That famous cello prelude, deconstructed

Bach's G major prelude has captivated cellists and music lovers for years. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein deconstructs it.
Bach's six cello suites are considered a rite of passage for cellists. They're masterpieces of classical music, and the prelude in G major - the first movement of the suites - is perhaps the best example of Bach's power as a composer. In it, he's able to achieve rich and complex harmonic movements with just a four-stringed instrument, while using the very basic tenets of music composition. Those basic tenets are what Alisa Weilerstein, a renowned cellist and McArthur fellow, helps us understand.
A previous version of this video mislabeled a C sharp as a C natural. We also removed a simplified chord visual that mislabeled a C natural as a C sharp.
Alisa's discography: alisaweilerstein.com/discogra...
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Further reading:
costanzabach.stanford.edu/com...
theconversation.com/decoding-...
songexploder.net/yo-yo-ma
The score used in the video was from Bärenreiter:
www.baerenreiter.com/en/
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[@Chasestringsmusic]

ABOUT ARTIST: She's a critically acclaimed soloist and recording artist. She also commissions and premiers many new contemporary works over the world!

[@DanielWesleyKCK]

She wasn't the subject of the video, though. The music was. I have a feeling she would agree and isn't terribly upset they didn't mention her career highlights.

[@rsa4834]

@@DanielWesleyKCK Thank You! The music is what matters here, not making it all about a particular person, regardless how successful they are.

[@c0mplex956]

I don't understand how that has any relevance here?

[@agata6337]

thanks for the extra info :)

[@jamesleon4883]

You forgot to mention the hot dog eating competition she won.

[@AmitMoryossef]

"just 4 strings" twoset are going to love this

[@shawnmckeown]

brushy one string would love to prove his worth.

[@derickfadullan1440]

Davie504 approves 4 strings bass

[@shitlordflytrap1078]

@@derickfadullan1440 epico

[@FreakieFan]

Why is that wrong / funny ?

[@user-xv4he4mt4x]

You need to go practice now.

[@detesla9575]

Mad respect to the graphic editor here, Estelle Caswell

[@eduardoportelaserra]

though she forgot to add clefs to the staves

[@chetranqui]

That was why I gave the vid a like. The visuals seriously improved my understanding and enjoyment. Clear, simple, precise, beautiful work.

[@jacob1931]

Yes, it was great graphics

[@AlexBeast25]

@@eduardoportelaserra no she didn’t? the bass clef?

[@eduardoportelaserra]

@@AlexBeast25 2:09

[@tobisakin7970]

“Two pages” “Four Strings” Cello and every other string instrument: Am I a joke to you?

[@davidmella1174]

yea i don't like how they sorta belittled the instrument. Now people will think "its gotta be easy. just 4 strings"

[@xant8344]

Saxophone must be even easier because it has zero strings!

[@renascitur7051]

@@davidmella1174 people think instruments are easy if they dont play. "Oh look piano ez bc u only tap tap the keys no vibrato no nothing"

[@something8886]

@@davidmella1174 all i was thinking was “oh i guess violin went from one of the hardest instruments to one of the easiest”

[@Kenichi36x8]

I play violin and this offends me as when I shift to 5 position at presto when there’s 16th notes then it’s such a pain to play in tune and accurately.

[@Z29vZ2xlc3Vja3Mu]

I love this single. Can't wait for Bach to drop his album.

[@c31979839]

I hear he's been working on it for year. Look forward to his upcoming holo-tour.

[@jimbomacgee3499]

c31979839 I saw him at his Vienna Austria tour in 1735, it was lit

[@kevinhartmemes3821]

uH, bAcH iS dEaD.. dUmMiEs

[@michael7324]

Cory RS I heard he is working on a “Live in Tokyo album”

[@unknown9274]

really liked his MTV unplugged

[@williamarthurgeorgedeacon9702]

I thoroughly enjoyed how passionate and informative the cellist was.

[@HyTricksyy]

Cello gang 😎

[@williamarthurgeorgedeacon9702]

@Armnel Angeles Thanks! 🙌

[@NoSkill.x]

We don't see these passionate musicians as time flies eh?

[@NoSkill.x]

@Armnel Angeles agreed my bro

[@louisuniverse]

yup she should do more of these. Her passion REALLY shows.

[@joncheskin]

The other day I was teaching cello in a public park (my music school has been offering outdoor lessons because of Covid). Between lessons I was playing this piece just for fun, and a couple of days later a person came up to me in the park and said that he heard me. He had never heard the piece played live and it had completely made his day. He immediately recognized it, although he did not know the name of the piece or composer. The Bach prelude has worked its way into the collective psyche of the entire human race, an emblem of beauty and tranquility in a turbulent world.

[@ItCameFromTheSkyBeLo]

At least a good chunk of the human race. Definitely.

[@aname4700]

People in the comments not understanding that when she was taking about the apparent simplicity of the cello and the piece it was not because she actually thinks they are simple but to serve as a hook for the audience by creating contrast between that false apparent simplicity and its actual complexity

[@annedwyer797]

Well said! It seems that A LOT of people misunderstood what Ms. Weilerstein said about the cello having only 4 strings and the paradoxical simplicity/complexity of this very famous composition. "Simple yet elegant" is the phrase that comes to mind.

