8 ms·

If you've never heard Bach performed on period instruments, you're in for a treat. Here's a performance of the third Brandenburg concerto by the Akademie für al

by stereo 6y ago

If you've never heard Bach performed on period instruments, you're in for a treat. Here's a performance of the third Brandenburg concerto by the Akademie für alte Musik Berlin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSHLlidrZh8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSHLlidrZh8 Compared to "normal" instruments, you'll hear something that's a lot lighter, less monumental, more fun, a bit faster especially in the third movement. I was lucky enough to see them live a few times, and it's really great to hear how much they listen to each other, how much work has gone into their performance, and how much fun they're having, with big smiles and happy looks.

ekrebs 6y ago
Here’s another link that shows the musicians. You’re right they are having a blast. Thanks for sending me down this rabbit hole this morning. https://youtu.be/pdsyNwUoON0 https://youtu.be/pdsyNwUoON0
tim333 6y ago
I was recently rather taken by the opening of the St John Passion by Sukuki https://youtu.be/SiKgrevzT-g https://youtu.be/SiKgrevzT-g
- idoubtit 6y ago
  The director's name is Masaaki Suzuki.
  - tim333 6y ago
    Oops - typo
lordleft 6y ago
You've honed in on why I love listening to Bach on period instruments; it's kind of a musical analogue to folks who are really into some niche of CS, propelled purely by love and obsession. That passion comes through in the music.
dvcrn 6y ago
I read this as “I was lucky enough to see HIM live a few times” and this had me legit thinking how that could be possible
- pipingdog 6y ago
  Perhaps parent commenter was in the oil and gas industry. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_in_Mirrorshades https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_in_Mirrorshades
- ThePadawan 6y ago
  Confusingly, I did see HIM live once (the Finnish rock band).
bane 6y ago
There's also an important element of period performance style. Modern performers learn to play with a very different set of default skills than in Bach's period. Combining the two (the style and the instrument) and the music seems to really "jump" alive in ways that modern classically trained orchestras can't seem to quite get to. A great example of the playing style difference is this interpretation class with Benjamin Zander - https://youtu.be/b2S-OjTb4nU https://youtu.be/b2S-OjTb4nU
Frondo 6y ago
The 3rd Brandenburg is the song that got me into music -- I first heard it in MIDI form when it was included with Windows 3.1 (or wndows 95?) ages and ages ago. Inspired me to pick up the violin later in life, and a few years after my first lesson I was lucky enough to play this with a community orchestra. I feel a connection to this song. And this performance you linked is definitely the most fun I've ever heard it played, thank you for sharing. The way they lean into the rhythms and play with accents and boldness is giving me chills just to hear it through my macbook air speakers. Amazing.
hindsightbias 6y ago
For those that didn't notice, the group performing is in the Bay Area: https://www.voicesofmusic.org/ https://www.voicesofmusic.org/ "During the Covid19 pandemic, Voices of Music is doing the following: Releasing one video per week so that anyone, anywhere, has access to music, and it is completely free. We have a daily audience of 80,000 and it's growing. Over 2 million people view our music every month. Our free, online video library has over 370 videos."
- atombender 6y ago
  Did you reply to the wrong thing? The parent's video is performed by Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, a German orchestra in Berlin. Voices of Music is also great, though!
  - stereo 6y ago
    Grand-parent commenter here, and I have no idea why everyone is talking about Voices of Music. It's interesting to compare them with the Akademie für alte Music, whom I find much more alive, much less posh.
    - atombender 6y ago
      Maybe they meant to reply to this comment, which has a Voices of Music link: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23390181 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23390181
machinehermit 6y ago
BWV 999 prelude for life! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnpaMm_2QYc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnpaMm_2QYc Bach's lute music towers over everything ever made to me. Can't listen to it on guitar either. Has to a real lute. don't care either if it was written for lute harpsichord.
- 725686 6y ago
  Never seen that instrument before. Why are there 6 strings floating out of the arm? Are they ever played? Is it just for the harmonics they produce?
  - polytely 6y ago
    Seems to be a Theorbo. Here is a video of Rob Scallon interviewing Brandon Acker about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48RVcbkhNHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48RVcbkhNHQ
    - 725686 6y ago
      Great video, thanks! Crazy instrument: floating strings, movable frets, last 2 strings are lower in the octave...
  - atombender 6y ago
    The theorbo is very similar to a lute, except with an extra neck, and it usually adds six strings. These are bass strings, which are tuned to specific notes; they don't have a fretboard underneath, so the left hand can't change their pitch. An excellent video by Elizabeth Kenny, featuring an even longer theorbo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVabz8LneI4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVabz8LneI4
throw0101a 6y ago
Hard to go wrong with Tafelmusik: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSHLlidrZh8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSHLlidrZh8 A live recording session from their YT channel: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztnHM09d-RA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztnHM09d-RA

