Yo-Yo Ma - Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams
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Free Music Notes for Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams
Free Music Review: Disappointment!
Hit: 1 Stars
You'd think that, Ma being my favourite cellist and Williams being my favourite composer of this century, this album would be at least a semi-hit (with me, anyway)... But it's not great -- at all. Some parts are almost boring, others are too demanding of the listener's attention (not in a good way). I am quite disappointed with this CD! Could've been amazing!!! If you love what you know of Williams, you might want to take a sneak preview before buying... it's not his average stuff! No knocks on either musician -- just not at all their best work!Free Music Review: Great sound, shame about the music
Hit: 2 Stars
Absolutely spectacular sound, - the cello has warmth and bit and at times the timpani make you want to jump out of your seat. Having said that, thats all there is. The music is bloated, dull, repetitive and uninteresting. Either full of sound and fury, signifying nothing or else moodily quite in pseudo-profound style but signifying just as little. A sonic spectacular, but only if you arent interested in (the) music.Free Music Review: Great sound, shame about the music
Hit: 2 Stars
Absolutely spectacular sound, - the cello has warmth and bit and at times the timpani make you want to jump out of your seat. Having said that, thats all there is. The music is bloated, dull, repetitive and uninteresting. Either full of sound and fury, signifying nothing or else moodily quiet in pseudo-profound style, but signifying just as little. A sonic spectacular, but only if you aren't interested in (the) music.Free Music Review: Great Cello Concerto
Hit: 4 Stars
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.
Free Music Review: Blah album... but closes with its best portion
Hit: 2 Stars
First, I'll admit up front that very little concert music for classical orchestras that has been written in the past 40 or so years appeals to me. Still, I'm a fan of John Williams, and I thought I'd check out some of his "serious" efforts. Therefore, I picked up this CD not expecting to like it terribly much.I did, however, like it more than I had expected. While I was bored by "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra" and "Elegy"--they were exactly what I exected to find--and only slightly more impressed with the solo cello pieces, "Heartwood" is an excellent piece of music. It alone did not make me want to start cleaning my office or reach for the "skip" button.
Like so much contemporary music for orchestras, most of what is on this disc is more fit for background static than actual attentive listening--and I feel odd saying that, as I often comment the exact opposite about the orchestral versions that are released of Williams' film scores--but "Heartwood" is the exception to this general comment. If the entire disc had been like "Heartwood," it wold have gotten Four Stars. As it is, the stars it is getting is for "Heartwood" alone.