[@KyleBabb]

THANK YOU!

[@mar-rv2qb]

it is always so wonderful to watch musicians talk about the music they love, like it's always fun to listen to someone talk about something they really love but music is something we tend to all understand the hype behind because we can all listen to it and enjoy it even if we don't know it as well as a professional

[@BrunoNeureiter]

Define "we"

[@mar-rv2qb]

@@BrunoNeureiter no

[@zain4019]

Bruno Neureiter Every known civilization throughout history had their own forms of music- drumming, wind instruments, singing, chanting- music is intimately connected with the human spirit. Pair music with psychedelic drugs many older cultures incorporated as part of their spirituality, and it’s pretty much heaven on earth.

[@adamkrysl6061]

I would argue that it's wonderful to listen to anyone talk about a subject that they love and have great passion for. I get chills when people are hyped like that.

[@veronicaalleyne]

I call it making a mountain out of a molehill, why can't something simply be enjoyed for what it is instead of the constant & mostly unnecessary nitpicking & tedious examination in an effort to validate it?

[@rahmysalman8741]

“They must be played yet we feel like we can’t really ever do them justice.” That’s love.

[@quincyquincy4764]

Exactly what I was thinking. I lack the music knowledge to fully understand this piece but I can feel its greatness

[@GregorioGrasselli1972]

That's correct, when you play it, you sort of feel you're not giving as much as it gives you when you hear it.

[@tackontitan]

That's how I feel with all of Bach's music.

[@kisnpisn4919]

Rahmy Salman that‘s bach‘s magic

[@stairfall12345678900]

It's mostly Bach. A little Mozart too--Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is a good example. Musicians have a huge amount of deference for early composers, especially Bach, and his Cello Suites are comparatively simple to play yet carry so much significance that you have to play it PERFECTLY, which is why it feels impossible to achieve. Plus, everyone has their own way of playing the Suites and one person's interpretation may sound bad to others, which makes perfection impossible. Thats why musicians often feel apprehensive about playing Bach.

[@muun9403]

I'm super late but: This piece seriously feels like a metaphor for life and death. The innocence of toddlerhood, the turbulence of adolescence, the beating tense rhythm of a working adult, and the internal peace achieved once one reaches old age, where you slowly drift off Honestly I have no idea if I'm even close to other more "professional" opinions, but it's just the feeling it gave me, yknow?

[@LyndonJohnsonTHINK]

I played it at my father's funeral for exactly that reason - that it starts and ends in the same place

[@jackcallahan1848]

I know

[@lpamnz]

One of the greatest things about music is that it can mean many different things to different people. Professional musicians have soooo many different interpretations of the same pieces, both on what it means and how to play it. Don't worry about if your interpretation is correct or professional, you don't have to be a professional to know what music means to you; just enjoy great music!

[@AMatofFact]

Professional cellists: nothing we can ever do will give this prelude the justice it deserves. 8 year old prodigies: I got this, fam.

[@gianrecana9858]

prodigies are ling lings, stapp them

[@JackChessa]

That is so true. Been playing this for 30+ years and still want to do more with it. It is easy and also not so.

[@angieje]

@@gianrecana9858 kakcjsjfndkxdjbdc hi twosetter

[@ItCameFromTheSkyBeLo]

8 year olds can't play full sized cellos.

[@chrishayes8197]

@@ItCameFromTheSkyBeLo nor are they likely to play anything but mechanically correct - performances expressing emotional depth is pretty rare in the "prodigy" kids

[@brownbruce27]

I NEED 100 MORE EPISODES LIKE THIS!! Classical artists nerding out about classical pieces. It was beautiful and I loved it. Thank you

[@LiamInviteMelonTeee]

agree at 100% and certain I'm not the only one

[@alejandroluevanos7006]

What a nice comment to read :)

[@runningfromabear8354]

But they didn't explain anything after the first 2 minutes. They opened like this was for everyone, regardless of knowledge bass and then jumped up past that level without explaining a bunch of things. They didn't accomplish what they set out to do.

[@AlessandroSistiMusic]

You might like Samuel Andreyev's channel (discussions of usually late-Romantic-to-modern classical composers), Richard Atkinson's channel (analyses of classical music with scores), or Nahre Sol's channel (especially the "how to sound like" videos).

[@jostein202]

You need to pump those numbers up!

[@plutoburn]

It's so famous I know what the song is before I click the video.

[@carlosm.6348]

plutoburn I mean it says prelude in the title...

[@LARKXHIN]

Ha, same. I was going "What do they mean.....OH that one."

[@runningfromabear8354]

I didn't.

[@the_court_jester666]

Piece*

[@catoverlords8936]

Issa piece

[@ZenFox0]

This is so cool. I love how they broke it down with the graphics. I wish I could go back to middle school or high school and join band.

[@moniqueloomis9772]

Orchestra? 😉

[@ZenFox0]

Monique Loomis Yes. :) See, if I had joined I would know that. I recall my school had an orchestra, jazz band, and marching band, and it seemed the same kids were in some or all of the above.

[@MaryNAdam]

Not too late. I'm 38 and picking up the cello again.

