What Did the Great Composers Look Like in Person?

[@secondchairmusic]

So, Rachmaninoff was scary, Beethoven was ugly, and Shostakovich looked simply “irresistible”… Whenever I stumble upon firsthand accounts of the physical appearances of these great gentlemen, I automatically try to picture them before me. Reading the words of those who actually saw, lived and worked with them, enriches my imagination in a way that simple paintings and photographs cannot. I hope that this video will do the same for you! Btw, Beethoven isn’t ugly at all! He might’ve been a lil’ sloppy, but his face looks perfectly average to me (with great eyebrows).

[@WasiulWahid-ot7cj]

beethoven was very attractive at his early age til he was 30 or something. then he started looking like a grumply uncle but honestly i can not imagine him looking any different. also, schuburt looks like a fine gentleman, leave him alone.

[@robertagregory7177]

Sounds like Beethoven was sick a lot of the time and stressed out about his hearing. And later in life finances. I’d look grumpy and let myself go, too… 😉

[@teodoragradinaru8572]

I think the person who painted Beethoven painted him maybe more beautiful than he really was. 😅

[@teodoragradinaru8572]

5:25 Why they have to say this about him? He's beautiful in his own way! Not only in the appearances!

[@AmeeliaK]

Few people can write such exact and eloquent descriptions anymore. Since we have photography and video we don't need to. Its still sad, the loss of all these adjectives.

[@sunwukong6917]

Imagine being an amazing composer and still people demand you must not only create beautiful things but be beautiful which is outside your control.

[@freddiethelionhearted]

Not Schubert and Beethoven getting roasted 💀💀

[@secondchairmusic]

By “friends” at that…

[@freddiethelionhearted]

@@secondchairmusic poor Schubert and Beethoven 😔😢

[@secondchairmusic]

At least Schubert wasn’t straight up called UGLY!! 😂😂 and Beethoven wasn’t even that bad! He just needed a comb!

[@Brandonwashere3103]

@@secondchairmusic xD yea fanny fanny mendelssohn tho... damm shes so pretty lol

[@freddiethelionhearted]

@@secondchairmusic YEAH LOL

[@LudwolfBeethozart1485]

Beethoven 's Stieler portrait is the most beautiful and evocative in the history of music... Immersed in the woods while writing the Missa Solemnis

[@secondchairmusic]

Personally, my favorite Beethoven portraits are the Mähler ones, especially the one where he’s in black. But the Stieler portrait is by far the most iconic!

[@laurelmentor404]

So Schubert was basically a Hobbit? He matches the description perfectly. Also, for a handsome guy, Liszt really got roasted for his appearance🥵

[@secondchairmusic]

Schubert was adorable. Idc what anyone else says. 😂😂 As for Liszt, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess…

[@laurelmentor404]

@@secondchairmusic aww, yes Schubert is adorable, I've always thought that too. As for Liszt, I'm glad not everybody finds him attractive. Less competition, lol 🤣

[@Itibitydetsku]

Schubert was cute, he was only 1.55.

[@jin_cotl]

What is up with that emoji at the top💀

[@jin_cotl]

@@Itibitydetskuholy crap I’m the same height 😨

[@SbF6H]

5:39 "One of the 23,453,346,968,876 women who rejected Beethoven's marriage proposals" got me.

[@secondchairmusic]

@@SbF6H I forgot I even wrote that. 🤣🤣🤣

[@SbF6H]

@@secondchairmusic Are you included in that statistic too?

[@LiviaBrash]

Did not expect to come away from this video with a raging crush on Liszt 😅😍 This is such a great video, thank you! ❤️

[@secondchairmusic]

Glad you liked it!! ☺️☺️

[@Itibitydetsku]

Same xd

[@The_Guy_Who_Asked_06]

I'm loving all the juicy 19th and 20th century music gossip 😂

[@secondchairmusic]

I don't give a hoot about modern celebrity gossip, but 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century composer gossip? I can't get enough of it. lol

[@teodoragradinaru8572]

​@@secondchairmusic me neither😂

[@ivangomezguitar9518]

Poor Beethoven never got a break. I never thought he was ugly from any of his drawings.

