Beethoven: Violin Concerto - 1st movement (Benjamin Zander - Interpretation Class)

For more classes like this one, please visit the Benjamin Zander Center - www.benjaminzander.org/
Deborah Palmer, violin
Johnathon Shin, piano
Interpretations of Music: Lessons for Life
with Benjamin Zander
Dave Jamrog Audio/Video

[@clairepotter6975]

When I practice violin I imagine Benjamin Zander on my shoulder singing, talking to me as I play, lose your inhibitions! talk to them! communicate! give up that weight! It really helps my playing.

[@trevorstolz8580]

I am 46 years old, started playing violin as an adult (I played piano since childhood) and working on grade 7 Royal Conservatory of Music exam. So, I'm certainly not up to this calibre of musicianship, but these videos always make me feel very inspired. I feel like I can do it, even if it takes the next 10 years of my life. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@dayaneoliveira1122]

You can do it! 🙏🏼

[@vetzrah4437]

@Sir Feynman you can totally do it. I started when I was 31 and I’m playing Sibelius violin concerto now when I’m 45

[@basspoem]

Zander is a genius - a great soul - who makes us all rethink great music.

[@asshatteryengaged813]

The weight of the world with all of its tasks and tests bears down on all of us constantly. It's refreshing to hear an instructor consciously and consistently steer these artists' focus to the contrary. Thank you.

[@musicfan238able]

He defines 'inspirational', the violinist defines 'adaptability' and they both define 'enthusiasm'. These sessions teach me so much about enjoying music. Thank you.

[@PeterHontaru]

I've never seen someone enjoy music as much as Mr Benjamin Zander. Love his energy

[@TrumpetRecords]

What an amazing person Zander is ! He gives music a soul..

[@almagirimai8931]

No, he just paints it with vibrancy, joy and new enthusiasm. The soul of these pieces could never be denied,

[@klassiknatur4611]

yes, indeed

[@Rt-uu4yo]

I love Zander’s Beethoven. It’s so exciting, so I won’t fall asleep in the ones he conducts. He is a great Maestro, both in conducting and in teaching.

[@alvinngchiwai]

What started as dull playing at the beginning ended up with flare and life and passion as if it were played by two different violinists of different league. Wonderful!

[@mr.string4490]

think exactly the same.. i was like "what the hell is happening?? " she even looked like having a bad time, and the second time was like ... "woooow!" totally a different person, attitud, everything was on a different level! amazing!

[@dunuth]

@@mr.string4490 I think it wasn't the tempo either... or not only the tempo, but how he managed to shift her focus from her own imperfect technique (this is not a test) to the beauty of the music and her ability to convey it. It's Zander's leitmotif - exploiting the good in someone rather than punishing the bad, in order to bring out their greatness.

[@moonshade0227]

The tempo also changes expression. The violinist was quite excellent. She understood that immediately.

[@dunuth]

@@moonshade0227 certainly... and it does make it harder now to enjoy some of the recordings I have :/

[@arwo1143]

Yooooo Have you seen the Tchaikovsky one That was a transformation

[@mr555harv]

Zander is using the tempo and expression of the goat HEIFETZ. To play at that speed requires great technical prowess. This young lady has the capability to reach for the Heifetz standard.

[@truelovecafecanada290dunda3]

Ben Zander is one of the best manager and teacher I have ever seen.

[@zamplify]

Thank God this man is here passing along his wisdom and insight.

[@suhasung]

I think the important thing of playing this piece is not only to have the right tempo, but also *to keep the beats solid* . Another important thing is, reducing the "romantic violin-like" phrase expression to keep the Beethoven's style itself as much as possible, and at the same time not losing the emotional expression (as Beethoven called *the lyrical concerto* ). For this reason, many violinists find difficult to play this piece. I worked on this piece from the position of the conductor + composer + violinist, and especially *from the conductor's point of view* , it's immediately clear how "tight" this piece must be played. It was hard to find the tempo, in particular, setting the tempo of *the g-minor part* was really difficult...!!! 😰 I referenced several recordings including this video (very helpful!) and read a lot of material about Beethoven while studying in Vienna, and I remember reading that he attaches great importance to tempo, but *can also be flexible if necessary* . So I decided not to keep the whole piece strictly at the same tempo. (I'm not 100% sure of my thoughts, and each person will have different ways of interpretation. If you are interested, you can watch the video, and your feedback will be very helpful to me. *A new cadenza* is also included.) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fn6uZICPf816o7s You may find recordings played at a fast tempo. However, it will be very difficult to find a recording that *moves you* by adding musical sensibility along with that tempo. Personally, I recommend listening to *the piano version (op.61a)* of this piece. The nature of the piano can help you to focus on the music itself beyond the physical style of playing the violin. And then pick up the violin again. 😉

[@dihan6130]

25:27 "One of the reasons, people play slowly, is because they think they can get more effect in that way. It's not true. You just have to pay more attention if you are doing it faster. " To Jascha Heifetz

[@joshuaC.]