[@hwoarang1079]

Wish they taught music like this at school

[@baylinkdashyt]

It is, famously, the cello piece that Yo-Yo Ma played in an episode of The West Wing back in the early thousands, and among fans of the show it is famous because he played it live 74 times during filming the day he was on set, turning down the production teams offer to let him play at once and then work around the footage they shot of him. Bigger fans know that Dule Hill, a fairly confident tap dancer, worked out tap moves to it and danced along with Ma during a break.

[@ericthegreat7805]

I remember it from the episode in arthur about yoyo ma

[@michaelzheng5250]

Roses are red Vexation is too long Every musician should know, That this is a piece and not a song

[@lughlongarm76]

Michael Zheng maybe stick to music and not poetry because your meter is all over the place

[@michaelzheng5250]

Jarrod S Roses are red One person cannot do a duet Since when did I tell you That I was a poet?

[@jimmythebold589]

@@michaelzheng5250 Jarrod, the art critic, he's one to speak scared the comment will not stick since it's so weak...

[@RagavJanardhan]

however it does sing to my emotions. although I still agree, we cannot bring it down and compare it with modern day music

[@absolutjackal]

Ragav J more to point, a song has words, a piece of music does not in a strict sense.

[@axieax]

Any Classical musicians looking for the “IT’S NOT A SONG, IT’S A PIECE” comment?

[@willcwhite]

Came here to say this.

[@debbymarshall2857]

YES OMG

[@quinsv3632]

yall corny

[@juliannareiko9003]

I was waiting for someone to point that out!

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

Yeah, but people ain't googling "that cello piece"...

[@Steph_davis]

The emotion on her face as she plays is enough to give you goosebumps. So much passion.

[@mcbbqribs5357]

It's something you learn to do, I know for a competition I played in, one of the categories was representation. This accounted attire, behavior and movement. I got the highest rating with 5 other groups I was playing a solo.

[@shubinternet]

I sometimes wonder where she went during those moments?

[@Slarti]

I used to study classical guitar and loved playing Bach. The lute suites, which I was not skilled enough to play in their totality, are divine. You can almost tell by just looking at the score that it's by Bach - the symmetry of his music was what made it beautiful. The opening to the St John Passion shows his imagination as does how he starts and ends the St Matthew Passion on similar chords. The man was a genius.

[@alrien536]

We need more classical pieces on Earworm!

[@tenchinhanu]

Yes!!

[@yassi8814]

I agree wholeheartedly

[@calford2001]

Yess

[@danielhertzmaybe]

I think we need more Earworm in general. No matter what piece or genre is covered I always enjoy these videos

[@4shizzlejwhizzle]

Schoenberg transfigured night

[@spiralizing]

Last sentence couldn't be more true: "We cellists, we always feel sort of unworthy of it. The music is so pure, so sublime, so emotional, so intellectual. They must be played, and yet we feel like we can't really ever do them justice".

[@dvderek]

So true.. when I play a piece I love I feel like I can never fully achieve the beauty of the piece. I guess that’s what makes it so fulfilling, to keep trying.

[@boink8653]

"When the Angels play for themselves, they play Mozart, when they play for God, they play Bach."

[@SDGRTX1455]

Ah this makes me smile :) nice quote lady

[@boink8653]

@@SDGRTX1455 thank you :)

[@michaelrocks1529]

They also play Paganini, for Lucifer, while he’s planning another diabolical plan.

[@boink8653]

@@michaelrocks1529 tartini would be more suitable, I think

[@mcbbqribs5357]

bock played alot of clasical songs. I think they were religious to, but i dont no. I want to play the cheloe, i play the peano rn.

[@garch9719]

"that famous cello song." ME: IT'S A PIECE.

[@oogabooga7886]

based

[@reywashere5284]

Your point is true, but english is a fluid, living language. Eventually, everyone who knows this is true will have either given up the argument or died, and all music will be song.

[@nightwishlover8913]

Correct! NO ONE IS SINGING so it's NOT a SONG. QED.

[@displaychicken]

It’s incredible how simple this Cello Prelude is, just like when Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel. All he did was put paint on a brush and rub it around until it looked like people and stuff.

[@seguaye]

.. I mean neither of them sound/look very simple to me

[@msunderthesea123]

I like your sense of humour, sir.

[@kitcookson4619]

Megan Estabrook technically they are rather easy (for example when YO Yo Ma first started cello this was the first piece he ever learned) but musically it is extremely challenging to think about what you want to say and put that into the playing (I am a cellist and have performed this several times)

[@p-y8210]

My guy it's not simple

[@kitcookson4619]

p-y it actually really is

[@TheVIVIZZZ]

I went for a run one morning while Spotify suggested me tunes according to my pace. Curiously, this piece pops up. I had no idea what was going on but I felt like I was flying. Right then I realised how powerful classical music is and from that moment on I started listening and appreciating. This video is dear to my heart since Suite 1 prelude started it all. ❤️

[@felipegabrielandrino1137]

A running app suggest It for you?wich one? Or Spotify could "read" your Pace? Im interested.

