Customer Reviews

Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

About his cello concerto I don't need to explain too much because it depends on your taste. Most of his works we are familiar with are those film scores which are definitely excellent and valuable. This CD is so called "concert music" that belongs to contemporary music,along with his" Tree Song" album, they just showed another aspect of John.In my heart,John is the one of the best composers of all time, because his film music has both quality and quantity,it's difficult for a composer to have both them,but he does.I enjoy two pieces in this CD. The "Elegy", is a beautiful sentimental piece for cello and orchestra, it is adapted from a movement of his film music "Seven Years In Tibet". Another piece is "Heartwood",this sounds just like film music, smooth,tender and charming. If you like John I think you should have it because whatever he wrote, we can always clearly feel that John is the one of distinguished masters in all time,and his talent always shines so brightly.

I have been waiting to hear a recording of the Cello Concerto since it was premiered in '93. I can honestly say it was worth the wait. The concerto is a beautifully scored, haunting, expansive work, which quickly grows on a listener. Not surprisingly, given his relationship with Yo-Yo Ma, the cello part is highly individual, allowing Yo-Yo to explore the full range of his talent. Though at times stark, and certainly introspective, I found it a much warmer work than his previous disc (Treesong, etc), with numerous fingerprints of Williams' style (even with snatches from the film scores). This is not to say that Williams is incapable of avoiding film music cliches (as these works are not calculated to appeal to a pop music audience); on the contrary, it speaks to the true range of his talent--film scores that are "serious" works, and concert pieces that can enjoy a wide following.

"The Elegy for Cello" is adapted from "Seven Years in Tibet," and is extremely welcome, as the melody on that disc invited so much exploration. "The Three Pieces for Cello" are quite arresting, atmospheric works that evoke the African American struggle in three brief sketches. "Heartwood" is a fascinating piece as well, a fitting bookend to the concerto, which explores a side of Williams at once familiar, yet surprisingly new (to my ears, at any rate). In short, I am thrilled to own this disc and encourage listeners to expand their perceptions of John Williams beyond the stereotype of "a film composer," and see him in his proper light, as a composer in the mold of Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Vaughan-Williams, Rota, etc., who could write in any medium successfully, and more importantly, have something to say.

I'm not one for attacking people on their personal opinions, but I have to react on the review of kenwuest, certainly since this review is so poorly argumented. I've looked at kenwuest's profile and what struck me was the amount of film scores reviewed by this person. I myself got to know Williams through his film scores, in fact, my interest in classical music was kindled by his music. Apparently though, Kenwuest has never gotten beyond the film scores and seems to think that, since he has listened to a lot of film music, he can give a well-considered review on this complex, modern classical music. As ozoneghost says in his review: "If you're not familiar with or don't intellectually and emotionally appreciate modern composition, this CD is NOT for you. You're JUST NOT gonna get it." And indeed, Kenwuest did not get it. But please, don't slash something if you don't understand it. And certainly not in words like "Listening to this is about as much fun as drilling teeth.", at least have the decency to say "I find listening to this...", it's a purely subjective statement, not a fact.

So, what is my opinion on this music. I have listened to this record several times now and I must confess that I do not understand all of it, but what I do understand, I like very much. The pieces for cello solo are thrilling and sometimes really swing, Ma's performance being excellent. I hope these pieces will find their way in the standard cellist repertoire, like the suites by Britten and Kodaly. The elegy is of course the dream of every cellist, ranking with the elegy by faure en the kol nidrei by Bruch. The cello concerto and Heartwood are still a bit unclear to me, being I guess the less accessible pieces on the record, though they are both exhilirating works, I'll need a little bit more time to really get their meaning (so, this review will certainly be updated).

John Williams is not only a superstar film composer, which he does wonderfully well, he's a legitmate classical musician and composer -- which is the work on display here. Instead of "songs", the major piece on this album is a fullblown contemporary viola concerto. It is atonal, dark, dissonant, inaccesible. It is a piece designed to challenge and to reveal it's attributes grudgingly over a series of listens. If the challenge of modern classical music doesn't appeal to you, you have been warned. If you are looking for an intriguing puzzle presented by two masters doing very good work, here's something to take a chance on.

I saw this piece performed on Sunday in Los Angeles by Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams to commemorate William's 70th birthday. I admired the perfomance but didn't enjoy the piece, but, I ran right out and bought the CD to work on the "puzzle".