Seems popular for people to hate on Heifetz these days which is kinda sad

[@anonymouspeoplesuck6403]

Joshua C. I personally do not like Heifetzs style but i still admire him as a musician but i know people who absolutely hate him, its sad

[@JeremyStreich]

@@joshuaC. I love Heifetz's master classes... A lot to learn. I especially how he starts with hard scales, and gets worse scales until the player reaches their limits before moving on the to the piece. There is a video where he opens with asking for g-flat major in 10ths as the opening ask. He and the musician he was asking (one of his students I presumed) didn't act like he'd asked for anything out of the ordinary and just did it -- no blinking.

[@diciannove1100]

FINALLY NEW VIDEOS!!!!!

[@chriss6356]

I have wanted this for sooo long!!! My favorite piece in the entire world!

[@evamkaushik5392]

I love how happy you must be to be saying this. And I wonder what happens when i come across that something that I had unknowingly been waiting for too.

[@navigatingthroughlife8381]

The thing I needed for a good night's sleep.

[@cristianpopa3866]

This Mega Master Teacher is a Genius

[@rgarlinyc]

Simply wonderful.... what a privilege to have a teacher like Zander!

[@jonnamaria3948]

Just beautiful! ❤️ I love how inspiring these videos are. I have noticed that every time I watch these I just smile like a crazy person. Makes me so happy to see a teacher with that energy and positivity!

[@almagirimai8931]

me too. grinning like an idiot!

[@alexsaldarriaga8318]

What a wonderful teacher and a great human being. His tempo for the Beethoven Concerto is the same one used by Heifetz, Milstein, and Rosand. These artists were able to say something beautiful within a demanding tempo. Not easy!

[@renesolis2604]

I learned from him in a TED Talk, wow so great music.

[@Deyan_B_Travels]

First, he says to play a lot faster then, takes away the notation, then says not to look at the fingers while playing and if that wasn't enough, she has to smile and dance around! I would just die! :D Respect!

[@sculean]

He was trying to get her to play intuitively, saying hey you're in my class now you're no longer a student you're a performer. this wasn't a violin class

[@Freakschwimmer]

Basically hes making her do a LingLing Workout.... doublespeed and Lindsay-Dancing at the same time

[@mediocreviolinist]

These videos are SO inspiring! From violin to erhu, I had to unlearn so much, and these videos are reminding me to really just enjoy the journey.

[@violintegral]

I find it very interesting how in Mr. Zander's interpretation classes on the biggest concerti in the violin repertoire (Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky), he keeps recommending the same thing: to play a faster tempo! And coincidentally, the faster tempi that he suggests can all be seen in Heifetz's recordings. And that reveals the true reason why no other violinists dare to play the big concerti at such blisteringly fast speeds: because it requires the guts and technical precision of Heifetz.

[@basspoem]

Zander: "Isn't that beautiful? Now life becomes a communication, instead of a test!"

[@pauldavies6037]

What a transformation Zander does it again Bravo!

[@Chihuahuauno1]

She actually got BETTER, without the music, I'm SHOOK!!!!!

[@justinbill3101]

Anyone help me? I cant stop smiling at any of his video🙁

[@joanabauchamp1156]

She is so inspiring! I love this episode

[@PlantiPal]

What beautifully intelligent insight about what we allow to drive our music.

[@plumjam]

Got to love the Zander.

[@JJSC00TS]

Apsolutely wonderful!!!

[@raymondhummel5211]

Such wonderful one on one instruction! Brings out the fine points of the piece and how they can be improved.! Such enthusiasm, plus the contact with the audience. Not looking at the fingers, focusing on the audience instead.! Sounds to be like showmanship in the making!

[@almagirimai8931]

Amazing transformation!

[@urshandschin5108]

Very, very nice, interesting and deeply compelling video! Thank you for uploading!

[@KTDAngelo]

Chills literally every time !!!!!!

[@sneddley]

The tempo Benjamin Zander suggested for the opening matches that of the 1934 recording (posted on KZbin) with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by George Szell, Bronislaw Huberman, Soloist.

