Fauré: Elegy (Benjamin Zander - Interpretation Class)

Alan Toda–Ambaras, cello; Dina Vainshtien, piano

Interpretations of Music: Lessons for Life
with Benjamin Zander

Dave Jamrog Audio/video

[kaiserthegreat]

"The last six inches of bow is where death lies." Wow.

[shintafukuda]

19:56 : “No no, no no no, the mistake was fine, it didn’t matter at all, we think mistakes matter: *mistakes don’t matter!”*

26:36 : “And what happened when you played like that, people actually forget about *you.* They don’t *think* about the cello, they think about *their* life and *their* experiences, and *their* memories and *their* relationships, and the… the freedom that comes from experiencing deep sadness through music. And it’s not about you at all. Isn’t that an amazing discovery?! And it frees you, it frees you to be fully available and present to what you’re giving.” — Benjamin Zander

[jordannelson]

Benjamin Zander reminds us that beyond the technical aspects of music we are here to fully express the wide range of emotions that composers have laid out before us. As a musician, we must be confident enough to display our vulnerabilities in the hopes of reaching out to our listeners.

[StarCastersUniverse]

I started watching his lessons at work and almost cried and had to stop till i got home so i can cry freely lol

[myeongjinkim]

After watching this..
I played my Cello for awhile and realized how lucky I am...
Cello is the most beautiful instrument and being able to teaching my students is the best thing...

[ivancarlson]

i'm a perfectionist. i used to hate getting critiqued about my performances to the point it took the fun out of playing and don't play anymore. I was taking it the wrong way. Mr. Zander has helped me see why the critique is there. He is trying to make you better... and he will always do that no matter how good you are. "My job is to make other people powerful." He also points out what music is and why we do it. It's so easy to get lost in the details and forget the objective. "It's not about you, it's about them or the message."

[MrxEVILCRAZYx]

"Let's see if we can bring Death into this room." wow..

[Jozz_Music]

Shout out to that incredible accompanist! She's on so many of these and universally provides beautiful and artistic co-creation of the world's most beautiful music. Brava!

[raevajohnson]

I hope that one day, some time in the future, the pandemic will pass. I want to be able to sit in a room, united with the rest of the people listening, with how touched we are by the music.

[ccflute]

6:23 "this is beautiful, but death is not present in this room" i gasped in awe. truly a maestro thing to say...
and then the explanation... toll bell and wailing and sobbing and emptiness and loving memory... so intuitive and poignant. every phrase becomes meaningful.
i have known this piece at least for two decades but until now never realized how piercing it could be.

[LuBre]

23:00 and 25:08 this is where music penetrates the heart of the audience. That's what Zander wants.

[avatar]

Even the pianist does not catch a break. Spectacular lesson by Benjamin Zander

[davelars]

Mr. Zander is a master at masterclasses!  Most masterclasses are, "You played it that way, but now  listen to my way?"  He didn't even play, and brought the essence of the music to the great young player, the pianist, and the audience!  Great!

[christonks]

There are no words. Benjamin Zander changes lives.

[GreatcampAdventures]

When I hear this piece I think about how much Faure's must have loved his wife. I hope I can love someone that much one day, and if I could be so lucky... For them to love me in return.

[NicoleFelker]

Of all the master classes I've watched, this one hit me most.

[LanceClark]

By the time I reach the end of these videos, I'm in tears. The transformation from competent musician to artist is palpable; their performance shows it.

[zoeedmonson]

Well I cried the whole time watching this video. Music has so many different meanings in so many peoples lives and this piece touched me like no other. And Benjamin's words touched my heart in a way no other musician has. Thank you.

[sebastiaoedsonmacedo]

This is truly a lesson for life, not only for playing Faurè!

[jazz_intown]

23:00 25:08
My goal is to make my music so wonderful people are going to listen with these looks on their faces...