zzzzzzzzz
Was just at Yo Yo Ma's outdoor concert (Greek Theater @ Berkeley).
It was amazing and I should do a proper writeup (remember when I used to do writeups of stuff like this?????).... but I'm sleepy and gonna go to bed. Maybe I'll edit this post tomorrow.
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(eta)
1. Outdoor sound setups are absolutely unforgiving. Which makes it all the more amazing to listen to a true master playing under conditions like that.
Especially since he was playing Bach's unaccompanied suites (some of my favorite classical pieces of all time).
No piano accompaniment or backup instrumentals. Just one cello going at it up in the hills at night.
2. The atmosphere was absolutely magical. To paraphrase what he said last night -- the Greek theater setup lends a certain intimacy (while still being, you know, a big venue).
(He actually comes to Berkeley pretty regularly, but I think he first did an outdoors performance last year, and evidently loved it so much that he pushed for a special concert again this year.)
3. Speaking of which, I really love what artists like Yo Yo Ma (and Andre Rieu frex) do for classical music -- not really sure if I can voice it properly, but he's done so much to shatter that image of classical music being a stuffy elitist sort of thing. I adore his experimental fusion work (I own at least one of his bluegrass recordings as well as his Ennio Morricone CD) -- but his interpretation of the Bach will always be my favorite.
When he plays Bach, it really comes alive. I know the whole "transcending time and cultural boundaries" thing is a cliche, but I really honestly feel it with his Bach.
(The Bach cello suites themselves are fascinating to me. They're -- perhaps surprisingly -- boundary-pushing pieces. [I'm biased, I used to play the cello, but frex compare the cello suites to Bach's solo violin stuff, and musically the cello suites are just way more interesting.])
- - -
In other random news, I got a CBT3 key for Archeage (CBT3 takes place over this weekend). SANDBOX PIRACY, HERE I COMEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
comments at the original Dreamwidth post
It was amazing and I should do a proper writeup (remember when I used to do writeups of stuff like this?????).... but I'm sleepy and gonna go to bed. Maybe I'll edit this post tomorrow.
- - -
(eta)
1. Outdoor sound setups are absolutely unforgiving. Which makes it all the more amazing to listen to a true master playing under conditions like that.
Especially since he was playing Bach's unaccompanied suites (some of my favorite classical pieces of all time).
No piano accompaniment or backup instrumentals. Just one cello going at it up in the hills at night.
2. The atmosphere was absolutely magical. To paraphrase what he said last night -- the Greek theater setup lends a certain intimacy (while still being, you know, a big venue).
(He actually comes to Berkeley pretty regularly, but I think he first did an outdoors performance last year, and evidently loved it so much that he pushed for a special concert again this year.)
3. Speaking of which, I really love what artists like Yo Yo Ma (and Andre Rieu frex) do for classical music -- not really sure if I can voice it properly, but he's done so much to shatter that image of classical music being a stuffy elitist sort of thing. I adore his experimental fusion work (I own at least one of his bluegrass recordings as well as his Ennio Morricone CD) -- but his interpretation of the Bach will always be my favorite.
When he plays Bach, it really comes alive. I know the whole "transcending time and cultural boundaries" thing is a cliche, but I really honestly feel it with his Bach.
(The Bach cello suites themselves are fascinating to me. They're -- perhaps surprisingly -- boundary-pushing pieces. [I'm biased, I used to play the cello, but frex compare the cello suites to Bach's solo violin stuff, and musically the cello suites are just way more interesting.])
- - -
In other random news, I got a CBT3 key for Archeage (CBT3 takes place over this weekend). SANDBOX PIRACY, HERE I COMEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
comments at the original Dreamwidth post