Where my attention goes when I listen to this fugue

[@prager5046]

A Fugue---the most enchanting form of music. Like living in harmony in parallel universes at the same time. Like having a pick into the true meaning of infinity...

[@TheGloryofMusic]

This was one of Glenn Gould's favorite fugues, and he made several recordings of it.

[@JL-fh4qw]

I have to say I much prefer his fast tempo

[@davidcarlisle1555]

This sounds so familiar and so unfamiliar at the same time.

[@ben2701]

Just wanted to say watching your videos back in 2013 sparked a love and appreciation for classical music. So glad you are still making them today

[@smalin]

That is so gratifying to hear. Thank you.

[@jonnsmusich]

Interesting! The original recording seemed to have been engineered to try to get a "una corda" sound. Your engineering seems to have accentuated it.( Almost plucked rather than hammered. Lovely) Gulda's recording has always been the one I most happily return to from all the others.

[@smalin]

Yes. The speed is this recording is 160% of the original --- a huge change (compare mm=100 to mm=160 on your metronome)! This is enough that the notes decay noticeably more quickly.

[@BSe-i3t]

This is generally what I see in my mind’s eye while listening to or playing music, thank you for putting it like this

[@samanthayork3125]

This is awesome! I've often times fantasized out loud I wish I had isolated tracks of Glenn Gould humming along to a fugue, because in my estimate it would be the exact same concept as what this video depicts. Thank you for the brilliant idea and work!

[@smalin]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@TheSteelpony]

Lovely! I feel like I just watched/heard DNA.

[@peterelliott5720]

A phenomenology of fugue. I love it!!! 🤣

[@smalin]

Yes. A first scratch at the surface.

[@Ivan_1791]

Really clean rendering of one of my favourite fugues by Bach.

[@ssoccerbuddy18]

The title scheme can be anything that works for you - this will always be one of my favorite channels and ways to experience music... especially while working! Although I suppose my manager won't appreciate me getting distracted by the great visuals...

[@waffleman-]

The thing with the new titles, very smart move. Even as a long time fan I enjoy them and maybe this is a way to bring more attention to these videos. Somehow they even improve the experience, I think!

[@davidcarlisle1555]

If I could get an experimental psychologist to track my eye movements while watching one of your fugue videos, I expect he would discover a non-repetitive state of confused amazement

[@robertwalker2052]

Could you mean a "Fugue state"?

[@mylesfranco3545]

Cool video, similar to what I visualize except less dimensions. Glad I'm not the only one!

[@anytimeiwake]

I love how you took liberty to use the shape of notes in this one, all connected in their individual line, then complimented by another line, then another, and eventually a fourth until it appears that each complimentary line drops back out in the reverse order. Seeing it this way leads me to ask if it's possible for one person to play this. I must say that since finding my first of your videos, I've been enjoying them and I pray that you are aware that this ability is a gift from God, and I hope you are giving up to God all the praise you receive.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

No performance is as interesting and intriguing and captivating as the performance of this amazing footage FromTokyo

[@pRahvi0]

Interesting. Particularly, since it was often very different to what captured my own attention.

[@calliope-z9e]

This one looks very special! I often see you experiment with different shapes for every part to highlight elements of the composition, here I just really like the original element on it's own, don't think I saw it before Works just as good! Though before reading the description I couldn't guess how did you show your attention shifts, maybe next time make particular note entrances even bigger? Or turn all the voices black & white, only highlighting their hidden colours when you personally usually follow them Many thanks!

[@xavi2803]

I was wondering why I hadn’t noticed how well he played this fugue before and then I saw that you sped it up. Maybe someone should release a sped up album of his slower interpretations. There’s such attention to detail in the lines but it’s often a result of him taking his time that he can manage that. I don’t speeding it up for listener’s sake would be too sacrilegious

[@smalin]

It's possible that in the future, KZbin will improve their time-shifting software, and the playback speed will be something that a listener can adjust according to their taste. What I've found is that listening to a piece at a slower or faster tempo than I'm used to shifts my sense of what the "proper" tempo is. It would be interesting to have people share their "most enjoyable for me when played back at ____%" settings.

[@xavi2803]

@@smalin that would be cool. I think the future of recordings should include something utilitarian like this, where artists can record at whatever tempo and focus on the details, then listener’s can choose the tempo. Especially for heavily contrapuntal pieces like this

[@DM-py7pj]

Great viz

[@ironmaz1]

splendid! Stephen, I know what you usually reply to requests, but just a yes/no would suffice... any foreseeable plans to make a video of LVB cello sonata 5 fugue? :)

[@RaptorT1V]

The viewing experience is simply beyond words! How did you do that? I want to learn how to visualize sheet music in program too. Tired of these multi-colored piano tiles

[@smalin]

That’s an admirable goal.

[@smalin]

www.musanim.com/HowTo/

[@leot7]

What's up with the new naming scheme? Seems uncharacteristic of you.

[@smalin]

Yes, it is uncharacteristic. But here's the deal. When I published videos of the first two movements of Mozart's piano and wind quintet with conventional titling, they got about three thousand views apiece, but when I published the third movement with the title "Mozart said 'Best thing I ever wrote'", it got over forty-five thousand views. If you were in my position, what would you do, and what would be your justification?

[@chrisheinemeyer7769]

For anyone that is interested in this - there’s a really good veritasium video about why clickbait titles work

[@J.R.Swish1]

@@smalin I don't think there's a problem with getting a more attractive title. But I do appreciate that you put the full name of the piece in the description because I sometimes add some of these to my playlists 😄

[@FourthDerivative]

​@@smalin If your primary goal is to maximize KZbin view count, then it's a perfectly rational strategy. I just like to think you have loftier ambitions than that.

