gently, the notes would probably disappear completely!
That's true
By the 1960s the old wax cylinders were no longer used. Listen to a recording of Joachim or Ysaye, who actually did have to play inside a horn. The recording quality was infinitely worse than what Elman would have faced.
Errr, not in the 50s or 60s they didn't. You must be a youngster LOL.
Microphones were used starting in the early 1930s or even late 20s, so with a recording from the 50s this definitely isn't an issue.
That old piece of film looked & sounded like it hadn’t been stored properly & had experienced signal degradation as a result. I’ve seen/heard colour film from the 1930s that was in better condition than that. 🎞
Next: How twoset videos have COMPLETELY CHANGED in the last 6 years.
They should react to their old reacts lol
More buzzwords, for example 😂
They suck
@@vartago no
@@vartago huh??
I know this is an old video but you guys have seriously reawakened my love for music. Your rhetoric is so elegant when describing each movement.
About 20 years ago I had the enormous pleasure to tour for a week with Janine Jansen with a large Dutch university orchestra. She was a rising star at that time. She was not only an amazing violinist, but also an amazing lovely open, funny and joyful person. On our last concert in the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) I was the lucky dude (literally all dudes and most girls wanted that honor, we were all in love with her) who got to give her the flowers during the ovation. I recently refound the pictures of that accasion. Pleasantly surprised with seeing someone she knew instead of the normal Concertgebouw valet, all smiles, she spontaneously kissed me on both cheeks in front of 1000+ people. Dear memories. What a talent. What a lovely person.
Brett will be so jealous to hear that, I'm sure!
What a beautiful memory!
Sounds absolutely epic.
I find it really odd that classical music, a genre that depends for its popularity and survival almost entirely on works written by people born before the 20th century is also full of people who think very little of classical musicians from even just a few decades ago. The reason Elman's interpretation is so striking is that it is one.
it's cuz most people are today are imbeciles who can't tell great playing from bad playing
They said that classical music recordings start around 1950. Entirely wrong There are recordings of Joachim from 1903. Heifetz recorded as far back as 1911 while a kid in Russia.
@@nidurnevets That's true... but I don't think it's unfair to say that recording technology made a pretty significant leap in the 1950s. I listen to Szell-era Cleveland Orchestra stuff all the time and most of it sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday, but you go back even ten years and there's a dramatic difference. But still, right. There are Edison cylinders of classical music, obviously.
@@TheToughBaby I agree.
@@nidurnevets There's even a video on UA-cam of Debussy playing Debussy - completely different than modern interpretations
This should’ve been called 15 minutes of Brett and Eddy enjoying violin. This was great
1:35 Brett: there's no more older school than 1950 because recording wasn't even invented
Reality: We have recordings of Rachmaninoff playing his concertos in the 1920s. By the 1950s there's already over a decade of colored movies, let alone sound recordings!
We also have recordings of the last castrato vocalist Alessandro Moreschi from 1902!!!
We have a wax cylinder of Brahms playing from the 1880s!
And treatises detailing playing style all the way back to early Renaissance Italy.
@@juliusseizure591 we have a recording of that guy singing a clair de la luna in 1850 also
me a pianist: forever grateful! -though I have read that Rachmaninoff was reluctant to record his music...
janine’s bow control makes me cry. her tone is all i’ve aspired to be since i really started playing violin
Ling Ling! I love your shows! I know this is a little late in the game. You recorded
this show 4 years ago. As a kid in grammer school entire classes were treated
to Jascha Heifetz concerts on film. He is really old school! However I would wear
Heifetz merch if it was available. Ling Ling too-just sayin'. I don't play anymore music
myself, but I LOVE to listen. Your shows are so boss and cool... Are you still recording
new shows? If not, why not? Everything old is cool again! Like the old school joke: How
do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice Practice Practice! I will continue to watch and
listen. You guys are really mahvelous dahling. Signed a true fan in Montana, Diane
MacIntyre.
*"she has those moments of release, and yet she still gives you those juicy dissonant chords"*
fAMiLy FrIeNdLy
is this supposed to be a euphemism or something?
More interesting, do this how OLD the player is. Is there reliable recordings of the same pieces by Menuhin, Perlman, Stern that span their careers? Oh, the Jansen really moved me, an' I was born in '64!