[@TheVIVIZZZ]

Felipe Gabriel Andrino yes, the Nike run app connected to Spotify. It was exactly that, it told me to start running and it would find me music to match the pace. And boom there it was

[@felipegabrielandrino1137]

@@TheVIVIZZZ It was amazing experince, the run ! Thanks.

[@dvderek]

People never realize how powerful and honestly epic classical music is

[@genevievevalois3059]

Glad you found the treasure cove! You will find tunes by Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Schubert and Beethoven very suitable for pleasant background music. Top-tier artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Luciano Pavarotti, and Martha Argerich have numerous KZbin clips for many to enjoy. I personally recommend Yo-Yo Ma's "Swan" performed with a piano on KZbin. Enjoy the journey 🎧

[@KM-ld9ln]

I’m a beginner cellist, I never got that good because I’m primarily a woodwind player but the beauty of watching cellists lose themselves in music never fails to win me over again

[@holyflutterofgod]

I love that little preface at 8:05, "All these attempts to get out of D major and he can't do it." Because for the next ten seconds, I could feel the transition happening, and when she paused at 8:15 I _held my breath_ because I knew what had to happen next. That resolution's so satisfying, she's right on the money to call it ecstatic!

[@SM-ur3ln]

Fun fact: The Bach Cello Suites were completely unknown until Pablo Casals, a Spanish master cellist, found them when he was young in the corner of a music shop. He took them home and ended up making them famous, to the point that it is now the most recognized cello piece in the world!

[@scarlatti222]

It would be a Fun Fact if it were accurate .... with due respect for pabll casalas : J.S.Bach survived different musical periods for 280 years . J.s.bach works stands alone surviving & defying time ...J.S.Bach works Don't need a representive . All credits goes for the Bach . All classical composers who came after bach quoted him about being genius . So there is nothing such as ( Bach cello Suites Were completly unknown)

[@SM-ur3ln]

scarlatti222 while Bach has indeed been considered ever since he was alive hundreds of years ago, the Bach cello suites in particular were relatively unknown until Pablo Casals discovered them and started performing them. Of course credit still goes to Bach for composing those pieces, but I’m saying Pablo Casals popularized those specific pieces

[@hansmahr8627]

Actually, Bach was kind of forgotten for a while after his death. Even while he was alive he was more famous as an organ virtuoso who was especially great at improvisation. People came from all over Europe to hear him play. His son Carl Philipp Emanuel (CPE) Bach was seen as the greatest composer of the Bach family in the classical period whereas the older style of his father was seen as old-fashioned. Mozart and Beethoven however certainly admired him. In the end, it was Mendelssohn who rediscovered Bach for the general public.

[@OverUnderwhelmed]

Casals was Puerto Rican, not Spanish

[@auras.jirauarroyo6112]

@@OverUnderwhelmed He was definitely Catalan, his birth name is Pau Casals. He just lived in Puerto Rico for a long time and his widow remains quite connected to the archipelago.

[@themarquis336]

I had never been walked through a classical work of art quite like this. Just wonderful.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Few people know that the viola is just a cello that was left out in the rain.

[@m0llux]

Or someone chucked into a washing machine that was set too hot.

[@xerotolerant]

Don’t you mean the cello is a viola that was left out in the rain? Lol

[@floatingmannequin6312]

very true. this is exactly what happened to me, but at least i love the cello now

[@rico6546]

It’s also a human rights violation.

[@aleborke5420]

Lol ye it got wet so shrank when it dries and became deformed

[@Oogiappa]

I have synesthesia- this song makes me feel forest colors, some hues of purple and yellow here and there, but light - maybe pastel but Viridiana green? It’s really hard to describe. I am a professional artist, and so it just naturally comes to me to “see” music as colors.

[@danieldavis2049]

dude that’s awesome i really wish i had synesthesia 🥺🥺

[@squarecube-bl5mt]

I wish i had synesthesia, because i already feel emotion when i play cello and that would be multiplied by 1,000 if i had it.

[@JackChessa]

That is interesting. Do you hear all music in G this way?

[@Touay.]

what a wonderful gift.

[@bramabull111]

Green grass, blue skies, fall leaves? A walking trail.

[@samtoes]

“and we’re just so happy about it that we have to sort of keep wandering around it” what a beautiful way to describe the feeling of a key change ❤️

[@janusli117]

“The music is so pure, so sublime, so emotional, so intellectual. It must be played, and yet we feel like we can’t really ever do them justice.” This is an astonishing statement, and yet proven a thousand time everyday, whenever his music sounds from each and every corner of the world.

[@joncheskin]

The irony is that the piece is neither long nor particularly complex, Bach might have written it in a very short amount of time. This piece is roughly the equivalent in music to Einstein's theory of relativity or Lincoln's Gettysburg Address--a small priceless gem, a perfect idea that forever changed the world.

[@RussianRomanoff]

Omg the passion and elegance in which she plays is eye watering. Its also cool how she doesn't just read the music as notes but compares them to: emotions, mental states, feelings, direction and intention.

[@alexandermair3944]

I feel like the more you play music (especially from a young age) the more you attribute the notes to something emotional or even beyond that.

