The Dvořák Album - Yo Yo Ma (2004)
By Henrik Polatsek (Bernstein to Bladee)
I am the Yo Yo Ma defender hiding in the shadows, and I'm here to spread my pro Yo Yo Ma agenda. I've thought long and hard about which album of his to write this review on, but I've come to the conclusion that The Dvořák Album is the perfect album to get a glimpse into the world of classical cello and to familiarize yourself with some of the greatest 'hits'.
It is hard to overstate Yo Yo Ma's greatness, he first performed publicly at 4 years old, and he played for JFK when he was 7 (conducted by the legendary Leonard Bernstein as well). He has won every award there is to win, and more importantly he has won the hearts and ears of generations of classical music listeners. To even attempt to make the claim that Yo Yo Ma isn't in at least the top 3 classical cellists- or even classical musicians- of all time is something to scoff at. (As an aside my top 3 cellists are Yo Yo Ma, Jacqueline du Pré and Bruno Philippe.)*
When looking for an entry point with Ma, it can get daunting very easily. Not only has he played and recorded forever, but he has also strayed from the classical cellist's canon, a move which has cemented him as an innovator. Because of this, The Dvořák Album, which features some very accessible and well known works for cello, is the best way to get into Yo Yo Ma. The album has one cello concerto, featuring three movements, and four more pieces, bringing the total runtime of the album to just under one hour.
Dvořák's Concerto in B Minor for Cello and Orchestra has been done to death for a good reason, it is a beautiful piece of music that nearly always sounds good. Yo Yo Ma has an absolutely wonderful interpretation of the piece, and he is backed by the New York Philharmonic being conducted by the late Kurt Masur. This concerto was recorded in 1995 and has received widespread praise (considering the fact that his previous recording of this concerto wasn't necessarily up to par). Writing for ClassicsToday.com, Victor Carr Jr says, "Ma clearly is inspired in this live performance, finely attuned to the music’s nuance and unashamed of its passions." In this review lies the greatness of Ma's style. When watching him play (something that should be done over just listening at least once) you can see the full body interpretation he creates for each piece. Take for example Ma's performance of Dvořák's concerto at the Czech Philharmonic in 2015, at the end of the first movement, where the cello plays an increasingly difficult part of the piece, and the horns grow louder and louder, each measure requiring more sound and mastery, and he begins to lift himself out of his seat, almost falling over with each successive beat, he creates must have been a quasi-religious experience to witness live.
The four other pieces on the album are a tour of the other 'greatest hits' of Dvořák's compositions. Here Ma is accompanied by the Boston Philharmonic being conducted by Seiji Ozawa- a legend in his own right who you should go search up and learn more about after reading this review. The first piece, Silent Woods, is probably my favorite recording of the cello being played period. Interestingly enough, this piece was originally composed for 'piano four-hands' a two person one piano musical experience, although having been to a piano four-hands concert, I am very glad this was transcribed for cello and orchestra. It's not a very long piece, only 6 minutes, but I think it really gets at the core of why Yo Yo Ma is the greatest living cellist. The way in which he is able to control the tonality of his cello is nothing short of full on mastery and the perfect example of a musician at the height of their career.
The next two pieces on the album feature Itzhak Perlman, one of the greatest violinists of all time. I won't talk much about Slavonic Dances No. 2 in E Minor** but it is a great piece worth at least a few listens. Humoresque No. 7 on the other hand is a beautiful track that features a lovely back and forth sparring between Ma and Perlman, where they trade musical ideas. There is a recording of this performance on youtube and if you were to take anything away from this review, I'd implore you to go watch it. There is this look on both Perlman and Ma's faces that is best described as a look given from someone who knows that they think they are the best in the world, and even better- they can back it up.
The final piece on this album is "Songs My Mother Taught Me" and it is the only piece from this album that I had not heard of before I listened to it. Here Ma is joined by Patricia Zander, who accompanies his playing beautifully. The musical passing of ideas somewhat mirrors Humoresque No. 7, but there is something much more somber about this composition that I don't think I could fully articulate in writing. It is a wonderful piece about remembrance and what we bring forward from those who came before us, if I had to give it my best shot.
I hope you have been convinced to give this album a try, and if you love it, I'd recommend checking out his Tiny Desk, and his album Yo Yo Ma: Great Cello Concertos, before branching out into the other great cellists, like Rostropovich, Casals, and Du Pré.
A note from the writer:
*Sorry for not puting Rostropovich in my top 3 but he just doesn't do it for me
**This piece is labelled as being in E Minor on Apple Music, but on Discogs it is shown as being in A Minor which is wrong