One could only Image that there would eventually be a new category for the Grammy Awards. Televised guitar lessons that were so influential as to have created new masters as first time viewers of these great televised music lessons... The great Eastern Canadian media specialist Marshall McLuhan would have suggested something congratulatory to commend this admired program with Julian Bream.
The difference between Bream/Students performance is really amazing ... what a talent ! He was playing with his soul ...every single note is perfect . Absolutely genious one of a kind ! RIP Maestro.
Maestro Bream certainly took no prisoners! It must have been bad enough to hear him playing, perfectly, something which nearly everyone struggles with, without him then minutely dissecting every tiny fault in right and left hand technique, phrasing, tempo, and balance. And, he could do all that without even looking at you, just by listening to what you were playing. And to think, his career nearly came to an abrupt end when he smashed his right elbow on a hump back bridge while traversing it in his sports car. To come back from that was incredible.
30:48 - "I have very few things to say about that performance" ... then goes on to analyze technique for 19 minutes. To be fair, he did have program time to fill. But it just goes to show: regardless of the quality of performance, there is ALWAYS room for improvement. There's always stuff to work on.
Amazing to watch maestro Bream being moved by a student’s playing.....his humility is only matched by his musicality. Thank you for posting this true gem of a true genius.
Not too sure there was much humility! He really handed out the homework, big style, uncompromising, and often with a bit of evident irritation about the basics not having been done correctly!!
@@tasmedic he was quite generous with his praise of other musicians, but at the same time aware of his own ability. I suppose, if you play as well as he did, it might get irritating to hear music that you play so well, played less well. The students are all obviously very good players, but they're not Julian Bream.
I see so much intellectual sophistication and at the same time the primordial cave man in beam as he dives into the levels of his musical interpretation.
Very instructive indeed. This masterclass shows that Julian Bream thinks/thought about the correct interpretation of literally every single note. No wonder that to this day he is the best and most melodious guitar virtuoso of them all.
Funny you say that cuz Bream is one of my favorites, but his Chaconne is not one of my favorites. Its a little too lugubrious somehow. Even ponderous. Yet still, RIP maestro.
What lovely playing from Cheryl Grice - interesting that she gets nearly half the programme! Good to know that Cheryl is still playing excellent guitar today too - check out her channel on youtube
Cheryl had the technical brilliance to respond to Julian's suggestions in real time, always a really nice, though rare, bonus for someone giving the masterclass (the other students were still struggling with the technical basics).
"take your time, just take your time, just take your time... even more time than you think you should" That's right Bream. Bream never felt like teaching, but in reality i think that he really had the instinct to go straight to the problem in all the cases. That's what real teachers do. If you don't really know the problem you'll never improve.
It's so evident what a master Julian Bream is when he somehow makes 3 good players sound so mediocre. Cheryl really played fantastically though. I wish that hundreds more of these masterclasses had been made.
Bream was actually pretty good teacher and very carismatic! Quite far from the tipical old grumpy music master youd see in those days. hats off to Bream! the man is almost 90 years old today
@@nick260682 I think one of the greatest musical quotes ever was when Miles Davis said to John Mclaughlin on the Bitches Brew sessions , Mclaughlin asked what Miles wanted to which he said " Play like you don't know how to play " .
its so great these were made. watching this as you are learning granada is quite special rly. like a mini lesson with mr bream. makes me wonder what else may have been filmed in this series all those years ago that didn't make the final cut aired episodes, sitting somewhere in the BBC vault maybe. LETS TAKE A TRIP TO GRANADA! :D
was learning granada for about half a year and i just cant explain how valuable this video of bream's masterclass is. ive learnt so much from one of the greatest guitar players ever playing one of my favourite guitar classics just by watching this from start to finish. Will treasure these rare videos for the rest of my life, even though im just 14. RIP Julian Bream, his legacy will forever live on🙏🙏
What a genius, and amazing contributor to the world of the guitar, a universal musician, great personality and inspiration to guitarists worldwide. Hasta siempre Julian.
