Choosing Your World | Conductor Benjamin Zander | Google Zeitgeist

[@charlesrivers2309]

I have the great privilege to work as his gardener. His garden is just as epic as his music and his mind.

[@daponte18]

And did he abuse you verbally. He abused me verbally. He is an incompetent cello teacher.

[@Luca-gz3zj]

@@daponte18 did he? He seems very nice in all the videos

[@whoopjohn]

@@daponte18 this sounds like a non-sequitur. He abused you verbally, therefore he is incompetent. What?

[@daponte18]

He told me (I was 18 years old) that my playing was "primitive", and that I should go hear Yo-Yo Ma, who was making an appearance at the college I was attending. I wish I had stood up for myself and told an administrator at the college. Instead, I quit the college. I call what he said verbal abuse. He was supposed to be my cello teacher. That was many years ago. I am doing fine with cello now.

[@lordarchon2572]

​@daponte18 ngl sounds like a thin skin issue on your side. "Your music sounds primitive, go watch someone who is excellent" doesn't sound like verbal abuse, sounds like someone pointing you to some potential inspiration.

[@sgsba2002]

His interpretation of Moonlight brought me to tears. Thanks Benjamin Zander for your vision!

[@janbee7132]

Well it’s not in interpretation- it’s the original but I agree

[@BrandonAbel01]

"Though the conductor's picture is on the cover of the CD, he doesn't make a sound. He depends for his power on his ability to make others powerful." - Benjamin Zander

[@xiaoyuanli8157]

Irony being Zander does make a lot of sounds

[@MarkNiceyard]

Zander definitely woke me up! I love his interpretation classes and he inspired me about leadership in this one. He is a man of deepest wisdom about humankind!

[@johnjhope]

Fascinating stuff. You have to hand it to him, Ben Zander is 100% all in. His energy and enthusiasm really jumps out at you and grabs you.

[@forheavenssakeidonthavewif2657]

There are great music conductors, there are inspiring life coaches, and there are great conductors of where to find courage to live from the music in our souls. Benjamin Zander brings to life what we all know, that we create this world by the stories we tell (8:14 - 8:22 ish?). The tragedy of the Holocaust that his family fled from resulted in the blooming of this man. He always stumbles over his words on describing memories of that time. Yet he held in his feelings to communicate how his father coped. I have seen documentaries of now very elderly survivors of concentration camps. There's something in their eyes, a love, hope, ?, I don't know, but it allows them to transcend their past, to perhaps choose to tell a story of hope rather than suffering, their eyes shine with energy and hope for what will be, not despair at what was. I need to buy this book, and I am a new lover of the music of Chopin and of Beethoven. Right now, for the first time in years, I remember how I coped with difficulties in life before so much destruction without reprieve floored me; and for the first time in over a decade, my eyes are shining. I, like us all, just needed reminding. Thank you Mr. Zander.

[@c.duncansutherland8347]

You are a wonderful man and thank you for sharing your insights!! You have touched me immeasurably.

[@patrick6110]

This leadership class should be compulsory for any manager. How everything makes sense after the master has spoken. Usually it's the opposite with managers who create confusion.

[@daviddemar8749]

some of the ceo/MBA viewers who are new to Ben Zander as a musician/ conductor would probably enjoy and be nourished by watching one of his master classes with young adult musicians even if they are not professional or hobbyist musicians themselves. videos of the classes are available on KZbin and good for watching inside on a rainy or snowy day.

[@groovinhooves]

@David DeMar - absolutely spot on. Many of his ways of looking at the big picture have wide applicability across perhaps all disciplines.

[@bobbob123ful]

Or during a pandemic

[@daviddemar8749]

@@bobbob123ful🎼🎵🎶🎵🎶🙄❤👍

[@50interviews]

The leader never doubts the capacity of the people he's leading to realize whatever he's dreaming. Our job is to awaken the possibility of others (within themselves).

[@jingoallanjude]

This phrase is absolutely true, regards Allan, Kigali, 2021

[@Dirk80241]

His vision (for the Boston Philarmonic): Passionate music making without boundaries. His job: to awaken possibility in other people. And he shows it by coaching this pianist so that her playing of the Moonlight Sonata is completely transformed! What a great teacher!

