Hey, how's it going?
Welcome back to another episode of TwoSet Violin!
Today, we are going to be doing the
(Eddy) That's right.
We have 16 composers from the classical canon,
and today we're going to be putting them in one tournament
to see which composer is
Don't judge us, this is just a... hypothetical thing!
- Yeah, yeah... - All composers are great!
Music is subjective.
Yeah, music's subjective!
(Eddy) First contestant:
the daddy of classical music,
the OG founder,
the master of tonality
- and counterpoint: - Counterpoint...
J!
S!
BACH!!!
Whoaaaa!!!
Whoaaaa...
Challenging the heavyweight is:
(Both) DEBUSSY!!!
OHH! Change the color, ohh!
The French impressionist, the rebel,
the innovator of the 20th century,
- Oh, man... - Woof...
Dude, this is hard, man!
That's, like, two of the best in round one.
All right, now we gotta see, like...
Rengoku probably thinks, like,
Bach's gonna throw a move: counterpoint *voom*!
And Debussy will be like:
- *BWSSH!* - (Eddy) Yeah.
And Bach will miss.
(Brett) And then Debussy will just be, like:
- Big-ass wave comes, - (Eddy) Mhm.
and Bach then will just be, like:
and navigates...
How would we... categorize?
- Dude, they're so different! - They're so different.
How do you even compare?
Let's break it down into musical components, right?
As much as I love Debussy's harmony...
See, I prefer Debussy, but,
- if we were to look at actual, like, skill of harmony, - Mm.
I think Bach wins.
And the reason I say this is,
there's a famous story where this... duke? I think?
deliberately gave Bach a chromatic theme,
- and told him to improvise a fugue on the spot, - That is so hard.
on a chromatic theme, right?
On the spot, Bach improvised
a three-part chromatic fugue!
To be able to improvise that
requires such an amazing understanding of tonality,
like, in real time, his brain's computing that stuff, like:
Yeah. And also,
by the time Debussy came, he has a lot to work with.
Bach...
He, he set the bar.
- Only th⁠— yeah, Bach. - Nah, I think Bach, for harmony.
- Then there's⁠— - Form?
- Form. Okay. - Yeah, form.
I feel like Bach also set a lot of form up.
I think Debussy broke forms.
- Yeah. Bach⁠— - Bach was the one who mastered forms.
Yeah, that's true.
I'd probably give it to... Bach.
Should enjoyment be a factor?
Enjoyment? Okay.
- Debussy for me. I just... enjoy Debussy's music. - Debussy? I think Debussy. Same.
How about orchestration?
Debussy?
- Aw, but then⁠— aw, no! Ohh! - It's different. It's different, right?
'Cause Bach didn't have much to work with.
- He's working with, like, old stuff. - Yep.
Let's tie that one.
- I think they're just too different to compare. - Yep.
And last one, melody.
Who writes better melodies?
I think Bach.
He has more...
- Okay, yeah, melody, okay. But, - definitive...
Debussy has more, kind of, color.
- Mm. - Yeah, okay.
- (Eddy) This pains me to say, but Bach wins. - (Brett) Damn.
(Brett) Next one!
Oh...!
OH...!
On the left, we have the prodigy of the Classical period,
the genius violinist and composer,
and the master of opera:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!
The other contestant:
the epitome of piano playing and piano compositions,
the Romantic sweetheart that wooed the love hearts
- of EVERYONE! - Everyoooone!
FREDERIC
CHOPIN!!!
That's pretty tricky...
Harmony.
Uh oh...
Hahahaha bro!
This is impossible...!
I think they're very close.
Very cl⁠— 'cause Chopin has nice harmonies.
Yeah.
Mozart was like...
okay, his earlier works was definitely more just, like,
the plain, simple Classical harmonies,
but towards his later works,
he hit that really, like, nice balance between
very structured and tonal, but then there's, like,
- a lot of expressive chromaticism... - Yup.
slipped in, right?
But Chopin is definitely more on the, like,
more loosey-goosey Romantic harmony.
- Oh yeah. Full, like, Romantic into it, yeah. - Yeah.
Awww, I can't pick!
I think I might go Mozart.
Like... JUST.
I've probably offended all the pianists out there, but...
I, I just feel like Chopin is...
No, no, they're all great! I'm not gonna say anything.
Let's⁠—Mozart won, by, by a hair.
Oh, no. They're both masters of melody!
- They're both THE masters of melody! - I know.
I think they're tied.
Mozart had great melody, Chopin also had great melody.