Mr. Bream seems like a very, very nice and polite man. A wonderful man with a wonderful English tradition. I regret not knowing him and his works earlier in my life.
comparing this to John Williams masterclass, he acts as an automaton - whereas Breams intensity love, passion and insane dedication to every note and passage is very human, and in the best sense of that word!
@@gonza8824 oh, come one! Williams is an outstanding player. I prefer Williams for some music (generally the very rhythmic Spanish music, also he generally played guitars more suited to that sound than Bream), Bream for other music (Bach, for example). Williams may be a less expressive player than Bream, and it's interesting that their duets sound more Breamish than Williamsish, but JW is still a fantastic player.
phenomenal records ... Frankly I did not want to be one of his pupils nevertheless I could not play in front of him. He caught a small missing legato while she was playing ...
Poor Joe. If I didn't have the basics down, I definitely wouldn't present myself in a masterclass; if you have to be shown how to play a triplet properly, you are out of your league in a masterclass.
Bream is the artist, musician, relying on his intuïtion and using his analytical skills to look at the expression, motives and so on. In fact he tries to play and teach from the inside (and then out). That is what makes him different to all other classical guitarplayers who don't have that depth.
Great to see, notice a young John Mills watching....Rhythm and phrasing always rears its head in these classes. Bream is so meticulous here....great to see and hear.
Juliam Bream is the master of sound quality. His ear for each note is so fine grain, its like his conscious receptivity grasps every sound in slow motion.
Imagine studying guitar your entire life, winning awards and praise, only for Julian Bream to point out you really don’t know how to hammer on / pull off
After the third performance I'm convinced that God could have played something and he would still find faults. Despite her brilliance, who has ever heard of her? If she'd played rock guitar maybe she could have monetized her talent. Oh well, the pitfalls of loves labor!
Cheryl Grice has had a successful career in her own write as a musician and you can find more recent videos on YT of her performing such as this lovely performance of Misty: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FZOx-eCnI4s.html
Think about all the rock guitarist, do you think Clapton could played it? When people asked me and I’m a guitarist of 58 years for a great guitarist, I said start with Segovia and work backwards.
It’s a simple fact that his absolute technical mastery drives everything, but these video lessons also show pretty loud and clear that his guitar itself, was a Beast. Assuming they’re both mic’d evenly, his guitar seems to be a Canon! Amazing amount of Bass and overall volume coming from it. Anyone know anything about it. Instrument’s voices will obviously differ, this one(s) featured in this Series seem very powerful.
I was wondering the same since the sound qualities are so different. Mindful that the mic is more for the television recording rather than the students there, it does look like the mics aren't quite even. Julian seems closer to the mic aimed toward him and he's sitting closer with the soundhole right there at the mic. The student is seated farther away and usually the guitar is pointed a bit away from the mic.
An amazing master class. Julian Bream brought back my love for music. Thanks Julian! Thanks to everyone who participated in the creation of these videos!
Outside of being a great master, a great musician & above all a great teacher , outside of all the nuances of the TECHNICAL & musical material, BREAM teaches & PREACHES IMMACULATE TASTE
Julián Bream was a great person. One sees here his friendly and obliging kind. In return I look at Segovia's masterclass 1965, Segovia was like an asshole to his participants. Overbearing and without any empathy. In addition, Segovia was overvalued anyway and Bream was better than Segovia.
"Segovia was like an asshole to his participants. Overbearing and without any empathy. In addition, Segovia was overvalued anyway and Bream was better than Segovia." #ytmostidioticcomments
Just googled Cheryl Grice, and was astonished to find out that she actually now lives in the same country as me - just a few hours drive I'd be able to be her student! Wow!
Is it only me, or the sound the students produce is compromised by recording quality? I’ve noticed that Mr Bream remains in his chair throughout the entire master classes and the mic is placed perfectly to reproduce tonal quality of his instrument (and playing ofc). The students come and go, and, as they take the chair their main concern is the chair and foot stool. Nobody (at least from what I’ve seen) has ever touched the mic.