[@gilsukim]

Lessons learned from watching this talk 1. run team by vision 2. every conversation and discussion needs to be led by the vision 3. never doubt the people that you are leading - "one of the characteristics of a leader is that the leader never doubts the capacity of the people he’s leading to realize whatever he’s dreaming" by Benjamin Zander 4. know your piece through and through; if you truly want to truly lead someone to his ultimate capacity, comprehend your piece deeply to an ultimate level - Benjamin Zander was able to lead the pianist to her capacity for the music piece because of his deep understanding of the music piece and his ultimate faith that his pupil can make his dream come true.

[@HiiPPi3]

5. never play an adagio sostenuto at double its intended tempo

[@yunhuachaang1350]

Correct! Thanks for the notes! :)

[@teckyify]

Only that this list is not nearly as convincing as his talk, so it not much worth..

[@VolodyaVolodenka1981]

@@teckyify it is

@@HiiPPi3 Try placing a metronome at about 70 bpm, which is a fairly acceptable adagio tempo, and play the piece. It's not quite as fast as Benjamin's tempo, but his' is surely closer to what Beethoven intended than the tempo of most recordings of this piece. It makes a lot of sense, if you think about what is to come in the 3rd movement. Plus, you get a higher sense of tension relief in the 2nd movement when the 1st is played faster, which suits well into the overall development and the general message. The whole of the sonata just works better altogether. He totally convinced me, and the response of the audience also testifies he may me right.

[@composernotes]

At last someone who understands the tempo at which the first movement of the Beethoven sonata should be played! How good is that pianist to adapt so quickly!

[@Thikron]

Especially with that creepy man touching her and breathing down her neck. She was very professional, which is more than I could say for myself if I were in that position.

[@danremenyi1179]

Although this overlaps a bit too much with the TED talk Zander once again proves himself an outstanding teacher.............Thank you Benjamin Zander.

[@eps4560]

"Who am I BE-ing, that (their) eyes are not shining?" And he set his intention to awaken possibility in others. Wow Shifting our attitudes/perspectives from a competitive comparison world of measurements and polarizing imperialism/dependency to a world of Radiating possibilities and collaborative healthy edifying interdependence 💖 "To be a Vision, has to include everybody. No one left out" - ben z. At age 45, he Awakened. Very Inspiring.

[@user-ys4og2vv8k]

That was something! An eye opener! Bravo ! Zander !

[@ThePepsimax84]

Such an inspiration! Zander truly knows how to educate.

[@IMAHMS]

I learned from Zandar that every time I thought a classical piece is boring is because it was badly played, if it doesn’t capture your emotions it is not classical music.

[@javierbiaggi3072]

I never played because the established way to play it I hated. Deep in my mind I have this conflict, this doesn't have any shit to a moonlight this has to be played differently. Wonders! I never dare to changed so I didn't play it . NOW! I am going to fix my old bang up piano, and has to be my piano because he deserved it and played like it should be. Thanks!Many thanks Dr. Zander! ¡Wow it was liberating!

[@peymannoorbakhsh4749]

Of the Deepest moments where moonlight took me. And the pianist Olga you did invaluable performance. I'm always shocked by Mr. Zanders words but now I shocked again inside another shocking experience. All the best for you people

[@janetgeist8505]

This is so awesome. I will listen to this video often.

[@violinist86]

Same

[@iamDiegoVgs]

did you listen it often ? after 3 years ? :)

[@waelsy123]

finally I see this guy in higher quality video

[@beepeesix]

People noted how creepy at the end but they didn't realize how privileged it is to have a world class conductor passionately conducting your playing right behind your neck 😀

[@ArtZegelaar]

Right! And now the real historical context... The Tempest was named after a Novel by William Shakespear the tempest. Also the Mondschein was named after a nineteenth century novel by a German Author, which told a about a dark room draped by black curtains . Shortly before his death towards a visitor Beethoven referred to both novels and he had them in his library. He suggested that the Moonlight Sonata should only be performed in such a room. He was not very happy about the fact that people considered this his best Sonata and Sonata Quasi una Fantasia refers to the connection to the novel (as with Tempest) and to the form of the sonata. It starts with a slow movement - yes, slow adagio sostenuto ( to be played in a sustained or prolonged manner. ) Beethoven himself wrote in the score that it had to be performed 'senza sordini' to underline sustained and prolonged. Not the fancy of his publisher... At this speed it would even at a Hammerklavier sounded quite messy. So... good choice of dress by the pianist and I admire the ability of the speaker to convey his personal interpretation in such a manner, that it suggests fact... And no the audience will not when they arrive home all suddenly be converted to love of classical music. No. It was all just new and interesting and inspiring...