[@smalin]

@FourthDerivative My “loftiest” ambition is to do good work. Next loftiest is to share it. Clickbait titles don’t stand in the way of either of those, as far as I can see.

[@Tyrell_Corp2019]

I really like this. It's extremely interesting. When you altered the pitch, by how many cents or intervals did you do it? And did you have the voices separated? I'm asking because this is definitely out of tune. The two most likely reasons are: 1- Something happened when you tweaked the pitch. 2- It COULD be related to the instrument, if it was a period instrument. (And It does sound like one). Contributors to this sound if generated from the instrument could be: - It's plain out of tune - It's using the 'mean-tone' tuning of the era which did make certain notes seem a little out. (But even still, tunings were done in accordance with key so it shouldn't be this far off. (I could be wrong here). - It's 'mean-tone' tuning of the era PLUS an unusual characteristic via overtones the instrument is emphasizing. (Early keyboards do have quirky characters.) - If it is the meantone tuning and in tune as it should be, it could be a combination of that plus however you tweaked it. That said - if you tuned both voices together via a single global setting, then it's definitely related to the actual instrument. Regardless, you may have inadvertently created the first true micro-tonal experience of Bach! (Wendy Carlos flirted a little with the overtone series in Switched on Bach, but it's nowhere near this). Whatever you do, don't take it down! It's awesome. 👏 👏👏

[@smalin]

I started with this recording ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipaUqoeKgJl_nNU ... and ran it through pitch/speed software (Amazing Slow Downer) with the speed set to 160%, and the pitch set to -20 cents. Afterwards, I applied some reverb. None of these steps should have changed the intervals between pitches.

[@TheMovieCreator]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmq2eIGLq6h5ps0 Here's a good example of one with a more time-appropriate temperament. Notice how the chords on some of the chromatic steps harmonically resonates, in great contrast to some of the other steps. The piece is almost keeping the listener on their toes by constantly wagging between relief and tension, and with a fitting temperament like this, the contrast is greatly amplified compared to equal temperament (where for example all harmonically pure thirds are lost).

[@Tyrell_Corp2019]

@@smalin Well, you've opened a Pandora's box for me. lol. Turns out, there is a lot of praise and interest for this particular performance by Gulda, of which I've never heard. (I'm more familiar with Gould's version) That said - I found out this was indeed a modern Steinway. But nothing as to whether it was in mean-tone. There is however, mentioning about the unique microphone placement directly above the piano strings as per Gulda's request. Apparently, the studio itself was devoid of much resonance and he wanted to 'accentuate the integrity' of the piano with extreme miking. Given that - it's possible that certain overtones were more accurately captured? (Plus your tweaking?). I haven't a clue. Regardless, I love not only the overtones here, but his interpretation and how he brings out the stately dance between the voices. Playing Bach without blandness or affectation is probably the biggest challenge for any performer. This really is a deep mediation into the purity of the composition. IMHO, he nailed it. I can hear why you chose it. Thank you for both your choice and your 'playful rendition'. 👏

[@mrgreenskypiano]

Cool!

[@matthewhill3486]

You should create a score for Frescobaldi's Fugue in G minor. Its subject is somewhat similar to the subject of this Bach fugue.

[@smalin]

www.musanim.com/Underwriting/

[@fuzzypancake123]

Is it out of tune or is it just my head being confused? I actually like the way it sounds

[@uselessaccount9929]

It's well in tune, it just uses polytonality.

[@smalin]

@@uselessaccount9929 It's not polytonal --- just very chromatic.

[@passing-notes]

@pancake You're kind of right. I'm assuming it is tuned by some sort of Well temperament, but I don't know which variant Gulda would use. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well_temperament

[@fuzzypancake123]

@@smalin What's that?

[@JulesSchattenberg]

Quite sure the piano is a bit out of tune 4:12 The final chord in B flat also isn't perfectly in tune which it would be if it would be in a historical temperament if I'm not mistaken.

[@xheralt]

Entering a fugue state?

[@Sebanovic5]

This is interesting - requires a different interpretive focus to create for sure. I am now curious if there’s any literature out there on a theoretical framework explaining what our ears are likely pay attention to when hearing something polyphonic.

[@leonhardeuler6811]

I listen to subject mostly. Probably because the performer plays the subject out usually and also in nweird pieces like this its something to anchor on to

[@smalin]

Yes, there is a lot that’s known about attention in polyphonic listening, by both composers (and music theoreticians) and cognitive scientists.

[@Sebanovic5]

@@smalin if you have a source or two you would recommend off the top of your head, I’d love to hear it!

[@smalin]

For the cognitive science side, I'd recommend mitpress.mit.edu/books/auditory-scene-analysis ... it's general (not just about music), but its breadth gives you a good foundation for understand the particular case of music (and, of course, it contains lots of stuff about music perception). More toward the composition/music theory side, I would recommend Huron's Sweet Anticipation as a broad background book, and his articles on voice leading for more particulars about how compositional practice is shaped by the way aural perception works.

[@c.g.marseille4510]

schitterend

[@smalin]

shivering?

[@Pietra430]

@@smalin "schitterend" means "beautiful" / "splendid" in Dutch. Literally "shining".

[@c.g.marseille4510]

@@Pietra430 thank you !

[@frenchimp]

If you need titles, I can provide some : "The most overrated fugue by JS Bach", or "A Bach fiasco - so sad!", or "Thanks to this quartet I make 80K dollars a month"...