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kevins_concertsRow G, seat 33 - seventh row, center. It was nice of Ma to come to Milwaukee for Cyn's birthday (two days before), since she's such a big cello fan.
Review by TOM STRINI
Journal Sentinel music critic
Posted: May 7, 2008
When Yo-Yo played along with the Milwaukee Symphony cello section, as he often did Wednesday night in R. Strauss' "Don Quixote," he made eye contact all the way to the players at the back stands. He leaned way around Andreas Delfs' podium to see concertmaster Frank Almond and the first violins when his solo cello line joined theirs. He swiveled nearly 180 degrees to lock eyes and interlock rhythms with frequent duet partner Robert Levine, whose bold viola played Sancho Panza to Ma's Quixote. Ma and Delfs practically danced to communicate their cues. When Ma wasn't playing at all, his ear turned to the winds or horns or whoever owned the moment.
Ma did not merely plug in what he always does to whatever Delfs and the MSO might do. He heard the totality of the music. He took in everything and applied it to an interpretation unique to this night with this orchestra in this city. Such behavior from your superstar soloist inspires an orchestra. The MSO played Strauss' vast, mercurial score with the communicative verve of top-drawer chamber musicians on a roll. The result was a miracle of musical storytelling.
In addition to expressive, beautiful sound and confident, even definitive, shaping of Strauss' tricky, gestural melodies, Ma brought an infectious love of music to bear on the evening. Playing an instrument well is difficult, and playing under pressure for pay before a sellout crowd at Uihlein Hall doesn't make it easier - unless you're Yo-Yo Ma. His supple bowing and graceful left hand look effortless. His face beams with such delight that he makes colleagues and patrons alike think: Hey, it's fun to play music!
As an encore, at Delfs' request, Ma played the Prelude to Bach's Cello Suite No. 1. The sublime, brisk, straightforward reading was just the right chaser for the overripe and frequently ironic Romanticism of "Don Quixote."
Ma did not sit in with the orchestra during Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, but his spirit did. The audience quite sensibly went crazy for Delf's thrill-a-second reading.
Cyn's review
Posted: May 8, 2008
I haven't felt that kind of excitement in the air at Uihlein Hall in a long time. The place was full of people of all ages, eagerly anticipating Yo-Yo Ma. I saw hugs, smiles, and waves...very festive!
I was disappointed to find out that he wasn't sitting with the orchestra for the whole evening, just the second half. But I was not disappointed by the orchestra's performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7! Andreas Delfs conducted (danced, jumped, waved, emoted) with such intensity that he was breathless after just the first movement. As they seated the latecomers, he leaned against his railing breathing hard before starting the second movement.
The audience jumped to its feet with wild applause at the end of Beethoven, bringing Delfs out three times for a bow before intermission.
Yo-Yo Ma came out with him at the beginning of the second half to our very excited applause. During the parts of R. Strauss' "Don Quixote" where he didn't play, he seemed to be completely absorbed in the emotion of the piece. He frowned, smiled, grimaced, looked euphoric, looked pained, and jumped at the sudden crashes of the song. Occasionally while playing, he made teasing eye contact with various musicians, sometimes getting them to smile. It looked like they were all having such a good time up there. After a particularly beautiful solo by the violist behind him, he turned all the way around to nod at him, bringing a grinning nod in return from Robert Levine.
As Tom Strini said above, we did go crazy with applause and shouts of appreciation at the end of the performance. Yo-Yo Ma came out several times for bows, hugging and kissing various people, pulling Robert Levine up from his chair and bringing him to the front at least three times for a bow, and teasing the bassists as he left the stage and came back over and over.
He brought his cello back out for an encore, with Delfs sitting on the steps of his podium. Delfs had requested Bach's Cello Suite No. 1. It was so beautiful and soothing. Then more applause, bows, hugs, ins and outs, and eventually the lights came up. Kevin and I were disappointed that he only played that one song as his encore. We wanted at least one more of just him without the orchestra. Oh well. It was a fantastic night.
