Now you touched my heart. What can I say, Waltz is my favorite music form. I have hundreds of them on CDs, many never heard of by most. There is something about the waltz, something so elegant and stately. Specifically the Viennese waltzes, since I was a child I always dreamed of dancing it in a Viennese palace in a beautiful ballroom lit by hundreds of candles. The Romantic in me. And I can easily connect space and a waltz, dancing it outdoors at night while looking at the stars is an amazing experience and waltz can give that feeling of floating like nothing else.
Brilliant. Perfect! Your analysis should be the first experience of everyone who wants to understand classical music -- and why selections like these absolutely outlive time and . . . . space!!!
Hi I just watched both your videos and subscribed. I always thought of The Blue Danube in space as sort of a transposition of romance from the movement of water to the "buoyancy" of antigravity but to hear it explained practically is enlightening. If I might make a recommendation I think you could consider trying to speed up the pace of your videos just a little bit, maybe speak just a bit faster, ore more likely cut down on the lengthy fading transitions. That's just my opinion though of course, the current speed is very relaxing. Thanks looking forward to more
Fascinating analysis. I agree on the feeling of weightlessness the waltz gives. I love the Andre Rieu performances of Blue Danube, where he conducts the piece and slows the tempo almost to a complete halt before picking up again. It's just sublime. And some of the female musicians close their eyes at that point in ecstasy. The Blue Danube has so many variations, subtle changes and counterpoints, calls and answers, Strauss was an incredibly talented composer. One of my favourite classical pieces. It's the perfect choice to contrast Also Sprach Zarathustra in 2001.
I just discovered this gem of a channel today only. Thanks for sharing. To give some background I am an Indian with no education of classical. But as a consumer of pop culture has been hearing a lot of it subconsciously.
At first, Stanley Kubrick commissioned Alex North to do the score for 2001, but as the music was not ready during the previews, they used classical pieces instead. North was told to base his score on the classical pieces they were already using. When, finally, the film was edited with the North score, the director realized he preferred the classical pieces and North's score was rejected. He would eventually use it for "The Shoes of the Fisherman". And that's how Also Sprach Zaratustra, The Blue Danube, Lux Aeterna and the Gayana Ballet became the iconic music for space that are now -for good.
I think you might be overthinking this one. I don't think there's a general association of Viennese waltz with outer space, there's a specific association of the Blue Danube with 2001. Sarabandes also have the 2nd beat emphasis, but that wouldn't make them work in the place of Blue Danube in this scene (although Et incarnatus est from the bm mass would be awesome for a space scene). The music works because it's associated with a spinning dance - the ship and the station are dancing and spinning. I think it's that simple, altough I think the way V. Waltz "defies gravity" is a good point and plays into it. The critic who said using BD was vulgar is an idiot. Strauss is already vulgar by classical standards - maybe a step above Souza, but not exactly sublime music going on there.
In my opinion, Kubrick did a very bad job using this waltz. People are babbling today about what a stroke of genius this was. But of course it's utter garbage - a prolific film composer would have done a far better job. Bernard Herrmann was completely right: this was just "vulgar".
Great argumentation - you really drew out the different interpretations of the music over Time. Appreciated.
Now you touched my heart. What can I say, Waltz is my favorite music form. I have hundreds of them on CDs, many never heard of by most. There is something about the waltz, something so elegant and stately. Specifically the Viennese waltzes, since I was a child I always dreamed of dancing it in a Viennese palace in a beautiful ballroom lit by hundreds of candles. The Romantic in me. And I can easily connect space and a waltz, dancing it outdoors at night while looking at the stars is an amazing experience and waltz can give that feeling of floating like nothing else.
Brilliant. Perfect! Your analysis should be the first experience of everyone who wants to understand classical music -- and why selections like these absolutely outlive time and . . . . space!!!
Hi I just watched both your videos and subscribed. I always thought of The Blue Danube in space as sort of a transposition of romance from the movement of water to the "buoyancy" of antigravity but to hear it explained practically is enlightening. If I might make a recommendation I think you could consider trying to speed up the pace of your videos just a little bit, maybe speak just a bit faster, ore more likely cut down on the lengthy fading transitions. That's just my opinion though of course, the current speed is very relaxing. Thanks looking forward to more
Fascinating analysis. I agree on the feeling of weightlessness the waltz gives. I love the Andre Rieu performances of Blue Danube, where he conducts the piece and slows the tempo almost to a complete halt before picking up again. It's just sublime. And some of the female musicians close their eyes at that point in ecstasy. The Blue Danube has so many variations, subtle changes and counterpoints, calls and answers, Strauss was an incredibly talented composer. One of my favourite classical pieces. It's the perfect choice to contrast Also Sprach Zarathustra in 2001.
I just discovered this gem of a channel today only. Thanks for sharing.
To give some background I am an Indian with no education of classical. But as a consumer of pop culture has been hearing a lot of it subconsciously.
Great Explanation.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Great Stuff!! Please keep on going
I love your analysis and connections. Very helpful!
Great video! Hope to see more.
At first, Stanley Kubrick commissioned Alex North to do the score for 2001, but as the music was not ready during the previews, they used classical pieces instead. North was told to base his score on the classical pieces they were already using. When, finally, the film was edited with the North score, the director realized he preferred the classical pieces and North's score was rejected. He would eventually use it for "The Shoes of the Fisherman". And that's how Also Sprach Zaratustra, The Blue Danube, Lux Aeterna and the Gayana Ballet became the iconic music for space that are now -for good.
What an amazing video! Congratulations! Very good! Perfect argument! It makes perfect sense!
Well done
Posting it in my group Strauss Family and Friends. If you are on Facebook, you are welcome to join. It's a wealth of Viennese (and not only) music
totally agree! well stated.
That´s why you don´t take critics word for granted before an event.
Brilliant!
Which recording of Blue Danube did you used in this video
I hear it in like every space movie
¡Beautiful!
I think you might be overthinking this one. I don't think there's a general association of Viennese waltz with outer space, there's a specific association of the Blue Danube with 2001. Sarabandes also have the 2nd beat emphasis, but that wouldn't make them work in the place of Blue Danube in this scene (although Et incarnatus est from the bm mass would be awesome for a space scene). The music works because it's associated with a spinning dance - the ship and the station are dancing and spinning. I think it's that simple, altough I think the way V. Waltz "defies gravity" is a good point and plays into it. The critic who said using BD was vulgar is an idiot. Strauss is already vulgar by classical standards - maybe a step above Souza, but not exactly sublime music going on there.
The accent makes the waltz sound more like a mazurka
I agree!
Thought of Watchmen as I watched this.
Watching the 5th time.
That's not what terminal velocity is. Also it's "three-four time", not "three quarters time". But good points.
In my opinion, Kubrick did a very bad job using this waltz. People are babbling today about what a stroke of genius this was. But of course it's utter garbage - a prolific film composer would have done a far better job. Bernard Herrmann was completely right: this was just "vulgar".