This is a warm , sometimes dark, sometimes exciting and sometimes hypnotic concerto. The recording is very good and the playing excellent. For the fans of John Williams Star Wars scores (I have all of them), but not of "contemporary" classical music this may not be a good choice right now but you could try. This is not an action score with heroic leitmotivs or as another reviewer put it, this is nor Cinema Serenade (very good). If you compare it to a score, the closest could be A.I. (but only in some parts). I dont think this is unaccessible and do not believe in that term. I also dont think that one has to "understand" a piece of music. You just relax, concentrate, and listen carefully without distractions. Listen to the music and do not judge it by comparing it to movie scores. This is John Williams composing twentieth century style music without being too experimental or complex like for example Lutoslawski, or Stockhausen and at the same time not as "ear friendly" as most movie scores.
If you liked Cristopher Rouse Cello Concerto with Yo Yo Ma you could like this also. If you want to try out Yo Yo in an established Masterpiece, try Shostakovich Cello Concerto.

We have to admit this is a good recording and that the pieces in it are masterfully written and performed.
Perhaps is a matter of thinking that this are "songs" and to pieces of music that makes the difference when trying to review this works.
I've enjoyed Ma and Williams collaboration since it started and this is a great opportunity for Williams and Ma fans to get a CD full of great music.
What is true is that this is not Cinema Serenade, if that's what you want, then don't buy this CD. This CD is a selection of great "concert music".
I'm again amazed at how prolific a man of William's age can be. I admire Yo-yo Ma and truly enjoyed every performance of the CD.
As a CD I believe is a little monotonus and that's why I will give it only four stars.
Other than that, as a classically trained musician is always nice to see this kinds of musicians producing and recording new music all the time.
And as a very personal comment. I really enjoyed the very last piece of the CD. It's a perfect example of William's ability to play with moods and atmpspheres through harmonic and orchestral variations..
Highly recommended!!!
(English is not my first languaje, so please forgive my bad spelling!)

If you like John Williams' movie scores and like modern classical music, you will enjoy this CD. If you like his movie music then you *might* enjoy it. The Cello Concerto is particularly entertaining. The music is a great example of the master orchestrator at his best, where he finds invents some good themes and hangs the orchestra around them It's similar in quality to his other "for the concert hall" pieces that I know (particularly his Violin Concerto and Bassoon Concerto). The CD leaves me with one question in my mind: Why wasn't a well-known orchestra used? The name of the orchesta (which I've never heard of) leads me to believe that the composer used an pickup orchesta normally used to record by the studios to record film scores.

If you're not familiar with or don't intellectually and emotionally appreciate modern composition, this CD is NOT for you. You're JUST NOT gonna get it. But for those of you who recognize genius in all it's flavorful colors, you WILL DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THIS. The concerto, for example. This is true concert work here. Extremely colorful, very angular, but also very intense and emotional. A masterpiece! This is not just a bunch of notes and effects, or film music with a solo. This is a product of years of communion with your craft and artistry. John William's skills as a concert composer are just as superb as his skills of filmscoring, conducting, and producing. Hey, HE'S JOHN WILLIAMS for crying out loud!

The rest of the CD is just as great, with Yo-Yo Ma showing his expression and dexterity with Yo-Yo Ma skill. The solo pieces are clever. Heartwood and Elegy are brilliant and full of atmosphere. This is defintely a musician's album; it's music about music, and it wasn't meant to appeal to the lowest common demoninator.

John Williams is undoubtedly one the greatest, if not the greatest film composers of all time. His music is loved because of his mastery of compositional techniques and innate understanding of exactly what is needed at the right time. That being said, film scores, for many reasons, mostly take what has been successful in the last five hundred or so years and reuse it, partially because we are conditioned to accept it. So I can understand that anyone not hearing the typical most;y tonally-based music (albeit extended) and clearly catchy themes might be bored or upset when hearing this. This recording is in contrast to film music in that it does not just give immediate and easy rewards in listening but requires more attention (which many of the other reviewers have said they will not or perhaps are not capable of providing). Here Williams is trying to do something different and very original-- things he is not free to do when restricted in film projects. If you give it a chance rather than wanting to diminish it to casual listening (which obviously does not work) you will find some great things in this recording. Otherwise go buy the Star Wars soundtrack or something because everyone can enjoy that no matter how little effort they put into listening and understanding really what's going on.

John Williams is a classical composer for the ages. His music ranges from the ultra "listener friendly" Star Wars franchise to the dark and complex strains of concertos and elegies. On a scale of 1 to 5 this CD is a 90. Seriously, you can't put a price on this music.

Yo Yo Ma is also in top form, playing JW's music with passion, power and precision... He is truly an expert.