"Liszt popularized playing from memory"
Paganini: cries
Clara Schumann: Rolls eyes in woman
Eddy: "Wind players just can't memorize🔥😂"
Me, a saxophonist/clarinetist: "I'm just focused on remembering to breathe man 😓"
Still love you guys ❤🎶
As a fellow woodwind player i can tell you it's because we aren't able to look at our fingers. If we could watch ourselves play, like string players and pianists, memorizing would become easier
honestly
Connor Fast I remember best based on feel and sound but the visual can sometimes help too
@@connorfast388 you've unveiled the biggest world's secret here, thanks 😂 I won't be ashamed anymore when people are like "YoU DoN't KnOw It By HeArT ???"
Violinists (good violinists) can usually play with their eyes closed. I don’t know if being able to see the fingers is the difference. Maybe it’s just cultural. Violin is so much more competitive, so memorization adds the extra wow factor?
I started on violin, then switched to French horn, and for my first competition I was like, “I can memorize this,” and my teacher was like, “Really? That’s not necessary but ok,” and then the judges were like, “What are you doing?! Use sheet music.”
The cool thing about classical music, you can listen to the same piece played by different musicians and still get an entirely different song.
techn9cian09 *piece ;)
Even with the same musician two performances are not the same
xandra xandra yeah you right😂 but saying piece twice felt a bit inordinate. 🤷♂️
That happens with all music sorry to burst your bubble. Covers exist.
A recent favourite of mine is listening to the original Can't Take My Eyez Off You vs Joseph Vincent's.
I was definitely around before 1962; older than dirt to you. Not too old to enjoy your fun videos, not too old to learn stuff from young whippersnappers.
Funnily enough, performance practice with Bach on piano has undergone a similar evolution, but vibrato for damper pedal.
Hey Erik I didn’t know you watched twoset
Really? All I know is -- my teacher would murder me for abusing pedal, particularly in Baroque music. The only reason, she's told me over and over again, to use pedal in Baroque music, is to sustain a note. Never to cover your lack of scale practice. I choked.
@@emmyyang4339 that’s a solid approach. We should never use the pedal to cover up technical or musical problems. However, the mindset on baroque performance practice has started to shift in recent years.
I think the pedal can be use subtly in places to add resonance and for contrasting timbre. It’s a myth that Bach didn’t like resonance (one of his favorite instruments was the lute-harpsichord and I imagine the chapels of the day are as reverberate today as they were back then).
With all that in mind, I think it’s apropos to use pedal in Bach (to taste and never to cover up issues) for more than just sustaining notes that can’t be held otherwise.
@@ErikCPianoman yes, ofc, there are lots and lots of things pedal can be used for in Bach (I was referring a bit more to harpsichord music) but covering bad technique is not 'excusable'.
A little judicious use of the sustain pedal is where this apostate (me) is at.
Just so everyone knows, audio recordings were actually invented much earlier than video recordings (~1877 audio and ~1951 video), so you can even find music recordings from all the way back to the early 20th century or even late 19th century for further "old school" recordings.
For example, here's the internationally renowned violin virtuoso and composer Fritz Kreisler playing Thaïs Meditation in 1910: ua-cam.com/video/8G2JFgMoD90/v-deo.html
I actually think it's quite a beautiful interpretation, and you can even hear a lot of similarities with how people might play it today, although there also of course clear differences on style as well.
One cool thing about these old recordings is that you can sometimes find composers playing their own pieces, which can be very interesting. I'd love if Brett and Eddy made some mention/consideration of these older recordings too, maybe in a future video, but I doubt they'll ever see this comment or hear about these earlier recordings any time soon if they don't already know about them.
Oh good, someone already made this point. *Applauds in wax cylinder, since that was more durable than the original tin foil*
I’m new to classical music. I watched a documentary on Janine Jansen a recording session of Beethoven op 61. I fell in love with the music and her. The first 15 + minutes watching her just listing to the Orchestra how moved she was just grabbed me. She just becomes part of the music before she even played a note. She is a very beautiful woman but so much more than that. She is very expressive while playing and seems so connected to the orchestra. Well that started me down a path of exploration I don’t regret. This music makes me feel it. I’m a happier person for having found it. I could never go to a live concert of op 61 I would drive people crazy I can’t be still listening to it. Especially 1st movement.
Violin playing has changed because most people just use it to play memes on UA-cam nowadays
So just different music being played now? Well that’s obvious
True
I love your comments and I love seeing them in every video I see.♥
Guys I've got a theory
What if just some guy without a moustache is not one but a group of people who have the same name and pfp?
I study astronomy now, but as soon I as I get my master degree (and becoming financially independent) I swear I will start the violin lessons, wish me luck >.
