Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Last night I went to see the Houston Symphony with my dad. They had a guest cellist known only by the name of Yo-Yo Ma. It was my second time to see him live in concert. I’m always amazed by the passion he conveys when playing. The program from May 5th at Jones Hall consisted of four pieces in this order:
Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor, opus 129
Intermission
Bloch: Schelomo, Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra
Wagner: Overture to Tannhäuser
Siegfried Idyll was gorgeous. It was very delicate and peaceful. The Schumann Concerto was absolutely amazing. I listened to it before going online and hearing it live was so much better! The concerto consisted of three movements, including a cadenza at the end – a chance for the performer to shine. A cadenza is where the player of the concerto writes their own bit of the music, using the composer’s scales or whatever else the player wishes to use. Not necessarily improvisation, but the performer does compose that part of the concerto, unless there’s one already written that they choose to use.
My favorite thing about Yo-Yo Ma would have to be his expressions and behavior while performing. I noticed that during the concerto (and when I saw him in 2007 perform a Dvorák Cello Concerto), Ma will be performing, swaying back and forth, and when he finally ends a section or comes to a rest, he will watch the rest of the orchestra play, such as the first chair violinist or perhaps the other cellists. I think that’s what true musicianship is – being aware of not just what the you are playing, but what’s going on around you too.
Schelomo by Bloch also included Yo-Yo Ma. I read up on it a little bit, and it turns out it was composed near WWI or WWII. For a piece that is “modern,” or written in the 20th century, it was a very pretty piece. I’ve always enjoyed that type of music – it had a Russian sort of flavor, like Bartók would write.
The ending Wagner piece I enjoyed as well, although MereWisdom could probably rant and rave more about it than I. He calls it his “Funeral Music.”
Overall, the concert was absolutely fantastic, not to mention the dinner at Birra Poretti’s. The night was phenomenal, and I was really happy to spend time with my dad and go see Yo-Yo Ma perform. I would definitely recommend ANY Houston Symphony series to the music lover, for their music is truly professional and all-around great!
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Tags: bloch, cadenza, cello, Cello Concerto in A minor, dvorak, Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra, houston symphony, Music, musicianship, Orchestra, Overture to Tannhäuser, Schelomo, schumann, Siegfried Idyll, symphony, violin, wagner, WWI, WWII, yo-yo ma, yoyo ma