Customer Reviews

Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Beyond the Horizon is a fitting companion to the ensemble's 2002 release, When Strangers Meet. Both CDs marry multi-cultural music traditions to classical performance discipline. The music heard on Beyond the Horizon provided the soundtrack for a Japanese television series about the ancient Silk Road trade route from the Far East across the far expanse of Central Asia to Mediterranean Europe. Ma and his diverse ensemble developed the CD's repertoire by working closely with composers of such cultures as China, Iran, Azerbaijan and India among others.

Yo-Yo Ma has said that the music on this album crosses boundaries of time and space, revealing the unity among seemingly different traditions... that it evokes the memory of the nomadic peoples who traveled and lived along the Silk Road.

Split into three sections entitled Enchantment, Origins, and New Beginnings, the CD's music blends haunting melodies with disciplined arrangements. Traditional western instruments like the harp, violin and cello commingle with the exotic sounds of the sarangi, sheng, kamancheh, tabla, pipa, dudak, tar and many others. The uninitiated have nothing to fear from such an imposing assortment of instruments, as each is described and pictured with its player in the liner notes.

It comes as no surprise to learn that this music was used as a soundtrack. Like the legendary 1992 recording Pieces of Africa by the renowned Kronos Quartet, Beyond the Horizon is highly evocative of the landscapes and cultures of Asia. The emotional undercurrent that shades this music calls to mind the dramas that Silk Road caravans must have encountered during the early days of global travel. And like the influential Kronos recording (which Yo-Yo Ma claims to admire), this Silk Road recording captures the essence of otherworldly places and makes them accessible for Western ears.

Just as the musical traditions of the ancient world provided pleasure and spiritual sustenance to Silk Road travelers, this "soundtrack" is certain to enliven more than one modern day commute.

This is definitely the best album the Silk Road Ensemble has yet produced! It's consists of a variety of moving and beautiful themes with great orchestration. The pieces are so varied and beautifully arranged for the instruments. The orchestration is clearly Western influenced in a way or another.

Although I wish that It would contain some Kurdish and Arabic music, the Silk Road Project is a very nice idea that could be one of the means of achieving mutual understanding and respect between the different peoples in that region as well as broadening the horizons of the Western listeners. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

I bought this CD after hearing it in a Borders store only knowing who Yo Yo Ma was. There's not much I can add to the basic description of the musical venture in either review save to say the music is beautiful and stirring. This is a piece to put on when you need to write, meditate, or revive your soul. I'd like to thank Maestro Ma for putting this adventurous and beautiful collection together for us.

Yo-Yo Ma went beyond indeed. The first CD with Silk Road ensemble (When Strangers Meet) was inconsistent and somewhat experimental. This one however, is superb. As if in the 5 years the musicians got to know each other (but in truth, only a few musicians are the same). 23 traditional Eastern instruments are listed plus a number of western strings and other percussion was used. So the music on this CD gets my full attention, and as the title of first track suggests, you (can) get enchanted.
The tracks are ordered into three parts: Enchantments (1-5), Origins (6-9) and New Beginnings. First track is strangely familiar (like it was used in some film, but there is no mention of this). In third track this theme gets Chinese interpretation. The style from one track to the other changes, so you can't get bored or overexcited. Second is simply very nice, the fourth great intro of Armenian wind instrument duduk (played by famous Gevorg Dabaghyan), accompanied by percussion mostly, albeit the piece is short. 5 is gentle with cello and xun (Chinese ocarina), 6 orchestral from slow to cool, 7 again gentle with cello and vocal, 8 starts with yearning duduk and turns into orchestral battle, 9 cello and percussion. Track 10 is the only one with prominent vocal (love song) and introduces us to the last part of CD, which are more like jam sessions of all instruments. 11 and 13 are very lively. The last one, track 15, brings us a new interpretation of very ancient Chinese melody played on pipa.

Some would probably say this CD is commercialized. Personally I don't see any wrongdoings in this as long the music stays a high quality one. For the more authentic Silk Road one can always buy The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan.

Yo-Yo Ma's obsession with the various types of music from the countries though which the ancient Silk Road stretches connecting the Far East to Europe has produced some truly beautiful works on this fine album. Ma has researched and traveled this Silk Road and his sensitive ear has incorporated the, to us, bizarre rhythms and sounds of strange places into works that include his cello obbligato, showing how some of these bits and pieces of Eastern music have insidiously and occultly informed the composers of Western music.

Opening with a thrilling chant, the music (fifteen works) incorporates influences form China, India, Turkey, Armenia, and Iran. While some may be hesitant at his superimposing the very Western cello sound on these otherwise authentic tribal lines, careful listening proves that Ma is more interested in paying homage to music unknown to most of the world and demonstrating how this strange music has found its way into the works of Britten, Bartok, Golijov, Gorecki and many other composers. It is a revelation.

The CD should be part of every music library that strives to find the threads that connect the peoples of this globe. It is a fine recital for meditation, for inspiration, and for just fine listening. Grady Harp, October 05

This is an album that takes you on a beautiful journey! It moves you. It draws you in and you don't want it to end. Thank goodness you can hit play as many times as you want! Buy it!

This album has captured the soul of the Silkroad. There is not a single track in this album I don't like. I've been listening to it over and over and over again since I first got it. I think it's much better than the first one.

Beautiful multi-cultural music. Yes, it's different than smooth Yo Yo ma, but it's EXCELLENT. I love doing yoga or pilates to it. It keeps me relaxed while keeping energy flowing due to the energy it projects. It's very fun, and I love listening to it. I'm so glad I bought it.

I enjoyed this compilation of Silk Road music very much. It delivers a nice, diverse sample of music from the region. My favorite track of the CD is Shikasta, but I like the others as well.

Imagine riding a two humped camel from wherever you started on your journey. On a cold but refreshing morning, you try to sip qahwa while your camel sways from side to side in slow rhythmic motion. You heartily allow yourself to leave your nomad family and to join another on the road through Kashghar and through the Khyber Pass. Another morning you wake up to the Moazzan's heartbreaking call and continue on this languid yet exciting journey through Rajasthan, northern Pakistan and on into Iran and other places remote and enchanting. you're welcomed at each sojourn along the way by people who cherish music, wear simple yet colourful loose clothes and think life is a nomad's journey spent riding lazy camels while smoke rises in the distance and a lullaby is played on flute and drums.

This collection of music will let you travel and let you savor the aromas of the east right there in your own home.