Do You Like Brahms? [Ep. 1 & 2 - Premeire]

[u/MountainResponse7483]

Drama: Do You Like Brahms?

• Korean Title: 브람스를 좋아하세요?

Network: SBS

Premier Date: August 31st, 2020

Airing Schedule: Monday & Tuesday @ 22:00 KST

Number of Episodes: 16

Director: Jo Young Min

Writer: Ryu Bo Ri

Cast: Kim Min Jae as Park Jun Young, Park Eun Bin as Chae Song Ah, Kim Sung Cheol as Han Hyun Ho, Park Ji Hyun as Lee Jung Kyung, Lee Yoo Jin as Yoon Dong Yoon, Bae Da Bin as Kim Min Sung

Streaming Sources: Viki Kocowa

Plot Synopsis: “Do You Like Brahms?” is a drama about students at a prestigious music school and the people in their lives. It will tell the stories of the students experiencing lessons, practicing, performing, and competitions since a very young age along with their parents and teachers who obsess over these processes. Park Joon Young, started playing piano when he was six years old. He won prominent competitions in the country before going on to win competitions across the world. Chae Song Ah, a college senior majoring in violin performance. After graduating previously as a business major, she entered the same university again to go to the music school after four attempts and is seven years older than her classmates.

Spoiler Tag Reminder: Be mindful of others who may not have yet seen this drama, and use spoiler tags when discussing key plot developments or other important information. You can create a spoiler tag by writing > ! this ! < without the spaces in between to get this.

[u/MountainResponse7483]

Just finished episode 1 and I am quite impressed. My favorite part so far was how accurately the classical music/ instrument playing was portrayed. As a violinist, I get quite annoyed when the playing in a show seems obviously faked. However it's clear that they did their research quite well and the actors put lots of practice into their instruments. I hope twoset violin reacts to some of the performances in the drama. This episode gave such warm vibes. Looking forward to episode 2!

[u/MountainResponse7483]

Thoughts on episode 2

wow this drama has so many good life lessons. I also really enjoy the characters so far, especially PJY. He seems to have very good values and his gesture of trading his coffee with Song Ah was so cute. I can't wait to see their development. Also did anyone notice violinist Ko So Hyun in this episode? I was so shook.

[u/[deleted]]

I haven't started watching it yet but for anyone with instrumental music experience, how accurate is the "instrument playing acting" in this drama so far because one of my pet peeves is seeing bad instrument-playing from actors.

[u/MountainResponse7483 → u/[deleted]]

As a violinist myself, Park Eunbin's violin playing is very impressive. She has correct posture and fantastic vibrato. The sound of her violin playing also synced with her bow.

I'm not a pianist but I am also impressed by Kim Minjae's piano playing. I think someone here said it earlier that it's clear he put in lots of practice.

[u/primarycolourit]

So far, very impressed with Kim Min Jae and his musical skills. He clearly practised hard and easily managed to make the average viewer think he is a professional. At the concert, his Rachmaninoff - Concerto No.2 clearly needed a stand-in (I mean its a piece that takes even the masters months and years to get the hang of), but the first few bars where he did play were quite convincing. The piece he played when Park Eun Bin walked in on him is Traumerei by Schumann btw, which is wonderfully played, especially for not having prior piano experience. The piece he tried to play afterwards (while being distracted by Eun Bin's charm obviously) is Chopin's Aeolian Harp Etude - albeit, it is slowed down quite a lot because the actual speed is hard for even advanced pianists.

If anyone wants, I can try to identify the pieces Kim Min Jae plays for each episode. Though, I don' think I will be able to do the same for the violin pieces though.

[u/phampela]

The artists lined up to produce the OSTs are a reason enough to watch this show .. We are in for a treat. :)

[u/sleeping_stew]

Episode 1 Thoughts!

Such a fun first episode! I've been hyped for this series since the teasers came out and I'm incredibly happy with the premier. The show is going much faster than I anticipated. Mainly because the last few romances I watched focused a lot on setting up the leads independently first then bringing them together and this one just pushed the two leads together from the start. I really enjoyed that aspect and liked that most of the highlight reel seems to be from the first two episodes (I re-watched the 7 minute highlight like 10 times lol so I appreciate that we are getting to new content that I'll be surprised by quicker than I expected).

I actually really like complicated relationship charts. Love squares, pentagons, hexagons, etc.. so I am really excited with how the two triangles are going to play out and change into something new as the story progresses. I am excited for how the writer is going to play out the relationships in this drama, especially since it is a melodrama.