[@secondchairmusic]

I always say that he looked perfectly average. I can think a handful of other composers who actually had faces only their mothers could love. 😬

[@starsandnightvision]

Now Beethoven's brother, HE was ugly AF.

[@HistoryWorld1826]

No, no disrespect to Handel.. My Man looks like a heavenly angel too heavy to fly

[@secondchairmusic]

WHAT?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 “too heavy to fly” has me actually chuckling.

[@HistoryWorld1826]

@@secondchairmusic the Hanoverian Kings gave him a lot to eat so that he wouldn't fly away from them... Also he probably ate all his food earlier so that he could compose Messiah without eating.. I know a lot abt Handel. Do contact for more conspiracies and inside stories🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@shevontea]

@@HistoryWorld1826that is crazy 😭😭😭

[@DmitriShostakovichDSCH]

Apparently i was irresistible? i’m flattered thanks for my inclusion in the video, a lot of videos about classical composers seem to forget i exist

[@secondchairmusic]

How can anyone forget you? You irresistible specimen…😘😘

[@DmitriShostakovichDSCH]

maybe stalin was jealous of my gorgeous copper locks and that’s why he terrorized me

[@secondchairmusic]

...or maybe it was your supple, yet strong figure 🤤🤤🤤

[@laurelmentor404]

Well at the very least, your music is irresistible, Mr. Shostakovich.

[@DmitriShostakovichDSCH]

i had a nice form when i had enough money to eat, but some times i was starving, and i certainly couldn’t have been too attractive in those conditions…

[@Ludwig_VanBeethoven]

I knew those people didnt like me.

[@OleeveeyaChakraborty]

Hey Ludwig! 😄 I’ve got to say, your symphonies are like my favourite! And as for those people who called you ‘ugly,’ well, they clearly didn’t have their glasses on. By the way, I heard you had a habit of throwing things when you got angry - was that your way of composing a real-life symphony? 😅

[@starsandnightvision]

Couldn't keep up with the text and had to play this at half speed.

[@secondchairmusic]

Yeah, I’ve gotten a couple complaints about that. I’ve learned my lesson, though!!

[@cascanicoff5763]

@starsandnightvision Yes, I have to concur on that one. Interesting video, though. Thanks and next time more time to read it 😉

[@michelcamachomusic]

Poor Beethoven now i understand why he wrote so many SYMPhonies 😂

[@robertagregory7177]

Goodness, Pyotr seemed to be directing quite a bit of attention to Johannes… and the ladies clearly approved of his youthful good looks, as well. 😉

[@globofchaos2703]

Damn 😂 personally i dont think either Scrubert or Beethoven are ugly They are just smol and chunky Scrubber need confidence and Beethoven ....well is Beethoven

[@secondchairmusic]

Both look perfectly average to me…those ppl were haters. 😂😂

[@supercringeteam6666]

​@@secondchairmusic the paintings of beethoven i imagine went easy on him. we know they at least left out the poshmarks

[@Ziad3195]

Amazing video, but please please slow down. Even at 0.5, it's too fast.

[@secondchairmusic]

Man, that part was hard to figure out...I did have it slower, until it started to feel like it was dragging on and on. I figured that people could maybe pause to read. If you don't mind sharing, which parts in particular felt too fast? I'd appreciate any suggestions since I'm now working on the next no-narration video that also involves reading.

[@Ziad3195]

@@secondchairmusic all the parts were extremely fast. Also pausing or slowing it down it is kinda annoying especially when there is good music in the background

[@secondchairmusic]

Gotcha. Thanks for the feedback! It’s very helpful. I’ll try taking more time with this next one. I never even considered that people might be paying attention to the music and that pausing might be annoying…😅😅

[@Ziad3195]

@@secondchairmusic Thank you! I love your channel!

[@secondchairmusic]

And I love you!! ☺️☺️

[@Yair44]

It would be nice if you add the name of the pieces. interesting video.

[@secondchairmusic]

Great suggestion…sure! I’ll add those a little bit later!

[@Itibitydetsku]

3:47 "brown hair" but in this photo Liszt's hair is blonde xd.

