The Protecting Veil / Wake Up ... And Die

Yo-Yo Ma (Artist), John Tavener (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 11, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000009MON
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,560 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #76 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Strings > Cello

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Tavenor, October 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Protecting Veil / Wake Up ... And Die (Audio CD)

A piece composed by Tavenor to celebrate the existence of the Protecting Veil (God's mother) as mentioned in some ancient religious literature. It was originally dedicated to the English cellist Steven Isserlis who by all means gave a fantastic performance. However, I have been secretly hoping for an offering by Ma, arguably the most fascinating and captivating cellist in the world today. And I am not at all disappointed by the long wait (almost five years after the Isserlis release!). This recording captured the attention from the first long sustained note to the end where a recap of the introduction theme wrapped up the whole piece. If there is a single word that can possibly describe this piece, it has to be 'sublime'. Tonally beautifully crafted with heavy dynamic contrast, the piece flows with an emotional strength that is strong enough to seize the bottom of the mind, and this force can only be second to (maybe) The Piano Concerto by Michael Nyman. It can be exhaustive after the whole piece if you allow yourself to be drawn into it.

I enjoyed it and I hope you do, too. This is another amazing performance from Ma/Zinman and his orchestra, the other one being the Albert Cello Concerto which I believe is a 'must have' for all classical music lovers. I can't recommend these two recordings more highly.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I like "The Protecting Veil" but not "Wake Up and Die", June 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Protecting Veil / Wake Up ... And Die (Audio CD)

I wrote an extensive paper for my doctorate in music on John Tavener's "The Protecting Veil" and listened to all of the current performances that were available up through 1999. I enjoyed this recording, but I also recommend the original Steven Isserlis recording or the newer one by "I Fiamminghi" which also contains the beautiful "Last Sleep of the Virgin" (instead of "Wake Up and Die" for cello choir that the Ma recording includes.) Try the "I Fiamminghi" as well as this beautiful recording. Cellist Raphael Wallfisch also plays this piece beautifully.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece of Beauty, July 16, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Protecting Veil / Wake Up ... And Die (Audio CD)

This is one of my favorite albums. I wept the first time I heard "Wake Up And Die" which was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. The music is profound and Yo-Yo Ma's performance is incredibly sensitive. This is the album I play when I need to re-connect with the Holy.

I have to comment on the previous review and point out that this style of music, known popularly as "holy minimalism", is quite different from the Enlightenment-era Western music that most people study in school (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven etc.). The composer is intentionally keeping it simple and somewhat directionless because he seeks to reunite classical music with contemplative spirituality. Whereas in traditional classical music you expect to hear development of musical ideas moving forward to a climactic conclusion, this music seems to go nowhere - and that is intentional. The purpose is contemplation, not activity. The music is meditative, hypnotic, and gently repetitive, as in the tradition of centering prayer one might continuously repeat a word or two from Scripture to be drawn deeper into prayer. The gentle repetition gives the music a feeling of stasis, of being suspended in time.

It is quite common for people who are unfamiliar with the genre to make comments like "simplistic," since compared to more familiar styles it might come across that way. Tavener rejects complexity in favor of simplicity. This music is transparent, austere, and serene; you could easily compare its style to an Orthodox icon. If you are open to something new, you may find that this poignant beauty and simplicity touches a deep inner reservoir of joy and sorrow.