Posts Tagged ‘Yo-Yo Ma’

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Yo-Yo Ma – Ástor Piazzolla's "Libertango" (1997)

2009/07/18

My post for the song "Moorea" by the Gipsy Kings made me think of this song.

This is a cover of Ástor Piazzolla's brilliant "Libertango", which I think of more like a piece of classical music that will survive for generations. Yo-Yo Ma's attention to Piazzolla by producing an entire album of "covers" adds validation to that claim (and why I am tagging this as classical). It also includes a number of other world class musicians on each instrument. Piazzolla originally wrote the piece in 1974 and I would've posted a performance by him, but they appear to be lacking on the Internet.

Ástor Piazzolla, by the way, is essentially the father of Nuevo Tango breathing new life into Tango music and Tango's sub-genres after decades of stagnation. This song, among others, actually inspired me to take a tango dance class once, where I verified I sucked at dancing, and Tango dancing is not the place to start. I'll stick with the music.

Song Recommendations

If you like this song, I also suggest:

I also suggest the music genre:

Click here for more info on Yo-Yo Ma – Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla – "Libertango" and here for more information on the composer Ástor Piazzolla

The MP3 may be purchased here…

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Bach – Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007 – Prelude (1717)

2009/04/03

I was not joking on my About TSotD page. Although I listen to mostly Alternative Rock, Indie and Electronic, I do love music in the classical, rap, country, and heavy metal. Don't make me whip out my classical Chinese flute music to prove it! (It is wild stuff… I swear!) Moving on…

This is one of my two favorite Bach pieces of all time, the Prelude to Bach's first Cello Suite. A single instrument, the cello, with its ability to span both high and low registers. So beautiful. Combined with this piece that can be so expressive. The perfect song for every high and low in life. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

Now I grew up enjoying a rendition performed by Anner Bylsma, an esteemed Dutch cellist. The only decent link I could find was a bit slow a tempo for my liking but you can hear the Cello Suite No. 1 prelude by Anner Bylsma here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZZKwE4Hf3Q.

The link I posted above is a Russian cellist, Mischa Maisky. I happened to find this version while search for one by Bylsma, and the tempo was more to my like, and the style still very expressive. Listen to both and hear the subtle differences. Both are excellent in my book.

Now for extra credit, listen to this rendition of Cello Suite No. 1 prelude by Yo-Yo Ma here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoZsrgKLHFg. I love Yo-Yo Ma, BUT this renditions of this song are more tradition baroque. That is to say the expression is turned down, and a steady tempo and style is emphasized. Even though this is probably more how it sounded in Bach's time, I think something is lost. It has a flatter feeling.

Wikipedia has more info on Anner Bylsma, Mischa Maisky, Yo-Yo Ma, Bach's Cello Suites, and the genius composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

The MP3 of a Mischa Maisky version may be purchased here…

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