[@mjcard]

This piece is also excellent for beginner cellists. It requires finding B on the A string precisely, getting comfortable in second position, learning to cross strings and the notes in the higher positions on the A and D strings. It’s not difficult to read and is satisfying at any tempo. Never fades in enjoyment. It’s a miracle IMHO

[@billbusen]

Like the Prelude in C for pianists. Age 5: This is great! I sound so great! Age 75: There is more here that I'm not bringing out. Let's reshape the pedal point a bit.

[@thoyo]

8:53 Depicting chromaticism via incremental increases in spectral frequency.. well played Vox, well played

[@thomas.02]

They’re just frequencies just one’s sound one’s light :D

[@thoyo]

@@thomas.02 Exactly! Very cool how it was depicted

[@scardon1940]

Do u have synesthesia?

[@thoyo]

@@scardon1940 No I dont. Would be cool though

[@Zack_Taylor]

You mean colour, or frequency of light? "Spectral frequency" is a much less clear way of saying that. "Spectral" doesn't necessarily have to do with colour. My point is that I think you wrote this in a way to try to sound smart, and you should not do that in the future.

[@ElGuerreroMaya]

She is absurdly good and talented yet says she can't quite do the piece justice, how humble she is!

[@E_MZ_]

I agree. I love Alisa, but I never quite enjoyed her rendition of this piece.

[@danielstaines421]

@@E_MZ_ it isnt smooth enough. She seems to ignore the slurs and almost sticcato some of the notes. It is meant to be very legato

[@quatricise]

I agree that it's quite a beautiful piece but this fetishization of Bach's music is quite absurd. Just enjoy it but don't push him into a godlike status.

[@rowancain503]

quatricise people aren’t fetishizing his music. It’s just amazing music. He isn’t in a godlike status, but he is rightfully admired for his ability to compose music that was interesting, expressive, melodic, and ahead of his time. He is one of the greatest composers ever, without a doubt

[@mattmelillo8265]

Daniel Staines pretty much none of the slurs you often see in the music were put there by bach. Almost all were added by editors later on. So there’s quite a lot of room for interpretation. That said I still don’t love what she does with it.

[@wickedphant0m]

The craziest part... not only can she play the song just from muscle memory, but she can stop and talk and explain along the way. That takes so much more skill.

[@shinggao4864]

Memorizing a piece is usually the bare minimum for any performance though, even for children

[@somanayr]

Really? Many of the musicians I know sight-read. Some of them don’t even look at the music until right before the performance

[@JeighNeither]

No it doesn't? As a multi-instrumentalist w/guitar/piano/drums/vocalist, I can assure you, that once you've got the muscle memory, you can basically do anything while playing. That's what muscle memory is; a different kind of memory that frees up your brain to do other things. You're clearly just talking about regular memorization tho; and it's not difficult to start and stop playing a piece and talk between the stops. That's pretty basic tbh

[@JeighNeither]

@@shinggao4864 Yeah, they've got their terms messed up too. They said "muscle memory" but they just mean regular cognitive memory. Muscle memory is entirely different; your muscle memorizes movement, so your brain can do other things.

[@JeighNeither]

@@somanayr Yeah, this is an ignorant comment from a non-musican.

[@terzelrasmus-williams2530]

Simply LOVED this breakdown! Bach's musical genius cannot be compared. His work is simply divine.

[@johnthompson5741]

8:28 my brain has never been happier with any other resolution

[@Cheyfi16]

That’s Broken chord🥺

[@ccld4341]

my goosebumps went on steroids the second my ears heard that tonic broken chord

[@giosanfilippo]

In my head this song is called THE BRIDE STILL NEEDS SOME MORE TIME OK? SONG

[@Jesse__H]

hahaha. Ode To The 5-year-old Ring Bearer Who Ran Off With the Pillow

[@andrewbuchan2232]

IT'S A PIECE!!1!

[@timdowney6721]

Giovanni Sanfilippo So true. 😆😆😆😆

[@Tizohip]

not a song

[@giosanfilippo]

@@Tizohip recital, prelúdio, movimento... Não importa muito quando o nome da canção é A NOIVA ESTÁ ATRASADA

[@wagaboa]

I don’t know why but this brings me to tears.

[@themarquis336]

Only someone who truly, profoundly understands and loves the music she plays can explain this masterpiece in such a simple and beautiful and brilliant and loving way.

[@naomirehman7397]

RIP to anyone who doesn't know music theory

[@roccotarli762]

Naomi Rehman haha ikr

[@keithwms]

I probably shoulda just liked your comment and not said anything ;)

[@cthom082]

I think this helped a bit actually. To see the runs highlighted and pointed out.

[@nereohoill5116]

I still enjoyed this video a whole lot even though I know diddly about music theory!

[@MrPurpleturtlex]

Thinking like this is why the world of "classical" music is getting smaller every year with only a few pieces being played over and over again. By implying that one needs to know music theory to enjoy music you are just cementing the monolith status of a few popular master pieces, which exemplify our current idea of music theory strongly enough. Everything else is lost to history because it is not a master piece worth listening to.

[@MondeSerenaWilliams]

5:43 it seems like Vox haven't practiced 40 hrs a day

[@pogeman2345]

I knew i'd find a TwoSet comment somewhere

[@ashokpandey1586]

@@pogeman2345 Same!