[@milesnagopaleen]

Shakespeare didn't write novels.

[@EvilThunderB0lt]

Chris Corbett He probably meant play. We’ll go easy save The Bard!

[@ArtZegelaar]

@@EvilThunderB0lt Cute! Thanks... However novel the plays were :)

[@Frankness9]

I don't know about the fast tempo.. Czerny, who was a pupil of Beethoven and heard him perform his music marked the tempo at 60 for fourth notes, which is still a little faster than it's normally played, but nowhere near the tempo in this video. May not be a hundred percent accurate, but together with the fact that Beethoven wrote Adagio Sostenuto over the movement, it is safe to say that Zander's statement that everyone has been misunderstanding Beethoven's intentions is daring. It's still refreshing to see someone fearlessly go against conventions especially with such a popular piece. And I do think that the result is great music. But it's not Beethoven.

[@merttok4291]

I couldn't agree with you more. I also think that playing it that fast loses all the emotion the piece had in the first place. If the whole emotion is lost then what is the point?

[@JimCullen]

Personally I do think Zander's tempo is a little too fast, but not much. I'm a big fan of Andras Schiff's interpretation, and that's the one that informs my own interpretation the most. Schiff, conveniently, _also_ has a lecture about this Sonata wherein he explains his reasoning in quite some detail. It's available here on KZbin (just search "Andras Schiff Moonlight Sonata" and it'll probably be the first result).

[@TobiWobi7]

The world needs to know about this!!!

[@27boof]

This is wonderful & has inspired me no end :) Thank you for this beautiful gift

[@geoden]

Me too, it's marvelous!

[@julmat622]

Where has time gone, between 14:00 and 14:09, where the board has changed?

[@sea81793]

Jul Mat based off of the puzzle, I assume it was an explanation in regards to thinking outside of the box.

[@ZZJ2023]

Fantastic talk show. Learned a lot.

[@MissingThreatre2002]

I want to by a piano now!!!! OMG! That was amazing!

[@markdemell6087]

They are free on many sites .

[@alika207]

Oh my goodness! I'm gonna practice playing it that way and re-upload it to my youtube. That was lifechanging!

[@lynnrixson3013]

Please put it on you tube asap. Thank you

[@aallpprr8998]

Listen to gould playing the sonata

[@masoomshafi7406]

Been 8 years and you havnt uploaded. What a liar

[@alika207]

@@masoomshafi7406 I had it on my page and took it down because of copyright.

[@markemanuele1929]

I LOVE this guy!!!!!!!

[@stevejackson1177]

How can there be such a passionate pop in the world!!!

[@damiangilz]

Zander is like half, Glenn Gould, he does the singing without the playing. Just kidding, enormous respect to this man.

[@stevegartshore3503]

yes, I he must have found it very hard to deal with his encroaching deafness and the way he composed and performed may well have reflected this (I don't know how Beethoven played this piece). But even he, in his genius, may not have been fully aware of the potential his music can have on people by reinterpretation by someone with a different outlook.

[@JoePalau]

steve gartshore yes, he was still playing when he wrote the sonata. In fact this piece is a transition into "post" classical - proto Romantic period. Beethoven always transcends suffering and by the end has become very spiritual. His famous 9th Symphony and his Ode to Joy and the late quartet Op 131 are about his passage to Elysium.

[@worthyofsuccess]

Incredible. This is incredible!!

[@leonardniamh]

Beautiful clarity in your mark making Lovely

[@oskarb6885]

This guy should be the next doctor who.

[@julmat622]

Hey! That's exactly what I thought too, he really has a bond with The Doctor!

[@charlesrivers2309]

Haha. 100%. I couldn't put my finger on it. I work as Ben's gardener in cambridge MA, I'll be sure to pass this along. He'll love it.

[@alishalish8221]

everyone is like : chopin is the greatest classical musician of all time, AND benjamin Zander is like : he played the wrong node 😂

[@HalvLion]

Could someone make a video where you perform this piece twice as fast?

[@aallpprr8998]

HalvLion put it 1,5 speed and you’ll have about the right tempo

[@neil7137]

Glenn Gould's interpretation, while not fast as this, is close enough.