[@robertagregory7177]

How come Brahms doesn’t get any music?

[@stringendo]

5:37 one of the Dreiundzwanzig Billionen vierhundertdreiundfünfzig Milliarden dreihundertsechsundvierzig Millionen neunhundertachtundsechzigtausendachthundertsechsundsiebzig women who rejected Beethoven's marriage proposal. Indeed crazy.

[@bevaconme]

and one should not care whether schubert was handsome.

[@abrahamjh5742]

I don’t think that really matters, what really matters is the type of music they write

[@theoldar]

Why no music for Brahms?

[@MonsieurFeshe]

They were for sure tripping, Schubert was so cute, at least in his portraits.

[@clavichord]

This video is great for mastering speed reading 😁

[@secondchairmusic]

I'M SORRY!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 You're not the first to complain about that! 😅

[@RentalSprayer]

Damn Beethoven and lizst getting flamed damn bruh 😭

[@TheLifeisgood72]

Scriabin was described as not a particularly handsome guy who didn’t turn heads but always focused on his appearance.

[@secondchairmusic]

Nah, Scriabin looked sharp! He always looked well put together!

[@TheLifeisgood72]

@@secondchairmusic I’m only telling you what people thought of him in his day! I agree he has an iconic image. Maybe this was before he grew in his moustache.

[@ruoyunshen]

schuebert reminds me of pierre bezhukhov from war and peace. anyone else thought so?

[@avocadonabura]

YES. when i was reading war and peace, i basically imagined schubert as pierre

[@radharoy730]

No wonder I have a crush on Shostakovich... he was ACTUALLY HANDSOME😍😍😍😍😍

[@secondchairmusic]

Yes, indeed. 😏

[@mtheinvincible4156]

So: Brahms looked not like a German, but rather more like a Russian Orthodox Priest:) Schubert looked like a hobbit. Beethoven was ugly ruddy and unhygienic, and Liszt, once handsome, aged terribly and when Queen Victoria saw him again after 45 years, described him as nearly toothless. I think I was better off when I only knew their portraits.

[@secondchairmusic]

🤣🤣🤣

[@user_igorhoffman]

Didnt know that 4 mov of 1 brahms was 4'33

[@frkm3rt708]

What 4th no.1 Brahms

[@frkm3rt708]

Symphony variations sonata concerto sonatina

[@frkm3rt708]

Or provagly copyright

[@bibobabu8756]

What program do you edit your videos with?

[@secondchairmusic]

After effects/ Premiere pro

[@filipporincasato]

5:17 wait, i can't recognize it, which piece is? (Beautiful anyway)

[@henriroy4999]

1st mvt of the Eroica symphony

[@jesperkoch1967]

It's not from Shosta symphony #12

[@Brandonwashere3103]

your videos are honestly amazing and i was wondering what composer i looked most like and i gotta say me and liszt are like twins but i have shorter hair xD

[@secondchairmusic]

Hopefully young Liszt. 🤣🤣🤣

[@Brandonwashere3103]

@@secondchairmusic Yes ofc xD also Do you have discordd or anything cuz id really love to chat more about classical to you !

[@secondchairmusic]

Never used discord in my life, but I was thinking about it!

[@Brandonwashere3103]

@@secondchairmusic You should honestly its fun as hell and i can show you how to use it :)

[@secondchairmusic]

Maybe…eventually…someday. Lol

[@brandonye2569]

Nice Video.

[@Brandonwashere3103]

hello fellow Brandon

[@secondchairmusic]

Thanks for your kind words!

[@crowsan2871]

Not the comments rizzing dead composers lolololo

[@secondchairmusic]

It's hilarious!! 😂😂

[@No-name.1733]

شكرا على الفديو الرائع💕

[@secondchairmusic]

اهلا بك

[@SalahuddinAyyubi-tu1pu]

nice.

[@sunwukong6917]

I'm Schubert

[@Dmitri_Shostakovich]

Oh, I was not expecting this… how flattering!

[@Akubra123]

schubert war kein fescher kampl, dafür war es seine musik umso mehr