Review by TOM STRINI
Journal Sentinel music critic
Posted: May 7, 2008
When Yo-Yo played along with the Milwaukee Symphony cello section, as he often did Wednesday night in R. Strauss' "Don Quixote," he made eye contact all the way to the players at the back stands. He leaned way around Andreas Delfs' podium to see concertmaster Frank Almond and the first violins when his solo cello line joined theirs. He swiveled nearly 180 degrees to lock eyes and interlock rhythms with frequent duet partner Robert Levine, whose bold viola played Sancho Panza to Ma's Quixote. Ma and Delfs practically danced to communicate their cues. When Ma wasn't playing at all, his ear turned to the winds or horns or whoever owned the moment.
Ma did not merely plug in what he always does to whatever Delfs and the MSO might do. He heard the totality of the music. He took in everything and applied it to an interpretation unique to this night with this orchestra in this city. Such behavior from your superstar soloist inspires an orchestra. The MSO played Strauss' vast, mercurial score with the communicative verve of top-drawer chamber musicians on a roll. The result was a miracle of musical storytelling.
In addition to expressive, beautiful sound and confident, even definitive, shaping of Strauss' tricky, gestural melodies, Ma brought an infectious love of music to bear on the evening. Playing an instrument well is difficult, and playing under pressure for pay before a sellout crowd at Uihlein Hall doesn't make it easier - unless you're Yo-Yo Ma. His supple bowing and graceful left hand look effortless. His face beams with such delight that he makes colleagues and patrons alike think: Hey, it's fun to play music!
As an encore, at Delfs' request, Ma played the Prelude to Bach's Cello Suite No. 1. The sublime, brisk, straightforward reading was just the right chaser for the overripe and frequently ironic Romanticism of "Don Quixote."
Ma did not sit in with the orchestra during Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, but his spirit did. The audience quite sensibly went crazy for Delf's thrill-a-second reading.
Cyn's review
Posted: May 8, 2008
I haven't felt that kind of excitement in the air at Uihlein Hall in a long time. The place was full of people of all ages, eagerly anticipating Yo-Yo Ma. I saw hugs, smiles, and waves...very festive!
I was disappointed to find out that he wasn't sitting with the orchestra for the whole evening, just the second half. But I was not disappointed by the orchestra's performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7! Andreas Delfs conducted (danced, jumped, waved, emoted) with such intensity that he was breathless after just the first movement. As they seated the latecomers, he leaned against his railing breathing hard before starting the second movement.
The audience jumped to its feet with wild applause at the end of Beethoven, bringing Delfs out three times for a bow before intermission.
Yo-Yo Ma came out with him at the beginning of the second half to our very excited applause. During the parts of R. Strauss' "Don Quixote" where he didn't play, he seemed to be completely absorbed in the emotion of the piece. He frowned, smiled, grimaced, looked euphoric, looked pained, and jumped at the sudden crashes of the song. Occasionally while playing, he made teasing eye contact with various musicians, sometimes getting them to smile. It looked like they were all having such a good time up there. After a particularly beautiful solo by the violist behind him, he turned all the way around to nod at him, bringing a grinning nod in return from Robert Levine.
As Tom Strini said above, we did go crazy with applause and shouts of appreciation at the end of the performance. Yo-Yo Ma came out several times for bows, hugging and kissing various people, pulling Robert Levine up from his chair and bringing him to the front at least three times for a bow, and teasing the bassists as he left the stage and came back over and over.
He brought his cello back out for an encore, with Delfs sitting on the steps of his podium. Delfs had requested Bach's Cello Suite No. 1. It was so beautiful and soothing. Then more applause, bows, hugs, ins and outs, and eventually the lights came up. Kevin and I were disappointed that he only played that one song as his encore. We wanted at least one more of just him without the orchestra. Oh well. It was a fantastic night.