[@YaelEylatTanaka]

PROFOUND. Period.

[@hakunamatata3231]

i will never listen to moonlight sonata the same again

[@rtnoobify]

this guy is great

[@nowbuthow4277]

In my mind, Benjamin Zander is my father.

[@rohitkasgar4840]

Amazing! ♥️

[@tristramgordon8252]

How about that ? Human faces on display, how beautiful . . . (Comment made in 2021)

[@georgemarsone]

AMAZING QUICK EDUCATION IN REGARDS TO LIFE AN HOW TO TAKE CONTROL OF IT.....

[@mwjennys]

What is Oga's last name and where has she played before?

[@kyreshlcsw2229]

blown out of my socks!

[@tobbelasse]

Brilliant! But what happened at 14:03? Did we jump? (look at the board on the left)

[@0987977]

What a sentient pianist.

[@kathyperetz7368]

Excellent

[@rollontg]

love it, thanks for sharing

4:24, now that's an indispensable use for a board!

[@josesolismusic]

Astounding!

[@paganiniwannabe]

I got goosebumps watching this

[@groovinhooves]

It's the Google Eastern Orthodox choir, re: 2i'20"-ish

[@michaelwong5356]

Oh! My god. Have the entire world played this piece wrongly for 180 years because a publisher decided to put his own little "twist" into Beethoven's masterpiece? I'm beginning to doubt my printed music. Perhaps the expression marking should be "Allegro Ma Non Troppo"

[@Zaete0chan]

"Atonement camps for germans in England" Sorry, I'm a bit clueless on the point. I can't find any information about those camps - Does anyone know anything more about this? Thumbs up please :)

[@jorisplu1]

wonderfulllll!

[@celinemaltais6676]

Thank you,merci ...

[@OthO67]

Yes Tobias,you are right, the chart magically changes at 14:09! Edit error.

[@kevinsayce2248]

Look for faults and you will find them. Look for the good and you will find them. Something tells me your eyes are not shining

[@rickypijpers]

extraordinary!!

[@addlinesumithj7659]

Scientists : sun is dying. Me : Don't worry guys we can power sun for another billion years with his energy.

[@dickmtchan]

inspirational talk

[@matejsedmak]

Really awesome

[@leonardoortega1302]

Where can I find the final song?

[@trevorpsy]

He makes it sound like Schubert lieder. I wonder if anyone has recorded it at Zander's tempo.

[@Violedegambe]

I'm trying to find a recording at that tempo. But what he didn't say and which can prove he was right is that the piece is not with the indication C but -C- And the last thing is that the sonata becomes a normal sonata in the tempi because it's not starting with a slow movement anymore :)

[@trevorpsy]

I understand your objection, but to my way seeing things, it's alright to have radically varying interpretations of a musical score as long as there are plenty of recordings of musicians taking more traditional approaches. This is what allows me to enjoy Glenn Gould playing Bach even though his approach is at odds with traditional performance standards, or Celibidache conducting Bruckner symphonies even though he conducts them slowly. I found the above video to be rather wonderful, because it worked well on its own terms. Besides, Zander could be right.

[@Violedegambe]

@@trevorpsy it wasn't an objection actually. I tried to say that he was probably right. I really appreciate Celibidache too

[@trevorpsy]

Cool! You know, the older I get the less I stand on convention. If something works and it works well for sound reasons, I'm on board. On the other hand, listening to Glenn Gould playing Beethoven sonatas just doesn't get it for me.

[@Violedegambe]

@@trevorpsy it found an fast interpretation of moonlight sonata. Search for "Moonlight Sonata Beethoven fast"

[@miroslavsafin]

He repeats his same presentation to everybody everywhere , a little variety would be nice . . .

[@JeanClaudePeeters]

Maybe, just maybe he does that because it's for different people every time. Just a thought..

[@amritsingh1780]

Listen to different people then.

[@TheFrancescaViolin]

HOW ARE THERE 10 DISLIKES :(

[@forheavenssakeidonthavewif2657]

anti-Semitism?

[@paulojcduarte]

Ended too soon :P

[@amritsingh1780]

From Slow Moonlight Clan.

[@renkerenken3706]

Climbing up on a downward spiral...