[@mandarinsandclementines2997]

Shame,seems they haven't been blessed by ling ling

[@chris-hayes]

I'm confused, what did I miss?

[@TheJociman]

@@chris-hayes probably confused f-clef to g-clef

[@ValensBellator]

You know you’ve written a masterpiece when people are still captivated and entranced by it three centuries later after having heard it hundreds of times before.

[@TLK9419]

Just had the pleasure of seeing her perform this and two other Bach suites live, super talented and very enjoyable

[@zammilzml2466]

Why does this make me happy and estatic

[@justicecountryman4060]

That's the point of classical music. It's to make you feel the music, given you emotions.

[@IVIUT3D]

Music theory and how sound effects the human experience

[@Stephanie-uj7un]

I, too, feel so moved by this. But I was trained as a classical pianist. Does it affect others who are not trained in the same manner? I sure hope so because there is nothing as beautiful!

[@hailbaphomet]

Because it's Bach, my good man. Well, and it's in G. Pretty much anything that resolves to G sounds pretty happy to me.

[@pineapplesoda]

it's called "genius"

[@kisnpisn4919]

bach is magic i’d say the feeling of unworthieness goes through many musicians rehearsing and playing his pieces. nothing i played (on the piano) ever compared to the emotional and intelectual level and the wholesomness of bach‘s music. it streches from being hard work to joy to spirituality, and evoques love and the deepest feelings you have inside. i often cry when playing and sometimes i am not really sure why.

[@sherila4834]

Beautifully put. I love watching the emotions on a classical musician's face as she or he is playing.

[@vuul6093]

Beethoven moonlight sonata is all I need for the piano. Pure emotion, pure energy

[@vuul6093]

Listen to the 1st and 3rd movement

[@kisnpisn4919]

@@vuul6093 not my favourite of beethoven. 2nd movement was more interesting to play than the first. try his pathetique sonata. itwas a lot of fun to work on. i still prefer playing bach though. at the moment so in love with playing prreludium and fugue 2 c minor from wohltemp2. and first variation of goldberg variations (again) for listening i’m more obsessed with scarlatti‘s sonata141 and royer‘s marche des scythes at themoment. check it out both on cembalo it‘s next level

[@jasmera9889]

I keep watching this over and over. Everything is just so beautiful

[@krishnanandboolaky6917]

I've watched this nearly 20 times, and I still can't get enough. Thank you for deconstructing this masterpiece..

[@tryphonsoleflorus8308]

You should take up the cello!

[@krishnanandboolaky6917]

@@tryphonsoleflorus8308 I would love to.. Waiting for a cello gift from the sky 😳

[@sunflashh]

"It's simple".... "it's composed for an instrument that has just four strings"... *lots of insanely complicated compositions exist for four-stringed instruments?!?*

[@kaziiqbal7257]

Jeez, get over yourself

[@kaziiqbal7257]

^That was kinda harsh but still.

[@evangelina5069]

Mackenzie Kang Paganini is literally shook

[@lt3880]

script must have been written by a reddit djent guitarist with a 9 string

[@bluedragongaming8633]

Pagganini caprice no24 is only composed for a 4 stringed instrument. Must be easy as well.

[@pogeman2345]

Vox should do a vid like this for Paganini's Caprice 24... And then get Brett and Eddy to do the commentary.

[@anavila5741]

Yeeeees!!!

[@MsPlayitright]

So wonderfully broken down and explained! I finally get it! Why it's so captivating and haunting! Thank you!

[@explorewithCK]

this short video provides a PERFECT explanation for this piece in layman terms

[@jaceb5582]

It's weird that I immediately heard the piece in my head just by seeing the title. Lol

[@morganmcguire5102]

anyone else begin to cry when she broke out of that mayhem

[@nefstead]

I literally have tears streaming down my face. It's incredible how powerful this piece and her performance are.

[@starccs]

Too beautiful

[@Kr33py]

I really did

[@rushnafwadud]

This entire experience felt like a love affair. Thank you very much for it.

[@shmi1964]

As a cello teacher myself who has of course thought about this stuff, I find this video fascinating for your clearly well-thought-out and simple analysis of honestly pretty complex ideas. Well done!

[@violadd]

Love that y’all are showing how amazing Bach’s music is! Alisa is such a beautiful player

[@magdalenaatzwanger5731]

the sweet release of the high g 👌🏼

[@JeanBoisvert]

I've watched this dozens of times, I weep every time. I love you !

[@DocAcher]

This was great! So lovely to have such a classic piece analysed in a way that was so interesting and accessible.

[@TheLuismaBeaTle]

8:14 when he finally finds your spot

[@tenchinhanu]

LOL

[@aabe1189]

When she finally finds prostate.

[@Charlie-gq9vu]

You know she's serious when she pronounces 'Bach' like she's German.

[@TheAuronis]

Funny things is all partition are in French

[@kaiplue]

She DOES live in Germany now.

[@Neophema]

How else would someone pronounce his name?

[@Charlie-gq9vu]

@@Neophema idk I just say 'bark'

[@user-kt7mi3yy8j]

Its a bit much imho.