[@nimrodshefer3649]

New! I am so happy now!

[@rancecampbell2584]

what an AWESOME violinist!!!

[@dg5669]

I love this.

[@799riccardo]

love this man

[@lynnrixson3013]

Thank you! That was amazing😊

[@voenigs612]

Beautifully sounding violin!

[@orchepiaviolinviola]

My dear teacher

[@tall14dude]

Love this! Music is about expression; it's not a test. As a horn player, I focus A LOT on precision but a great director once told me "if you clam the notes, you're forgiven in advance 😁. Make the music beautiful and with feeling." Of course, what I heard was make a beautiful sound with feeling AND with all the right notes. 😉

[@2planksand2wheels92]

Absolutely, the way I think of it is this, we work on precision to make sure the music sounds beautiful and that we can voice it the way it’s meant to be, then we forget to think about the technique and we just think about the music itself.

[@kevinchristian96]

i think the tempo on 11:27 is exactly the same with Heifetz tempo when he played this concerto

[@karlosed]

Wow, just wow, I will try this in my rock&roll band

[@axiomist1076]

I LOVE these vids.

[@Whately80]

So do I... Totally addictive 😳

[@BlackHermit]

Great pianist!

[@alainrobynsds5735]

une future reine du violon,haute admiration

[@sunyongning]

非常喜欢！！

[@violinist86]

Not a violin class but an interpretation class.

[@markh.2899]

Yes, indeed it is, Isaac, and Benjamin Zander is teaching the students (and, us) lessons of life, and, in the case of the bright, young student-violinist, he merely held up a mirror infront of her...

[@juliejules7780]

If everyone has their own personal interpretation, then why do they need this class? So they can all be carbon copies of Zander? I don't get it

[@victordaley2491]

@@juliejules7780 at the end of the day Mr. Zander is only offering suggestions as to what the music should mean, as that comes from the heart of the musician. He is so knowledgeable in music theory and the lives of the composers who write the pieces in his interpretation classes, and he’s able to guide the students through a unique interpretation but he wants them to take these ideas and know how to build their own interpretations of the music they study for the rest of their lives

[@juliejules7780]

@@victordaley2491 I prefer violin classes with technical advice rather than interpretation.

[@victordaley2491]

@@juliejules7780That’s a valid preference, as they’re two types of classes. Ideally a performing musician should be taking separate technical and interpretation classes and getting the most out of each teacher by committing practice time to each skill.

[@marcinwojak8563]

What a beautiful violinist

[@nickfletcher9667]

I realise that Zander is a very respected musician, but I must respectfully object to this unique and most wonderful pieces of music being played at such pace. In my humble opinion, it ruins its beauty somewhat!

[@Gusrikh1]

Very interesting...

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

At least he resisted temptation to go full Karajan on her. Anne Sophie Mutter tells the story of how she first played the piece for him and only playing the first two bars of the opening octaves on which Karajan said: "Come back next year." Which she did, and then they recorded the work and made one of the best versions on the market. ;) By the way the age of the first performer was 26 and not 21. However Joseph Joachim who was the performer of the breakthrough performance was 12.

[@daviddemar8749]

Well he pulled a different performance out of her. Bravo!

[@abdulkadirbilgin383]

Awesome

[@RochestersGotTalentbyPaulRefic]

very correct no 23 in the video thats what music should do love it

[@franztorrellas4202]

Hi is incredible

[@calevy7099]

One of the best things on earth.

[@alainrobynsds5735]

une promesse,un chemin de lumière

[@pouriasirousian5128]

11:20 Really, if you can play it slowly, you can play it quickly

[@harrynking777]

Only if you play it in the manner of the fast tempo but slowly. It you play it in the manner of a slow tempo ie in the character of the slow tempo then you find it difficult to play in the quick temp.

[@sungpackhong4144]

@@harrynking777 you know this is a meme now, right?

[@carlosm.6348]

Interesting

[@s.strickland2834]

Is there a way to get a transcript of this session? There were too many inspiration nuggets to write down!

[@jwchavez]

Great! isn't that the tempo that Heifetz uses to play this concerto?

[@andyking957]

4 minutes into: bravo she is quite playing this oldtime dense sound usually hearedin records decades ago. I doubt even Zander can improve her much exept details. I liked her much more than most of his pupils. She has some style some 20 years above her biological age...

