If You Have Heard Of Yo Yo Ma ...

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

What do you think are his most moving pieces?

@EmmaEmerald your welcome I just really needed to listen to some of his music .

I needed my soul stirring :-)

I was lucky enough to hear him play all the Bach Suites at the Proms a few years ago. There is just something about the intelligence and apparent (although no doubt much practised) simplicity of his playing that really suits the Bach. FOr the same reason I like him playing the Walton concerto too.

I definitely prefer him playing the more chamber pieces to the big concertos.

I think people tend to be more suited to one than the other. Of course he can play the concertos, but they aren’t as special as the Bach suites etc.

Funny, I needed to hear something stirring today and my choice was Yo-Yo Ma playing Elgar’s Salut d’Amour.

Yes, lovely car music for long journeys. Dh has him on his audio list.

I got married to his Bach cello concerto

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Didn't he play at Obama's inauguration?

Yearning of the Sword from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. One of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard.

The Dvorak Cello Concerto.

Yes! Wonderful.
OP I also like him playing Salut d'amour.

This is amazing - two performances almost 60 years apart

Playing for JFK in 1962

Playing at Biden’s inauguration concert in 2021

He played the alma mater at DD’s college a few years ago which was unexpected and amazing.

Yo Yo is just gorgeous. For all of those referencing the Bach cello suites, I recommend reading The Cello Suites by Eric Siblin.

Here’s the blurb -
“One autumn evening, not long after ending a stint as a pop music critic, Eric Siblin attended a recital of Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suites - and fell deeply in love. So began a quest that would unravel three centuries of mystery, intrigue, history, politics, and passion. The Cello Suites weaves together three dramatic narratives: the first features Bach and the missing manuscript of the suites; the next, the legendary Spanish Catalan cellist Pablo Casals and his historic discovery of the music; and finally, Eric Siblin's own infatuation. “