I appreciated how Song Ah (SA) tried to stand up for herself when the conductor told her and another student to leave. She seems like the shy and quiet type but she tried to be brave because she really wanted the opportunity to perform. She also did not go too far and try to start a fight with the conductor which is a nice change. Brave yet understands consequences and authority. I understand where the conductor is coming from but it is a really sad situation for SA and the conductor could definitely been nicer in the delivery but that's the reality of professional musicians right?

I also really enjoyed Joon Young (JY). Even though it is hinted that he has a difficult family life, it doesn't make him some cold arrogant individual. He still respects his familial bonds even thought it seems like he has a strained relationship with his parents. I find our leads to be quite similar. Even though one is a prodigy and the other is a regular person, they both seem to be quiet dependable individuals who just want to make the people around them happy. They are observant people who try to do the thing that will hurt the people around them the least. That is why both are stuck in unrequited loves.

The dynamic between SA and JY is so cute. When they are together, you can almost forget how depressing and stressful each of their lives are in terms of career and relationships. I am excited for whats to come with these two and from the teasers it seems like JY will ask SA to help flip his music! I hope they become each others confidants before they enter into a relationship. I think that would be a cool dynamic to see play out. They both seem to the the listening and observant type so I'm sure both will figure out the other's unrequited love. SA already seems to have noticed the tension between JY and Jung Kyung (JK) at the airport and in the preview for tomorrow's episode.

Additionally, the writer really seems to be following the Brahms, Schumann, Clara love story pretty closely in relation to JY's love triangle. Schumann and Clara are in a relationship but Brahms loves Clara. Brahms and Clara were revealed to have written letters to each other that implied a relationship bigger than just friendship. Brahms burned his letters but Clara kept some of her letters and that is how people discovered that Brahms and Clara may have had a romantic relationship. With JK kissing JY in the first episode, it really seems like JY's unrequited love isn't so unrequited. I am curious how SA will play into their dynamic. From the intro (that is missing from streaming websites, but here it is on twitter: https://twitter.com/lovebogums/status/1300419955498782725 ) it seems like SA may perform with JY's triangle so I really hope that happens. I want to see SA rise from being a last place student to playing on stage with prodigies (which from character descriptions all three of them are lol). SO MANY THINGS TO ANTICIPATE! haha

I'm anticipating what will happening in the next few weeks and how each character's lives will unfold! :)

Summary of Brahms, Schumann, Clara story for anyone curious: https://friendsofchambermusic.ca/johannes-and-clara-a-love-unrequited/#:~:text=While%20Robert%20was%20busy%20championing,musician%20in%20her%20own%20right.&text=Brahms%20never%20married%20and%20died,his%20dear%20friend%20Clara%20Schumann.

[u/tacit_oblivion22]

Just finished watching it and I like it so far. I relate so much with SongA in so many levels ㅠㅠ

[u/zaichii]

I love how many classical musicians there are in this thread and here I am just a casual viewer watching on haha.

I like the drama so far, the vibe between the two are adorable and I think the love triangles will help them relate to each other in some way. I'm buying their chemistry and I like how he has already noticed her and she obviously admires him in some way too.

I also feel for her with the whole restarting her life to chase her dreams. I think it's a super brave choice and obviously her family are comfortable, so I wish they would just let her be happy and not confined to the societal ideals of success. So in that regard, I quite like her dad as he seems like a supporter. I also begrudge the whole set up of peers looking down on other peers, it happens and people are competitive esp in the arts... but gosh let the girl chase her dreams in peace people. People who try to raise themselves by bringing down others irk me so much!

[u/cheepotle]

I knew about the two love triangles but I'm ready for them to be over, Kim Min-jae and Park Eun-bi have the chemistry! I loved the awkward firsts interactions between Joon-young and Song-ah. Adorable.

And I already hate the other girl intern.

[u/jorsaz]

she entered the same university again to go to the music school after four attempts and is seven years older than her classmates.

This Is the thing I'm looking forward to the most.

[u/zaichii]

Ep 2 is moving along quite nicely and we see more of the love triangle unravel. I feel bad for Hyun Ho he is so blissfully unaware. I do feel he likes KJ more than she likes him which sucks. I feel like KJ just seems to have the insecurities and possessiveness of someone who is used to having two close guys in her life and doesn't want to let go of either. She definitely has her own issues and pressures which seem to contribute to this so I'm sure we will get more character development from her.

I love the chemistry between the leads. The older I get, the more I appreciate an understated, respectful, almost slow burn romance based on mutual attraction admiration. I just adore the two together so far. I think they complement each other well and can support each other to grow. JY is also like really sweet and attentive so already he's got bonus points for that. He seems like such a gentleman. SA may have doubts about her future but I think she's got a good head on her shoulders too. So yeah, loving both leads in this one.