[@michaelbrowder1759]

I love Zander but this is not an Allegro ma non troppo, (Fast, but not too much), but straight out Allegro. So I don't question parts of the Benjamin Zander message, but no, I don't believe this is what Beethoven intended. I think we can find throughout the concerto first movement literature, examples of varying tempo, although Mr. Zander's initial point about a sudden break in continuity of tempo seems very valid.

[@lellelele3211]

How is that empty seats in the front row?

[@andreweverton162]

I'd love to hear a recording at the tempi Zander is recommending. Does anyone know of one? The recordings I am finding on Spotify are all fairly traditional and slow.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

Try Christian Tetzlaff and David Zinman. Or this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqOcfKCdeauqg8U In the end no one does it exactly as fast as he first suggested. But there are interpreters out there who are going more for a more flexible approach, trying to approximate an allegro. Mr. Zander always tries to get people to play Beethoven closer to the original tempo markings. I think it's important that the new generation of students learn, that he is usually played too slow. Nontheless I think the Perlman/Giulini recording, as slow as it is, is one of the best on the market.

[@trevorpsy]

Thanks!

[@zugzwang2007]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYiwmZuEYt2HbKc has the work played with period instruments and conducted by Frans Brueggen, who has very much the approach recommended by Zander. Compelling soloist is Thomas Zehetmair, who knows exactly where he wants to go with each phrase.

[@joshuaC.]

Always Heifetz 😁

[@matthewarant377]

Can anyone supply me with a recording of the concerto with the corrected tempo? I have searched far and wide.

[@renesolis2604]

Please Mr. video editor, review the videos and cut the 4 scenes the camera is down. Keep up the good work

[@jackfan6389]

True! 😂

[@raoultak]

Thus: Heifetz had the correct tempo? Heifetz, Munch & BSO.

[@alexsaldarriaga8318]

Yes Raoul! You are correct. Heifetz, Milstein, and Rosand played it at the correct tempo.

[@joefagan9335]

Great violinist and musician. That violin needs a new home in the country! It really doesn’t like to be played on the A and E strings.

[@moonshade0227]

Oh, that was Heifetz's tempo...!

[@-Honeybee]

"Why are you looking here? The people are *here* !"

[@user-ze7dw7ig7l]

很幸運有如此大師的指導、要不然像在鋼索上欣賞此曲恐懼多過其他感覺，多數語句間無法利落流轉。還有加油💪空間。

[@CanalDuModem]

I sometimes imagine, what it would be like, if instead of Benjamin Zander there was J.K. Simmonses Fletcher from the movie Whiplash giving the interpretation class. It's not that pleasant thought though.

[@lianghuang3]

Anybody knows what that "another piece of Beethoven" is around 9:15?

[@cgh5001]

Beethoven cello sonata . The Masterpiece 😎😎

[@tianhaoli6798]

brett accompanied

[@sylvanmoir4094]

I prefer it slow, and pulled around a lot too. Menuhins' performance is wonderful. Allegro may be a certain reading on the metronome - but musically we are always talking of an EFFECT. There are many small notes in the violin part- this before paganinni ; they gives the allegro effect at a slower theoretical tempo. Also Beethoven was not exact about his tempi marks - sometimes got them very " wrong" - i.e. estimated the metronome marking wrong - correction - it may be we understand his metronome markings totally wrongly - cf viz questo video , here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKrHaH-Nnpmqq9U Cor lumey!! Besides that, much of the piece has an improvisatory character, and rhapsodic character - in the violin writing. I don't see how that isn't lost and smudged and swallowed at the speeds Benjamin Zander recommends. Plus , see :kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpDXgXSMlJl4r7M and : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5rVeJejnrGgjc0 I likle the passion though, though you should have responded to my friendly email Benjamin!!

[@cvlen]

I couldn't agree more with you

[@zugzwang2007]

Thanks for the interesting references to the "Authentic Sound" channel. On your preference for slow and pulled around a lot, there is no arguing with tastes. But then, as you go on to do precisely that, it seems fair to dispute the idea that Menuhin's way with this piece was wonderful. I did re-listen earlier to Menuhin with Furtwaengler. It really is preposterously slow and mannered, and the test of this is the business of dwelling on each tiny note, as if the unit of meaning in this piece were something smaller than a semi-quaver. The problem with this is not the time elapsed per bar, but the aimlessness, which no amount of "nobility" can disguise. This is a historical document of the bad kind.

[@sylvanmoir4094]

Interesting.

[@JohnathanBotha]

Interestingly, Karajan had the same idea - but he slowed the whole thing down to 100.

