Role of the Performer: Yo-Yo Ma

 


Yo-Yo Ma's journey began when he was born on 1955, in France. When he became four, his family moved to New York where he started his musical studies. When he was still a pre teen, he studied at the Juilliard school, which is a very prestigious liberal arts school. He then later transferred to Harvard at the age of 16 to get his degree in humanities. While he is considered a classical musician, he tried out American bluegrass, traditional Chinese, and Baroque pieces. Throughout his very successful career he has a discography of more than 120 albums. Over the span of his life, "he has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize (1978), the National Medal of the Arts (2001), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010), Kennedy Center Honors (2011), the Polar Music Prize (2012), and the Birgit Nilsson Prize (2022)," (Yo-Yo Ma Biography, 5). 



The original composer of Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prélude was Johann Sebastian Bach, written around 1717–1723 in Germany. Yo-Yo Ma did a recreation of the song many times over the years, with his first recording in 1983 in his recording of the Bach Cello Suites. The melody of the song is built mainly on broken chords throughout the song, displaying the cellos range. He has a remarkable use of dynamics in the song where he alternates through light moments to a gradual intensity. I really enjoy how much emotion can be displayed from a single instrument, it is truly remarkable.  


A quarter Chicken Dark was composed by Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, and Yo-Yo Ma in 2011 in the United States. This song showcases Yo-Yo Ma's ability to hop between  different genres effortlessly. The rhythm follows a groovy pace where you can not help but start to move with the beat. The musical texture is spread out sparsely in the song allowing for each individual instrument to shine. As a fan of bluegrass, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Yo-Yo Ma created this kind of music. I really enjoy this song to the point where I added it to my library. 

I think it is very important to have musicians who interpret other works. It allows for songs to be seen in a different light whether that be through the lens of a different genre, or have more emphasis on different notes. I think it enhances the depth and growths the appreciation of the original work, and I believe that Yo-Yo Ma does an excellent job of demonstrating that. He has brought current attention to historical pieces that deserved more appreciation. 
 


Citations

"Yo-Yo Ma Biography." Yo-Yo Ma Official Website, www.yo-yoma.com/biography/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2024.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Yo-Yo Ma." Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Oct. 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Yo-Yo-Ma.


Comments

  1. JaxOctober 21, 2024 at 1:27 PM

    Hello Ryder,

    What a musician, Yo-Yo Ma is the only living classical musician that I could name. Funnily Enough before I read this article I was listening to one of Yo-Yo Ma’s performances while I was doing some work. He is a fantastic performer and his technical skills are on a complete other level. When you hear Yo-Yo Ma perform you know it's before even seeing his face. For a large section of Americans he was probably their introduction to the cello as a child as he made a few appearances on the show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. I’ve linked the video below I would recommend giving it a watch.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJDYuVvU-e0&ab_channel=SwiftFoxMedia



    ReplyDelete
  2. Sarah ThayerNovember 1, 2024 at 11:16 AM

    Hey There! I have never heard of Yo-Yo Ma but I'm glad I have now. I was surprised after listening to the two examples because they just felt so different from each other. It's neat that, like you said, he has such a wide range of skills and ability to hop between genres. Did you know he's been in Alaska? I found this while looking at his Youtube page! https://youtu.be/8VHNWAhvdNE?feature=shared

    ReplyDelete
  3. Zoe PayneNovember 4, 2024 at 9:01 PM

    Yo-Yo Ma is absolutely amazing. His work is inspiring and he has worked so hard to be where he is. Have you ever looked into whether he has made any of his own music? I would be interested in seeing it is he ever did.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mackenzie TaskerNovember 5, 2024 at 3:36 PM

    Hi Ryder!
    I am not the biggest fan of classical music but Yo-Yo Ma plays beautiful music! He has a way of picking you up into the music. His playing of the Cello is so smooth and he carries the notes in a soothing way where it just brings you into the music. I like the way he changes the tones of the Cello in his different songs that you provided. I think that it captures really well that instruments can all be played differently.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Landon StrohNovember 9, 2024 at 6:15 PM

    I have always loved the sound of the cello, and Yo-Yo Ma sounds amazing. Before reading your blog, I had never heard of this artist; I am glad that I now have. Both of the songs that you chose are great; you can really see how elegant and precise Yo-Yo Ma is with the cello in these songs. If you are looking for more cello-oriented songs, I would recommend checking out 2cellos; they have an awesome cover of Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvqImsjpfPo

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lincoln ScherzerNovember 9, 2024 at 9:31 PM

    I completely agree with you, when Yo-Yo Ma is playing, he is exceptionally good at using dynamics to make the listener feel different emotions based on the intensity of his playing. I like how Yo-Yo Ma is bringing lots of attention back to historical pieces so that they can continue to be appreciated and not forgotten. I think if you liked listening to Yo-Yo Ma, you should listen to his recording of “Appalachian Waltz” by Mark O’Connor as it shows off his immense talent and ability.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Eva November 10, 2024 at 11:08 PM

    Hey Ryder,
    I've never heard of Yo-yo Ma before reading but I'm glad I have! It's not my favorite type of music no doubt, but I got to admit this man's got skills. His performances are insane, it's like this guy was born to play the cello. His ability to hone in on the emotions portrayed, and his use of different ranges really pulls you into the song. I also much like seeing today's performers recycle classical pieces helping keep them alive for the next generations. I actually found a video of one of his performances right here in Fairbanks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VHNWAhvdNE

    ReplyDelete

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