Beethoven’s Bagatelles: the Universe in a Drop of Water

[@kristian6566]

My god the nasty criticism in most of these comments.... I'd like to thank you for making these videos, we are so lucky that we can just enjoy them!

[@Acoustic-Rabbit-Hole]

Even so-called "intellectuals" freak out when they have to "think" too much. Curse Adam Neely. To hell with that surface bozo.

[@ericleiter6179]

Yes, I agree...love these videos and couldn't care less about the trolls

[@thrax4939]

There is criticism and then there is whining. I unfortunately (or fortunately?) see mostly the latter in these comments.

[@wngbjngwwgk]

This is the formalist analysis on youtube so few are doing, the type of work via which art grows and lives. Thank you

[@sebastianfayle2066]

You might potentially like my channel - it's not as well-structured at all, but I've started to analyse various different albums and what is going on in the music across their length, trying to draw connections between songs compositionally and thematically.

[@dskinner6263]

Glad to hear your thoughts on these miraculous compositions, and op.119 no.11 in particular. Alfred Brendel made wonderful recordings of these early in his career, issued on VOX. Of course, there are many fine recordings, before and since. But for me, Brendel's early recordings are outstanding in that they delineate structure so clearly, while conveying the appropriate expression, whether lyric, scherzo-like, or dramatic.

[@nathangale7702]

I agree, it's difficult to think of a better interpreter of Beethoven than Brendel.

[@der1767]

Thank you!

[@bartremmelzwaal5775]

Wonderful that you're giving these the attention they deserve. Great video as always, Samuel.

[@delibellus]

Thanks so much, Samuel. Your channel is one of the few ones that make KZbin worthwhile.

[@danantoniumaestrodistortion]

These videos are great! I remeber you saying that analysis videos were tricky because they took a while and there was a chance that youtube would strike the video for using audio examples. I love this compromise of taking short pieces and performing then yourself so you dont get copyright struck. But also I would think (I'm not sure) that shorter pieces would be easier to anylize usually. Im thinking particularly of this video and the bach analysis vs something like the Lachenmann video.

[@lakatos1683]

It's refreshing how clearly you described the analysis--great video!

[@jgmbennett]

As an untalented composer, I find this analysis very inspiring.

[@VictorRamirezMusic]

Great video thank you!

[@bahlalthewatcher4790]

Thanks for this analysis Samuel, you presented and explained it very well. I've always had a soft spot for these bagatelles and will often play no 1 as a warmup. Even though the set of 11 was actually written over several decades, they share the features you've identified in no 11 (economical use of simple motives, constant development and variation, and using texture and rhythm to create contrast and "conceal" the straightforward formal and harmonic structure).

[@guille____]

great analysis Samuel! Very nicely produced video too, thanks

[@chadevans3299]

Beethovens ability in variation and imagination is otherworldly. Take a look at a simple variation of a two note motivation in his 12 minuets woo7 #6. A rise of a half step.

[@jamesgorman7846]

Thank you,thank you fro this video.( and all your video' s .Keep going )

[@Yurivlc]

Thanks for this interesting analysis.

[@CentrifugalSatzClock]

This type of writing is actualized, with heavy doses of gravitas, in the last movement of the amazing late sonata in E Major. Its living a life with elevated practices which allows for top of the gym magnificence to scale! And I usually don't like theme and variations! A video on that movement would be treat beyond measure!

[@Acoustic-Rabbit-Hole]

CentriFuga, come see my Theory of Pitch Psychology here at: _The Acoustic Rabbit Hole_

[@CentrifugalSatzClock]

@@Acoustic-Rabbit-Hole I did it! Now follow me!

[@Acoustic-Rabbit-Hole]

@@CentrifugalSatzClock One follower deserves another! We did it!

[@CentrifugalSatzClock]

@@Acoustic-Rabbit-Hole Nice!!!

[@nathangale7702]

I think you see a lot of similar trends in The Diabelli Variations, which is one of my top-three, favorite Beethoven works. Another short Beethoven work I like is a short song called "There Was a Mighty Monarch" (in English, I think it was translated from German when I learned it). I was hoping you would do some Beethoven analysis, he's my personal favorite of the old masters.

[@williamjmccartan8879]

Hi Samuel, I really appreciate the music choices you like to play for us and the descriptive essence you put into your work, I think you already know I appreciate you, and being a fellow Torontonian am happy to support your work, so this is just me, or from what I understood one in a hundred of us, I can't see images in my minds eye, its called aphantasia, and when I was just a teen I was told that I have a tin ear, but I appreciate the beauty of the music all the same, especially as single notes are struck for a brief moment, I was wondering if you might be able to provide some explanation of the music for someone such as myself. Its the same thing when I see art, I see what's in front of me and maybe not what the artist wants to convey, unless its a good comic book, you don't need a visual imagination for those, mind you its been a few decades since I last looked at a comic book, thank you for sharing your time and work Samuel, keep sharing that knowledge man, peace lb, (little brother)

[@rubenmolino1480]

excelent ¡

[@MarioAlemi]

Thanks

[@samuel_andreyev]

Thank you!

[@michaelleslie2663]

I have liked nearly all of Andreyev´s videos so far, in fact some of them are extremely inspiring. But this is about as academic and perfunctory as it is possible to get. If you are at home in German read the description of this piece by Jürgen Uhde in his „Beethoven’s Klaviermusik l“. Uhde conveys his love and immense understanding of the music in a hundred subtle ways. One intuitively knows that he performed this piece with insight, love and empathy, (which he did). Unfortunately Andreyev‘s playing is on a par with his analysis.