[@levolvik5231]

Heute Abend gibt's erstmal Zander mit Weißwein.

[@pinkpluot]

Is that du pre in all these videos???? The resemblance is uncanny!

[@inohope]

If you can play it slowly you can play it quickly, literally :D

[@weixu6555]

:-D buzz buzz

[@harrynking777]

Not necessarily. If you play in the character of the slow tempo, playing it fast may no be easy. It should be played in the manner of the quick tempo but slowly. She did this in a technical sense when she used very little bow in the slow tempo. The adjustment to fast tempo did not require her to make major changes to her economy of bow use. If, at the start she had played it in a manner suited to her original tempo the transition to fast tempo could have been very difficult to do.

[@inohope]

@@harrynking777 I was just referencing a meme, it's a joke :) But thanks for the insight, I agree with what you wrote

[@chiefgoose8682]

Is it just me or does that violin sound better than the average ?

[@JXS63J]

In other words, Heifetz is right!

[@musicproductioncentral4540]

so, am i supposed to interpret a piece of music myself, or should i let somebody else tell me what my interpretation should be? Is there one "correct" interpretation that everyone should play? I vote for letting the musician interpret the piece. Music is art. There is no right, wrong, good or bad. There are just opinions.

[@TejasM14]

Well I would differ in opinion. There are no rules, but there sure are tried and tested guidelines. Good instruction can be transformative and can liberate an artist. Most students know that the role of a good teacher is not a tell you what you do, but rather raise the level of art by suggesting 'have you thought about this'.

[@kristianl7117]

As Mr. Zander said they are learning together. He is not forcing her to interperet in his way. He is merely showing his interpretation and if she likes his way, she will take elements from his interpretation and add it to her own. There is a lot to be learned from listening to different interpretations

[@staywoke2350]

Heifetz played it in right tempo

[@zugzwang2007]

It is really intriguing that Heifetz did, almost, play in tempo-Zander. But not quite. Even with Toscanini accompanying , there is a sense of something that is faster than treacle, but still rather static in its approach to the harmonic structure - a very beautiful flow from note to note, but not the sense of harmonic directional movement that Zander is offering to this student. Heifetz is more truthful to Beethoven than the very slow Menuhin-style tradition, but just as much of a marble monument. You can be a fast statue. Or you can be a little more free, but with a sense of direction.

[@Chiupacabra]

13:13 Camera guy, are you ok?

[@Mari-yk9sw]

Hahahhahaha

[@tonyborthwick1234]

Editor was on holiday

[@DwightCavalcanti]

and again at 13:48!

[@goodpeopleoftheworldunite]

The tempo took its toll.

[@harrynking777]

Interestingly, her manner of playing at the beginning for too dainty and trite. However, technically it was correct for the fast tempo. This enabled her to play in the fast tempo without any problem. Technical and musical shortcomings seemed to vanish during the fast tempo playing.

[@urshandschin5108]

I have always felt that there was something fundamentally wrong with Beethoven's Violin Concerto. In my opinion, Benjamin Zander has uncovered the reason for this. He convinces me throughout. Especially in the slow movement, the reproductions are actually all much, much too slow!

[@sandorsimonyi8856]

who is this young lady near the old clown?

[@Richardriddickricard]

I miss Dina.

[@arwo1143]

Hahahaaa I was 16,... and he was Menuhin

[@meir4586]

i can never tell the difference

[@Elpaso555]

Zander is really extremely passionate and he feels music perfectly ... buuut as I teacher I would like him to be more humbled so the student won’t feel so much under pressure because of his high expectations.. most of them are very sensitive and they can’t handle his good hidden little Narzism.. he puts himself in a good spot on the cost of the student .. it’s normal lots of teachers or people in power do that unconsciously

[@trevorpsy]

I don't think so, and I'll tell you why. He is a 76 year old very charming man who comes off as an encouraging, caring grandfather, not as autocrat. If he were younger, I think you would have a point. There are a few advantages in growing older. There's a freedom in it.

[@Elpaso555]

You might be right

[@trevorpsy]

Thanks.

[@patrick6110]

Zander is 78 years old at the time of this recording. That's a little hard to believe, but it's true.

[@trevorpinnocky]

I applaud the thought and willingness to experiment, but the tempo is simply too fast, imo. I introduces a kind of brusqueness to the sound of the instrument, especially during string crossing that doesn't match the character of piece.

[@izzybeth]

if she had a week or two to practice at 120, it would probably smooth out. I liked the new tempo myself.

[@dedadi34]

13:13 😂😍