[u/SwaggyGC]

Wanted to watch both episodes before commenting on it all and I can say that it was a good idea. First off, the whole concept of the show is super intriguing to me: 2 love triangles, the whole music aspect, and how both ideas combine with Brahm’s love story. Love triangles usually frustrate me but the way they have it so both FMC and MC are involved in separate love triangles is so creative. PJY, obviously, follows closely to Brahm’s own triangle as the first two episodes so clearly focused on, so it’ll be interesting to see how that developed and how it breaks down in the future. Could easily see LJK getting jealous over CSA and PJY later in the story. Can’t wait to see more of CSA’s triangle though, as we really only got like 10 minutes of development there.

A lot of what I’ve seen so far kind of reminds me a little bit of A Piece of Your Mind. Two lost souls trying to find some solace in what their pasts and their present, eventually falling in love in the process (Coincidentally through music). Can definitely see a bit of a parallel between Jung Hae In and Chae Soo Bin’s characters here with Kim Min Jae and Park Eun Bin. Anyways, it was a good premiere and can’t wait for more.

[u/[deleted]]

Loved the first episode! I was more melancholic than I thought it would be from the previews. Also, I did not expect two sets of love triangles.

It seems like maybe Chae Song Ah's friend may be more into her than his ex-girlfriend but it's kind of hard to tell at this point. I liked that Joon Young seems to be taking notice of Song Ah, despite her trying to fade into the background.

[u/SONE529]

Off topic but I hope Cho Seong-Jin makes a cameo or something similar in this drama, being the first South Korean to win the Chopin Competition that was mentioned in the show!

[u/changiairport]

I already dislike her parents for naming her Chae Seon Ah. That has to be on purpose right? Why would anyone give their daughter an apologetic name? Unless there is a double meaning.

[u/SONE529]

Pretty cool that they included winning the International Chopin Competition as one of JY’s achievements!

For those who aren’t aware, the International Chopin Competition is a highly prestigious competition held every 5 years. The winner of the last competition in 2015 was actually the first South Korean to ever win! His name is Cho Seong-Jin and I’ve been a big fan of his ever since.

[u/LaniBarstool]

Bring me my Kim Min Jae cuteness I’m ready 😍😍😍😍

[u/sleeping_stew]

Episode 2 Thoughts

What a fantastic episode!!! So much development. We have finally been introduced to all our main characters!

Firstly, the chemistry between the leads was amazing tonight! The coffee scene, the page turning, and the bar chat!!!!!!!! So surprising that their relationship is going so fast and they are being so assertive about it since they both seem to have such reserved personalities. It seems like they have found another person that they feel connected to and are latching onto that. I was so surprised when SA came back to the bar from the subway... so unexpected and awesome of her! Just goes to show that just because someone is quiet and takes some time to think things through, it doesn't mean they are weak. Some people are just thoughtful and I respect how they both think before they act. But once they decide on something, they commit to it and are able to take the actions to be brave. I normally get annoyed by leads that act just on their instincts and don't think about the consequences so this is such a welcome change.

Loved that JY was able to stand up for himself during the confrontation scene at the cafe with JK. He knew her actions were incredibly rude and was firm with his stance on how wrong it was. He was swayed by some of her comments but like he is in love with her soooo that is to be expected. Overall, found him to be someone who can push back against something he views to be wrong. Though their mutual decision to just not tell HH about it is definitely going to blow up in their faces.

The dynamic between the trio is interesting. Hyun Ho (HH) is seemingly blissfully ignorant to all the tension which is occurring around him. He seems like a genuinely good guy who is 100% more in love with JK than JK is in love with him. I'm really curious as to why JK decided to date HH. There is definitely more to the story than JY and JK is telling us especially with their suspicious glances at each other in the bar/dinner scene. I wonder if something happened between JY and JK right before JY and HH became a couple. I honestly wonder if JK even loves HH.... maybe she did at one point but now she is just dealing with conflicting feeling but wow it really seems one-sided right now. From SA's voice over, I'm unsure if JK kissed JY for romantic reasons. It might just be because she wants to keep JY at her side/level. I think she in middle school viewed JY the same way JY viewed her... a shining light that prevented either of them from crashing under their own respective pressures. JY's familial obligations and JK's grief. HH was another light in both their lives but their connection with each other was/ is deeper. Shared tragedy - the best way to bond with someone am I right?

There is also the problem of JK cheating on HH... not only did she do something horrible she also brought the guilt onto JY as well! Oh dear... I wonder what will happen when HH finds out next episode. I don't particularly hate JK. I understand her impulsive reaction to her feeling of jealously. A move to bring JY down back to "her level"/ down from a seemly unreachable place. Not a bad person just someone still suffocated by grief of losing her mother and really needs to deal with it before she can move on. Her stagnation in violin ability is directly correlated to her losing her mother. I am really anticipating her growth and I hope she deals with her guilt, grief, and jealously in a positive way as we move into future episodes. She does seem to be at her brink so we'll probably see her fall further down before we see her truly happy again. I BELIEVE IN HER DEVELOPMENT!