[@SachaPerry-r5l]

"Miracle ", yes.

[@Ginlah]

I saw an orchestral concert on TV a while ago. The pieces were played strictly, kind of an attempted perfection or tightness. When they played Bolero as an encore, all the performers let their hair down and played pretty loosely, natural and seemed to enjoy it more. It was noticeably just better. Do you have anything to say about performance style?

[@bigprovola]

My favorite highly constrained form is that of Froberger's suites, they are so microcosmic.

[@Pretzels722]

Do something on ligeti’s etudes for piano

[@royaebrahim2449]

Omg❤❤❤

[@militaryandemergencyservic3286]

the only one i like from op 119 is that massive, torrent-like one.

[@spertrand]

5 or 9?

[@militaryandemergencyservic3286]

@@spertrand 5

[@daigreatcoat44]

How do you reconcile your comment on the need for formal constraint with the music of Cage?

[@samuel_andreyev]

Cage’s music is usually highly formalised and he resented it when performers took his scores as an excuse to make random noises

[@CarlosAugustoScalassaraPrando]

Or Earle Brown? Or Elliott Carter? Could we say their Music have Form, but in the listening their Music are Formless?

[@infinger2006]

Dheyus jdhdttv ndjdgy bdh dndji jdhyyen.. If you know what I mean. Music is a language. Incoherency means they didn't do their job. I suppose they could be trying to make a point, like so much of modern attempts at art, but instead betray the emptiness and futility of their own souls. I prefer to live in the light. Anyone can make noise. The enlightened must not stoop to such levels so that those that are lost may be lifted.

[@nickr688]

@@infinger2006An “enlightened” individual may well choose to listen to noise if it suits them. Your expectations = yours. In other words: Nobody has to care about your opinion!

[@infinger2006]

@@nickr688 For sure, if one wanted, but it would more harken to the innate desire for relevance, but the emperor has no clothes. Again, it betrays the inner man: says nothing means nothing has nothing to give.

[@antoniocarlosfioritojunior5865]

If these works were composed by Schubert or Chopin, they would be much more played and applauded. Beethoven is still underappreciated. He was a master of many, many kinds of music forms, styles and moods.

[@militaryandemergencyservic3286]

I never really liked op 119. I used to play op 126 number 3. I prefer his first group to op 119. I think Gould did, too. Schubert's klavierstucke (bagatelles) are twice as long as Beethoven's bagatelles. Here are my pastiches of Schubert's 3 bagatelles (in this playlist somewhere): kzbin.info/aero/PLYUhuuvIrJm0Z7vc1Olxvs1cOLMfuSo4I

[@gustavertboellecomposer]

A thing that I personally dont enjoy about classical music culture is how certain composers are elevated to complete god-status. Was Beethoven a good composer? Sure. But was he so great, that a piece that literally means "tiny, unimportant and unworthy of much consideration" contains the "universe in a drop of water"? No, not really. I know there are algorithm-concerns at play there, but I do feel like people greatly exaggerate the skill of especially German classical composers

[@operamiser]

Try again in another places................

[@nickr688]

You blink so much that it makes me feel like I have something in my own eyes

[@unknown6390]

Look in the mirror you probably do

[@ThePianoenergy]

I wish you would pay a little bit more attention to phrasing, voice leading, rhythmical expression, articulation and dynamics when you play this piece. Otherwise, the fascination of all the interesting aspects you mention stays in the head and doesn’t extend to the heart.

[@Summalogicae]

It’s not a recital, geez.

[@samuel_andreyev]

As will immediately be obvious to anyone listening, I am not a professional nor a trained pianist. I do the best I can, so that I can illustrate my lectures with musical examples. I wish I could play better!

[@ThePianoenergy]

@@Summalogicae I know, but some simple and basic observations of the elements I mentioned above could still be made. Doesn’t have to be perfect at all, that’s not what I meant.

[@ThePianoenergy]

@@samuel_andreyev I appreciate your content, this is just something I think would be fairly easy to achieve. I had the impression that you didn’t pay attention to these elements the slightest and I think it would be worth to do it.

[@ThePianoenergy]

@@sokleidas5605 I know and I didn’t say it was a problem.

[@sanchopansa1950]

what brand of piano do you have ? I think I have heard better ones.

[@samuel_andreyev]

It’s a Feurich upright, which was the best piano I could afford at the time.

[@im_a_loner_yippe]

YOU'VE HEARD BETTER ONES?! WOWWWWWWW

[@sanchopansa1950]

@@samuel_andreyev I hope you can afford a better one now.

[@bahlalthewatcher4790]

@@sanchopansa1950 What brand of computer keyboard do you have? I think I have seen ones that have a less broken spacebar.

[@CarlosAugustoScalassaraPrando]

I already disagree with the beginning of the video. But... Let's watch.

[@samuel_andreyev]

What’s your disagreement?

[@ThePianoenergy]

lol

[@Summalogicae]

How very informative to say you disagree.

[@CarlosAugustoScalassaraPrando]

@@Summalogicae ?

[@CarlosAugustoScalassaraPrando]

@@samuel_andreyev "...too much freedom can be deadly, composers and songwriters need the constraining force of Forms in order to create..." For me, the word 'need' here is problematic, I already composed formless music. ... Sorry, english isn't my first language, so it is a little hard for me to really explain what I mean. ... Love your videos.