[@mythirdchannel]

I love how passionately Alisa plays this piece, so much emotions pouring through

[@carolinebennett5615]

This is a wonderful video thank you so much. The cellist is superb and she unravels it all for you yet, as she points out at the end, even with that knowledge you are left in awe of this profound music. As a lifelong fan of the cello suites and now a student of the cello myself, this video was simply magic.

[@jorymil]

This piece is so iconic that not just cellists practice it: trombonists, bassists, tubists, guitarists all memorize it, too. Of course, none quite match the timbre of the cello, but each has its own beauty.

[@serena19196]

I used to practise it on the euphonium too. We're the closest to the cello in our concert band

[@gidikalchhauser]

"it's composed for an instrument that has just four strings" dafuq

[@mariagmartinho]

Yeah! WTH!? "only" 4 strings that can give you many octaves and that you have to basically tune by experience and "by ear" so to say. Move your fingers some millimetres wrong and you miss the note. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@TheQuantixXx]

didn‘t you know the difficulty of an instrument rises proportional to the number of strings it has. therefore a flute is easy

[@cristianocarrilloso3343]

@@mariagmartinho coz the person is stuck in the common guitar world

[@micheal49]

C, G, D, and A. that is four, right?

[@xsxnflxwxrsx6868]

Me a violist: *not surprised*

[@clikieb8968]

As a bassoonist learning this piece it’s so nice to hear a cellist break it down, this video was super informative. Bravo to everyone who worked on this, so succinct and visually reinforced.

[@karlmarx2161]

This is the song that my dad would play me every night to make me fall asleep.

[@amandant]

0:00 recognize this?? well it's my alarm musics.. XD I hear it every morning, nice melody to wake you up. Not too silent, but not too loud either, make you jumpy.

[@TheXscreech2004x]

Yup I use this too! Its a nice melody to wake-up to

[@707stormfur707]

Likewise! LG K30.

[@ryeofoatmeal]

wow i need to try this xD i set buzzer which annoys me lol

[@niccolopaganini4268]

Try Chopin prelude op. 28 no. 23, I have this for my alarm everyday for almost 3 years now lol

[@arpinfidel]

Hello, Wilson

[@isaacng123456789]

Violin also only has 4 strings. No one is surprised that violin is extremely hard to play and is incredibly flexible.

[@Keithustus]

They're not flexible at all. Have you tried bending a violin? Mine didn't look so good afterward.

[@B33fisGud]

@@Keithustus I think he means flexible as in versatile

[@myrnamorota4264]

@@B33fisGud r/whoosh

[@B33fisGud]

@@myrnamorota4264 wow no kidding, i guess i didnt read past the first sentence

[@bluedragongaming8633]

Viola is also pretty flexible, I can shift up to play like I had an E string or I can go relatively low with my c string.

[@whitflores8160]

Alisa’s passion is so clear and beautiful even in this simple video. Amazing

[@KinksKomments]

excellently educational and her passion for playing shows clearly on her face as she plays and adding to my amazement she is also teaching us how the music is played by a completely professional artist, BRAVO! I am now very much a fan.

[@scbutler41]

Man, that brings back memories of my son practicing this piece, when he started I put him in the garage. As he got better I would request my fav piece get played

[@zain4019]

Sean Butler I don’t know how to feel about this:) that’s pretty adorable though

[@ingerfalch-jacobsen1717]

I read that as "in the garbage". Poor lad... oops.

[@TheVIVIZZZ]

“If you didn’t catch that, something really perfect happened” - I AM IN TEARS, like every time it gets to that part

[@mchljhnm]

This is one of my favorite KZbin videos. I just watched it our of curiosity but found something more to it after I've watched it. Educational and moving!

[@ryano.6137]

when they said it's a SONG sAcriLigious

[@itam8616]

Yes that was ver sacriligious

[@fwcraigslist]

It's Vox. Don't expect too much.

[@karimaziz573]

Twoset should react to this

[@jimquim1574]

Very SACRELIGOUS and not interesting

[@mathaha2922]

The second page is not "in" D major, as the many C naturals attest. We are "on" a D7 chord for much of the page, yes, but not "in" D major. In fact the D7 chord means we are actually in G major.

[@jobhuiskamp5530]

D mixolydian

[@mathaha2922]

@@jobhuiskamp5530 I would say no to that; it is just a normal emphasis on the dominant before the reappearance of the tonic. No need to invoke modes here.

[@lzepln]

I did some thinking and experimenting because I was originally going to tell you that I disagree, but I wanted to be sure. And in so doing, I managed to convince myself that you are right. The key decider for me was: I played the video where she is playing “in D” and randomly paused it again and again.Then, on the piano, played a G major chord. It always sounded like home. G was always the tonic, while D always sounded like the dominant chord. The part with the fermata makes it so clear that it wants to resolve to G. But despite having pretty good knowledge of music theory, I’m no master. If I’m wrong, I’d love for someone to tell me why.

[@carsonnichols7428]

I think they meant in the chord d not the key, but yeah it was poorly worded

[@mathaha2922]

@@lzepln You did your homework. Good job. You are not wrong.