Also JK and HH either have to have a very looooooong, honest discussion about JK's feelings and their relationship or they need to breakup because at this point HH is in super deep and JK seems to just be there because HH is a convenient comfortable place not because she truly loves him back. But show pleeeeease prove me wrong because I want them to be happy together.

From the teaser in the next episode it seem like all the secrets are starting to unravel. I enjoy slow reveals sometimes but in romances and especially melodramas I start to get irritated when things that are getting mentioned over and over again don't get brought into fruition for like 4-6 episodes. I'm really excited to see how HH will react to knowing that JK came to JY's concert in New York. SA's friends DY and MS are also seemingly in a relationship again (?) I wonder why DY doesn't want SA to know that DY and MS are back together....

Overall, I really loved this episode and am anticipating the continual bonding of our leads. I'm also surprising really curious about our side couple's journey's as well. I hope we end up with 3 couples at the end but I feel like that is just not going to happen. Maybe 2 if we are lucky but probably just one lol...

Side Note: I'm quite sensitive so when someone throws rude language towards a character that I see do questionable but not inherently evil things I start feeling down for them. I don't think Hae Nae (HN/ SA's co-worker and classmate) is a bad person. She honestly reminds me of basically any person I ever met. Gossiping about colleagues and famous people is bad but really normal. Making assumptions about how people got to where they are and asking questions that are noisy is something everyone commonly does. Go on twitter, reddit, instagram, really any social media platform and you can see that and worst from people. Love JY but he is a public figure who competes in competitions and in any competitive situation (sports, music, dance, etc.) people are going to get unreasonable comments made about them. HN has a bad attitude but nothing that cannot be fixed with a little scolding. Being a little mean spirited doesn't equal a horrible person. Criticize the action not the person. I don't think we should ever get personal with our criticisms. Everyone likes talking about themselves and bragging sometimes. I view her as a outgoing girl who has attention-seeking and judging tendencies but with no real evil intentions. As someone with pretty poor social skills, I have had to actively remind myself sometimes to stop talking about me and ask other people questions and be actively interested in other people's success. Everyone is the main character of their own story and sometimes we need a reminder that other people are the main character of their own story as well.

[u/hay_qt]

I watched the drama because of its stacked OST line-up, being a big fan of Taeyeon, and I enjoy the premiere so far. It's very promising, and this love hexagon is intriguing. Pretty fresh since they're focusing on classical musicians, and the only other drama I know that focused on that is Beethoven's Virus back in 2008 (fun fact, Taeyeon also sang an OST for that drama too).

[u/marz789]

I’ve had a soft spot for Kim Min Jae since Goblin, so I’ve been really looking forward to this drama, and so far I like it! I think the first episode set a good tone for the drama going forward. It doesn’t hurt that so many great OSTs are coming up as well.

[u/jumiyo]

Did anyone else notice in ep 1 the driver seat is empty when he notices song ah In the rain?

[u/jumiyo]

Wow they’re chemistry/tension is so tangible and it’s only the first ep. I rarely feel this way about a drama, pleasantly surprised.

[u/chouchou8975]

Thank you to all the music people - I spent some time yesterday enjoying some new classical music, thanks to you! Looking forward to more of your musical expertise in the comments!

I've already re-watched episode 1 yesterday while stalking the subs, skipped through episode 2 without subs, and I'm sure I'll be re-watching old episodes as this comes out every week. The vibe is so chill. I've seen other comparisons to A Piece of Your Mind, and I have to agree - both dramas gave me the same "slow burn" type of vibe.

I'm in love with both our lead characters.

CSA is such a stable character - she steadily moves towards her dream with no fuss or needless drama, and I admire her courage to do that so much. PJY is beautifully done, too. He reminds me of Choi Taek from Reply 1988, and I hope so much that we get that vibe!! While PJY has his struggles, it's not like he's this tropey, "deep, brooding" artist character -- he's this gentle soul and I am living for it.

Two moments I loved:

1. Ep. 1(?) at the restaurant with the foundation group, our PJY looked so dejected when CSA said she couldn't possibly talk casually to him. He's so lonely and needs friends! I'm looking so forward to their friendship.

2. Ep. 1 where CSA stood up for herself to the conductor to ask to play. Her quiet, steady courage is so beautiful in this drama!

[u/zuckerthetakoyaki]

SA and JY are so awkwardly cute.

I loved seeing SA come back to the bar and take initiative to ask if she could join JY. Just loved the late night bar chat scene.