- Like, they're tied. - Yeah. Tied.
- Orchestration, for sure Mozart. Chopin... - Oh, yeah. Hands down. Yeah, Mozart.
...can't orchestrate.
I'm not that familiar with Chopin's form,
- but I know Mozart's form was pretty, like, masterful. - Out there.
- So, I'm gonna give it to Mozart. - Nah, I think Mozart. Yep.
What was the fifth one we had? I forgot.
Oh, enjoyment.
Probably Chopin,
- I was gonna say Chopin by a hair. - by a little bit? But they're also very equal.
Yeah. They're very equal, but by a hair, Chopin.
So who wins?
I think Mozart won more there.
(Eddy) Ooof!
(Eddy) On the left, we have
(Both) DEVIL'S VIOLINIST!
Shredding on the violin,
the man that caused pain and the birth of Ling Ling,
Paganini!
And on the right hand side,
we have the original violin concerto creator,
composer of the hit series "The Four Seasons"⁠—
Four seasons...!
- They're both so noob compared to the previous composers... - Yeah, hahaha!
Harmony, Vivaldi for sure.
- Yeah, okay. - Paganini harmonies are...
Yeah, yeah...
They're basic. Okay.
Melody... probably Vivaldi.
- Yeah. I'd say so. - Yep.
Enjoyment...
It depends.
Well, it's a different type of enjoyment, see,
Paganini is extremely exhilarating if you're watching...
- Yeah. And then if they nail it, you're like, - a live performer.
- "Holy moly." It will blow your mind, but⁠— - Yeah.
Just, overall enjoyment, I think Vivaldi just has
- more... easier, kinda like... - Yeah.
Orchestration, Vivaldi.
No, yeah.
I think Vivaldi wins.
But, there is one thing:
Oh, Paganini.
- The excitement of the music. - Yeah, it's Paganini.
But...
- This one, Vivaldi wins. - I think Vivaldi wins.
(Eddy) Ooh!
Often mistaken for Harry Potter...
and lived through the regime...
(Both) SHOSTAKOVICH!
And then, the big hands!
Destroy pianists!
But also luscious and romantic melodies.
(Both) Rachmaninoff.
They're sooo diff... I think I know who I'll prefer,
just, like, by a smidgin.
Who?
I don't wanna say it!
...Shostakovich...?
- Yeah, I think Shostakovich... - By, like, a little bit?
We should add a new category,
which is how much this composer changed,
- impacted history. - I think so. No, that is true.
That is where Shostakovich really shines.
Yeah. I was gonna say.
I think harmony-wise...
- Rachmaninoff's harmonies are nicer to listen to, - Mhm.
but I think Shostakovich had a better command of harmony,
the things he could do with dissonance...
- I mean, he also composed for mainstream stuff, so... - Yeah.
- It was proof that he could go that route if he wanted to. - Yep.
Melody...
- Ah, Rachmaninoff. - Rachmaninoff.
- I think Rachmaninoff had beautiful melody. - I think Rachmaninoff had better.
- Orchestration... Shostakovich. - I think Shostakovich.
- The symphonies... - Yeah.
Just, the way he could just go:
Yeah!
- No composer does that! - Yeah.
Form...
- Shostakovich. - Yeah.
Enjoyment...
- Ah, probably Rachmaninoff. Yeah. - Rachmaninoff for enjoyment, though.
- (Brett) Shostakovich. - (Eddy) Damn!
(Brett) Okay, we're getting good at this now.
(Eddy) All right!
Oookay!
(Eddy) On the right side:
Often heralded as the peak of Western classical music,
the genius deaf composer who
- began "the curse of the Ninth." - Can't hear you...
Can't hear you...
BEETHOVEN!
And on the right hand side, we have
- the guy that wrote nine symphonies and died, - Who als⁠— also got cursed!
got cursed by Beethoven...
The pinnacle of post-Romantic German symphony,
- his symphonies are some of the longest, - So good.
most complex...
They're meant to have said to represent
the whole universe in each symphony.
Gustav Mahler!
I really like Mahler's symphonies.
I love them, too.
I almost enjoy playing them more than Beethoven symphonies.
- It's that orchestra level... - I do. I do.
But I think Mahler's a bit hit-or-miss.
- Every Beethoven symphony is enjoyable, like⁠— - Symphonies like, "Eroica," "Pastoral"...
Yeah.
Ohh...
Mahler obviously had more colorful, more expressive harmonies,
but Beethoven had that...
...foundation.