[@GrisdePain]

She was so precise and communicative of her passion

[@alvarito45]

Thanks you Alisa! It is great to understand the spirit and soul of Bach music. Your explanation is awesome. You're such a great cellist.

[@bubbaries]

True mastery of writing music: taking very simple musical thoughts (arpeggios, chromatic lifts, etc.) and creating a piece that is very much greater than the sun of its parts. It is so simple, so pure, and that’s what makes it such a perfect composition. Love breakdowns like this, thank you!

[@jonnymyong]

At 5:43, those are both C sharps. The second C isn’t natural.

[@chroma-agogo]

Joob was about to say this

[@tenchinhanu]

True that, but the C natural follows in the very next bar (which is what was meant in the video, I suppose)

[@maxiapalucci2511]

Yeah but like it’s at the beginning of the next measure and maybe it was an oversight of someone at vox

[@nothinglessthannumbers]

I think if you're hung up on the accuracy, you expected too much from vox lol

[@dariocaporuscio8701]

Probably the editor didn't know how to read music, and made that mistake... The C Natural is after

[@lj4466]

Wow. I have never appreciated this piece enough. Also, Alisa is incredible.

[@walrusmaximus]

Incredible explanation. When I first heard this as a kid it immediately became one of my favorite songs. 20 years later and now I have an even greater appreciation of the song thanks to this video.

[@jimorr5850]

Thank you for this amazing and inspiring explanation of my favorite Bach piece! I love her passion playing and speaking about the piece!!! Bravo!!!

[@kurara4818]

Looks like she is just flowing through the music 0:41

[@pinaiprinsesa]

7:44 this part always seems to get my heart beat faster every time i listen to this suite. so beaut! 😔😩❤️

[@DocsGroup]

I've heard this piece so many times before but, the way this was explained and played with so much passion, I honestly started tearing up at the end

[@thefroginleopard]

I watched this a few years ago. Now I’m just starting to learn this prelude this week and I’m coming back to watch this video again. Happy I’m understanding more of what she’s saying than last time! 😊

[@newmusic333]

At 5:43, they are both C sharps. AND the chord you mention at 5:48 is not D major 7, it is D dominant 7 (dominant of G major). The reason this is important is that Bach fluctuates between the dominant of D major and G major. This ambiguity is IN the music too (the fact that the composer seems to arrive in D major, but quickly turns it into the dominant of G major instead). This level of complexity and interweaving between the two keys is perhaps more interesting to note than arbitrarily saying that G major is the release for D major's tension. D major becomes the release when it is established as the tonic if we follow your logic, so how is this point relevant? I think maybe consulting music theorists to "deconstruct" this is more reliable.

[@lucastamayo4066]

KBM I completely agree with you But D dominant 7 is still a D Major 7😄 the function of the chord doesn’t influence its composition. She probably should have said that it is a D dominant 7, as the information she would have given would have been more complete, but what she said wasn‘t wrong.

[@newmusic333]

@@lucastamayo4066 Hmm, sorry but I disagree. Then what do you call a D major triad with major 7th? Also, what do you call a D major triad with a minor 7th, as it is the case in this example. You can technically call the latter a major-minor 7th, but in "classical music" it is customary to call it a dominant seventh. However, for the former, it is sufficient to say major 7th, as the interval between the root of the chord and the 7th is a major interval.

[@rudeboymon3177]

Vox just likes to sound smart. They dont actually know what they are talking about 50% of the time, especially when they talk about 🎶

[@lucastamayo4066]

@KBM I think I get what you mean. I guess we just learnt different terminologies when learning music theory. When I learned classical music theory (as opposed to jazz theory) a major 7 chord was always a major triad with a minor 7 in it, and in 99% of the time it is used as a dominant to smth, thus making it unnecessary to call it a dominant. On the other hand we called a major triad with a major 7 a Chord with major 7. As opposed to that, in jazz music theory we always referred to Major triads with a M7 as X7, and depending on its function it would normally become clear if it was a major or a minor 7. PS: I‘m so happy to be having this conversation, thank you so much!

[@Niels_Mortensen]

I knew it wasn't just me! I thought it didn't sound like a Maj7 chord, but a 7!

[@Textile_Courtesan]

This is one of the loveliest things that I've ever heard. Definitely my new favourite earworm episode, thank you! Such a joy to listen to and appreciate the sound but the technical breakdown is so well done that even I can follow it.

[@ella3557]

i heard this prelude everyday for a year during school. at least one cello without fail would play this before we started class...it’s engrained in my brain

[@QuicksilverRZ]

this is one of my favorite series on youtube, please make more

[@jugzster]

Beautiful deconstruction. Props to the animators, impressive syncing of animation with the music 👏🏻

[@aztopdavid]

Yes, but there are two serious errors in the animation (a C# labeled as a C natural and then a C natural labeled as a C#, resulting in them labeling a D dominant 7 as a D major 7. I liked the video, but they should actually take it down, fix it, and repost.

[@antolinrodriguez7619]

I could listen to her break down any song! Have her back please.

[@explorewithCK]

and this is why I think everyone should learn music

[@alexkim7270]

Whoa, the expression, excution and interpretation are en point ! The explanation too, it's simply amazing.