Funny how something as simple as a dress shirts they were wearing, which probably looked modern and common at the time, make this video look aged since such shirts are now out of style. Things like large collars and detailed patterns on shirts. Also everything looks like it has a brown shade.
@@JonDunnmusician I saw almost little to no facial or bodily expression - very John Williams-esque. I have no idea where you're getting arrogance from.
James Anderson Man---this guy is a tough teacher!!! Not an expert here-and don't play guitar to this level-but sometimes the slower precise method-can, I say can, squeeze some life out of the guitar feel. If I'm the first player here-I might stick more to my original interpretation...One can't discount Bream and his skill level-but I prefer a little more liveliness and without a heavy hand...
michael bane To add--the 2nd player was too fast for me-and i think Bream's comments to him were right on the money! The woman seems to me-charging a little hard in style. First section lacks the playful subtlety of someone playing it like, John Williams. Just my opinion---seems she loses some feel by pressing on too hard.
+James Anderson He might be too critical, but these students came for his critique, that's the whole point. Especially the lady, she had an impeccable technique and flow, and I think she deserves the harshest of critique because it will bring up the little details that when overlooked her performance would be otherwise flawless. Julian's criticism was on point for the most part.
i know i made a comment to zip929 but this is really the best thing ive seen . Isnt julian just fantastic and supportive. Does anybody know if John williams does a masterclass......
+Chas Williams There are some masterclasses on YT with John Williams. They are a very different format though as he focuses much less on the technicals and focuses much more instead on the interpretation side of things. Still excellent. I'm nowhere near good enough to show up for a class like this, but I've found great benefit in watching both Bream and Williams's classes. Learning is always good. I think the students would have to be a very high caliber indeed to make the most of a shared learning experience in John's style of class. But that also matches their personality. Julian always tends to play things as the music dictates, while John tends to play everything with his style. Julian teaches students as their needs dictate, where John teaches with his own style.
45 years have passed since the time these videos were made. I have tried to search the students’ name on internet but found nothing. They maybe too old to keep on their professional...
The man has thought everything through in the finest detail. I also notice a great difference in sound. Does anyone know what instrument he is playing?
The young lady is certainly very good. But JB is and always will be the maestro of this instrument andf the Lute. RIP to a great man, sadly missed every day.
The difference's here are we have a grand master and professionals. The students are way above my level and I aspire to play as well as they do, and no doubt never will. But Julian, is in a different league. You have either have it or you don't. It's what separates the true greats from the rest of us.
i went to Newcastle music college and i had my audition for guitar in front of three of the professors of music -- the head of music said he shared a room at the Royal College with Julian Bream - needless to say i nearly soiled myself . He also said that when Julian was put forward to go to RCM - a scrubby looking genius . There was no actual guitar program offered there -they scratched their heads as Julian was so outstanding and talented that they offered up a place for him. I got in and studied classical guitar for 2 years but then down the hall i heard a minor pentatonic......
The man being tutored here, in my opinion, is twisting his wrist too much and not keeping it straight like Julian 's. It's taking away from the strength of the strength and beauty of his playing.
The student is older than the teacher; too late for him to learn anything ... . Moustache guy, even worse. The girl, better than them. Would have rather listened to Bream playing the pieces.
Bream's technical brilliance literally frees him up to primarily focus on dynamics, phrasing, tone, vibrato, ornament type etc etc - all things which separate even brilliant musicians from true virtuosos. Being able to unshackle the technical aspects of playing a piece, so that you don't need to think about it (and can focus on 'the music'), is about as difficult as it gets.
So much music, so many guitars, and so little time. Thank you Julian Bream for inspiring us all. You were a true master and a true gentleman. PS: Julian's sense of humor was also a pert of him that we should remember and appreciate. 13:35 "..you have to take a trip to Granada...", priceless! He was absolutely serious about the music, but he never forgot his playfulness, humor and humility.