Same here
Yeah that's what I said. I was 15 and had just seen Arthur Rubinstein on TV. I'm now 78 and in second year piano. Don't wait.
I think you should start as soon as you as you can afford it and have a bit of time. Because when you do you'll love it so much you'll wonder why you didn't learn it sooner.
And we'll... life you know...
Good luck anyway with your goals 😊
Please tell me you're going to start with Holst
Start as soon as you can, even one hour of practice a day can do a lot
I don’t know why this popped up in my feed but these guys are so excited about classical music that I actually became interested! Love what you’re doing, please keep doing it!
No one:
UA-cam time change channel: clothes over the last 100 years
Two set: violins changing over the last 60 years
Brett: **kisses light**
*gets flashbacks on Brett's lofi music*
To be perfectly fair to some of the older masters of the recording era... One rather prominent school of violin playing was heavily influenced by the limitations of recording technology, itself. Any nuance or dynamics would be minimized, if not lost entirely, from microphones and tapes of the era; and so, to compensate, players would incorporate thicker, more excessive vibrato, and brighter, more aggressive and "projective" playing. It's less due to a lack of skill, or even a lack of nuance on the player's part, but more due to the remnants of an older and very valid train of thought; one which remained very valid well into the 60s, particularly as far as live recordings are concerned.
No disrespect to the old masters; but as much as I respect the likes of Elman or even Heifetz, neither of them are among my favorite violinists. However, their styles, albeit arguably excessive, make more sense in the context of the era they performed in.
Can I just say: watching you two fanboy over Janine Jansen's playing was so wholesome and heartwarming! Everybody loves a good roast, but it's so nice to hear you put somebody *up* rather than down.
I watched Janine grow up. She babysat my son!
I'm loving the balance among your types of videos lately! This one geeking out very nicely, too 😍 learned a lot just by little snippets of each...um...era? Wouldn't even mind watching you two go into a more detailed explanations for longer vids!
The performance using catgut strings and the older bow really resonated with me. I really liked the personality put into the music 🤗🤗🤗
I would love to see a series of this, it opens my eyes so much...or my ears. As a non-musician I really love your explanation and demonstrations.
jokes aside, i like this type of video where twoset educate us on classical music knowledge. ive loterally learnt more classical music here than in my past music education. thank you twoset :D
I have no idea what they're talking about but it's so fascinating and I love how in depth they always go in their videos I can't stop watching!!!
As a Baroque violinist, baroque bows give you a more natural "swelling and deflating" sound. "Messa di Voce" is a powerful tool. On the spot embellishments are also done besides vibrato. Brett and Eddy, I suggest you guys give Baroque bows a try. Hehe
I love when they do videos like this. Really showcases their knowledge and talent. Another amazing video guys!!
I loved the old school players. Like they were saying it was non apologetic and you could feel what they were feeling when playing it because of that.
Dude, i listen to classical music you know. I love it. But old school is nothing like i've heard before, damn they are epic. Awesome man!
Same man, I just love the strength, the epicness of it!
Last time I was this early, there were no violas.
Jolly Bean Good times
#violagang
Before Kachikawawa!
How original
Yassssss🤣😂
I do not play any instruments but I have a love for music that waltzes with the soul, makes me cry, gives me chills, reminds me that little else can sweep me away like a symphony does. Nothing compares to the violin. It is my absolute favorite and now I have a laughing good time learning from you and your friends. I am very grateful I found you. I binge watched you tonight. Loved your Hilary Hahn hula hoop/violin competition. You're both fun, intelligent and great musicians. Thank you for your light-hearted ways. What a difference you make in my day!
“it’s because the woodwinds can’t memorize their music”
professional woodwinds: *peace was never an option*
I honestly like Milstein's performance over the modern style. The same way I like Hahn's Erlkönig or any interpretation of Sibelius' Finlandia.
It's fucking metal.
There’s a reason I like Richter Appassionata
….and he, tragically, lost a finger on his left hand and could no longer play…
You guys, your reactions are what gives the best part to your videos. I am not a musician, although not left out of the opera and ballet world. I grew up with the old school and yes, born before 1962. I have had a lot of fun capturing your videos. I am going to introduce your sight to my young grandson, who has taken interest to the violin. Thank you for the shred joy. I continue to learn.
i love the way brett and eddy play to demonstrate and explain it! 💜✨ (+their expressions are precious-cuteness overload😫💜) brighten up my day with knowledge✨✨ please make another one!!✨✨
Yes, playing to demonstrate it really made a difference
Yes, their playing was the highlight for me. Makes everything much clearer, and also i just love to hear them play