by stereo 6y ago

ekrebs 6y ago

Here’s another link that shows the musicians. You’re right they are having a blast. Thanks for sending me down this rabbit hole this morning. https://youtu.be/pdsyNwUoON0 https://youtu.be/pdsyNwUoON0

tim333 6y ago

I was recently rather taken by the opening of the St John Passion by Sukuki https://youtu.be/SiKgrevzT-g https://youtu.be/SiKgrevzT-g

idoubtit 6y ago
The director's name is Masaaki Suzuki.
- tim333 6y ago
  Oops - typo

lordleft 6y ago

You've honed in on why I love listening to Bach on period instruments; it's kind of a musical analogue to folks who are really into some niche of CS, propelled purely by love and obsession. That passion comes through in the music.

dvcrn 6y ago

I read this as “I was lucky enough to see HIM live a few times” and this had me legit thinking how that could be possible

pipingdog 6y ago
Perhaps parent commenter was in the oil and gas industry. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_in_Mirrorshades https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_in_Mirrorshades
ThePadawan 6y ago
Confusingly, I did see HIM live once (the Finnish rock band).

bane 6y ago

There's also an important element of period performance style. Modern performers learn to play with a very different set of default skills than in Bach's period. Combining the two (the style and the instrument) and the music seems to really "jump" alive in ways that modern classically trained orchestras can't seem to quite get to. A great example of the playing style difference is this interpretation class with Benjamin Zander - https://youtu.be/b2S-OjTb4nU https://youtu.be/b2S-OjTb4nU

Frondo 6y ago

The 3rd Brandenburg is the song that got me into music -- I first heard it in MIDI form when it was included with Windows 3.1 (or wndows 95?) ages and ages ago. Inspired me to pick up the violin later in life, and a few years after my first lesson I was lucky enough to play this with a community orchestra. I feel a connection to this song. And this performance you linked is definitely the most fun I've ever heard it played, thank you for sharing. The way they lean into the rhythms and play with accents and boldness is giving me chills just to hear it through my macbook air speakers. Amazing.

hindsightbias 6y ago

For those that didn't notice, the group performing is in the Bay Area: https://www.voicesofmusic.org/ https://www.voicesofmusic.org/ "During the Covid19 pandemic, Voices of Music is doing the following: Releasing one video per week so that anyone, anywhere, has access to music, and it is completely free. We have a daily audience of 80,000 and it's growing. Over 2 million people view our music every month. Our free, online video library has over 370 videos."

atombender 6y ago
Did you reply to the wrong thing? The parent's video is performed by Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, a German orchestra in Berlin. Voices of Music is also great, though!
- stereo 6y ago
  Grand-parent commenter here, and I have no idea why everyone is talking about Voices of Music. It's interesting to compare them with the Akademie für alte Music, whom I find much more alive, much less posh.
  - atombender 6y ago
    Maybe they meant to reply to this comment, which has a Voices of Music link: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23390181 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23390181

machinehermit 6y ago

BWV 999 prelude for life! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnpaMm_2QYc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnpaMm_2QYc Bach's lute music towers over everything ever made to me. Can't listen to it on guitar either. Has to a real lute. don't care either if it was written for lute harpsichord.

725686 6y ago
Never seen that instrument before. Why are there 6 strings floating out of the arm? Are they ever played? Is it just for the harmonics they produce?
- polytely 6y ago
  Seems to be a Theorbo. Here is a video of Rob Scallon interviewing Brandon Acker about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48RVcbkhNHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48RVcbkhNHQ
  - 725686 6y ago
    Great video, thanks! Crazy instrument: floating strings, movable frets, last 2 strings are lower in the octave...
- atombender 6y ago
  The theorbo is very similar to a lute, except with an extra neck, and it usually adds six strings. These are bass strings, which are tuned to specific notes; they don't have a fretboard underneath, so the left hand can't change their pitch. An excellent video by Elizabeth Kenny, featuring an even longer theorbo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVabz8LneI4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVabz8LneI4

throw0101a 6y ago

Hard to go wrong with Tafelmusik: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSHLlidrZh8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSHLlidrZh8 A live recording session from their YT channel: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztnHM09d-RA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztnHM09d-RA