- He, he was that bridge. Yeah. - That balance...
- Between Romance and Classical. - I'd say Beethoven had this one.
- (Eddy) Yeah. - (Brett) Beethoven. Sorry, Mahler, but Beethoven.
Saint-Saëns and Sch...
Schubert.
I think Schubert.
I mean, I like "Carnival of the Animals"—
no, actually, I don't like it.
I'm sorry.
Schubert definitely had a lot more impact on the world.
He was overshadowed by Beethoven,
but he impacted a lot on lyricism.
- He's, like, the lyrical... - Mm.
Very lyrical, and nice.
- Dude... - Brahms? Oh.
- Obviously Brahms. - Dude. Bro.
Not even a question!
- I mean, Haydn did write a bunch of symphonies and quartets. - Yeah.
- Haydn was, like, the OG quartet guy. - (Brett) That's true.
He's got nice quartets. But, Brahms.
But Brahms, yeah.
- I feel like we should explain, but I'm like... - Nah, you...
- This video's going too long! - Yeah, by—
- Do your own research! - You guys watch the channel,
do your own research, you know, yeah.
Yeah.
Liszt, Tchaikovsky.
- Tchaikovsky. Yeah. - Tchaikovsky, yeah.
(Eddy) Aw, man...
- I don't wanna do this! - I can't pick.
It's too hard. They're both amazing.
I'll say Bach. Sorry, Mozart, but I'll say Bach.
BUT... very— it's by a smidgin.
I think I enjoy Mozart more,
but I think Bach is a better composer.
(Brett) Yes.
(Both) Shostakovich!
- Shut up. - Oh, pfft.
Sorry, Vivaldi.
Beethoven.
- Augh... yeah. - Yeah.
- Like, we already said it. He was under the shadow of Beethoven. - Yeah. Yeah.
- Oh...! - Ohh ho ho! That's a good one.
OOH! That's a really hard one!
They're so different! Ballets, symphonies...
I think I'm going with Tchaikovsky.
Ooh, really?!
Ooh... I can't decide yet.
Aw, but Brahms is great, though.
Yeah, his symphonies are great.
Even the violin concertos, those two violin concertos...
We play violin, just like, FYI,
in case you guys don't know
and are new to this channel.
Both violin concertos are incredible.
I think what tips it for me is the ballets.
- I was just about to say that. - Yeah.
Tchaikovsky had that ballet factor.
And I think Brahms takes a while to grow into.
Yeah.
I feel like... Tchaikovsky's a bit more welcoming.
Mm.
I feel like... the older I get, the more I lean towards Brahms,
- but for now I'm gonna go Tchaikovsky. - Yes.
I am not old... yet.
I feel like I've offended a lot of people doing this,
but whatever.
Yeah, sorry!
Oh! ...Bach.
- Yeah. - Bach. Yeah, sorry, Bach's just...
(Both) Yeah.
Beethoven.
I think Beethoven.
I enjoy Tchaikovsky more, but I think Beethoven.
Yes.
Ah, s***.
I knew it'd come to this.
- Yeah, of course. - Of course, right?
- What were we expecting?! - What were we expec—
Sorry we wasted ten minutes of your time with this video!
I pick Prokofiev—no, just kidding.
- I don't wanna pick! We'll leave it at this. - Yeah.
Thank you for... watching.
Bach for me.
I like Bach.
Bro, I can't decide.
I think Bach is probably—
if you were testing the composer's skill,
and his mastery over music, probably Bach.
But I do think his compositional style,
just 'cause it's Baroque,
- it's not the style that I like... - It's very... yeah, I know what you mean.
...as much. It's very monothematic, it's not very dramatic.
EUGH...!
Oh he picked Bach, too, hahaha!
(Eddy) I don't think it's a coincidence that
Beethoven and Mozart all looked up to Bach.
Debussy didn't like Beethoven,
but he looked up to Mozart and Bach.
- Everyone looks up to Bach. - I think this is a fair fight.
I think it was very close.
To be fair, in the world of classical music
- you want all of them here. - Mhm.
Like, I wouldn't be able to live with just Bach,
- and neither with just Beethoven. I want all of them. - Yeah. Yeah.
Brings a lot more color to your musical lives.
Which one would you pick out of your own enjoyment?
Out of these 16.
I actually, I would enjoy Bach.
I actually enjoy practicing Bach sonatas and partitas.
- It's like you're in a church, and you're just like, "Whoa." - Yeah.
All right. Thanks for watching!
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Don't forget to practice~