[@tomsklick]

Tses... He is right

[@nikkixu]

7:00 cute dance💗

[@monticarlo8064]

An interesting experience, even if I personally find the "conventional" interpretation more emotionally moving. Besides, I suspect that the latter one is closer to what Beethoven actually intended. Nevertheless, an unusual perspective always can be inspiring, no doubt about that.

[@thomasmuller1931]

Apologies for having to p... on your bonfire. I made the mistake to start watching the video at around 23:30. I was interested in the moonlight sonata. Unfortunately I got a bit disturbed by watching the maestro creeping up behind the pianist moaning into her ears, touching her bare shoulders and then I didn't want to watch the rest of the video any more. I'm sure it was all consensual and he had nothing but the purest feelings and also this was in 2011 it was as they say "OK then". Unfortunately I had to skip the rest of the video which many people assure me must be really excellent. Too bad.

[@soroushm9820]

ive been listening to the wrong interpretation of moonlight sonata my whole life!

[@teckyify]

I new it!! It just sounds wrong slow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@tr1bute411]

Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær!

[@stsarmi2047]

Hehehe, nice!

[@chaoukimachreki6422]

Olga who please!

[@mariaz821]

Atonement would be an interesting concept. But it's internment. German refugees - large numbers classified by the Nazis as Jews, and therefore in fear of their lives - were interned by the panicking British after the 1940 invasion of the Netherlands. Internment = imprisonment. Why imprisoned? Because they were Germans. The official classification was "friendly enemy aliens". Tortured language revealing how shameful British officials involved knew internment of helpless refugees was.

[@Ganwille]

Btw worst sounding kick ever XD on the beggining and ending

[@iamDiegoVgs]

23:24 OMG

[@luizabuna]

23:11

[@catstrawford]

12:15 😇

[@mantaramanse]

olga da olgaymış ya la

[@Xiaborok]

creepy ending

[@imfromchina.4048]

This group audience is lame.

[@dong4176]

Heavy breathing combined with weird moans , is he trying to scare the pianist?

[@davidhatfield7533]

This guy is creepy or he was lying about not meeting his girl before. Keep your hands off strangers. And he insults her playing!!! This had to be staged

[@amritsingh1780]

You are missing the fact that he is a Masterclass teacher, he teaches and corrects tons of students in one-off meetings, and really transforms them as a musician and their way of thinking. And he behaves like this with everyone. He is friendly yet harsh, but above all he is passionate.

[@danielarn1]

Nothing but meaningless words. You're one of the musicians who think they know better than the composer himself. Beethoven wrote it 216 years ago in Adagio sostenuto, not in Allegro Vivace. In the tempo you wanted, it's a porridge, not a music. Even the main theme in a fast tempo sounds like a superficial march, but not like the deep darkness of Beethoven. And yes, it was named "Moonlight" by the poet Ludwig Rellstab. So what? That was his interpretation, and if you don't like it change the story you want to tell, not the music. Oh and P.S: Please don't sing while the performance, you can ruin it more than you've already done.

[@aliciachan3837]

The tempo could be for the left hand. Music is more art than science so there's room for interpretation and creativity. Likewise any artistic interpretation will have its critics. I played the slow tempo on the piano and lose interest after the second bar the whole piece becomes a test of willpower which is fine if I want that. Both the slow and fast tempo sound beautiful. Maybe he shouldn't have called the slow tempo wrong or misunderstood. In fact he sometimes preaches in his videos to stick to the composer's tempo when it's a baroque or classical era piece. But composers like Beethoven who wrote music that was way ahead of his time, while breaking a few rules of his time, will rejoice at this interpretation. It boils down to personal taste but this twist to classical music is perfectly appropriate in order to reconnect with modern and sophisticated listeners of today who are spoilt for choice in music. This includes singing along. If the tempo doesn't suit your taste, his singing is irrelevant anyway. His singing cues the audience to the hidden melody. The purpose of this performance is to support his message. This presentation is not about the song. I'd feel cheated if I was there to hear what he has to say but be compelled to sit through a full moonlight sonata recital.

[@aliciachan3837]

I recommend you check this out kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2XaqHZ9rtWVsLs

[@alexandrumircea7458]

I'm sorry, but he should shut his mouth if he wants me to enjoy the piano reinterpretation of the piece. He' ruins it.

[@petrecis]

maybe if you go to school...and learn how to spell "buy", you might have a change getting that money for the piano