Yo-Yo Ma - Bach Cello Suite 2 I. Prelude

[woutee1]

My god you are a bunch os snobs biggering about who or what version is better, just look listen and enjoy the darkness in yourself........

[VexingNightmares]

I love Bach's music...It is so dark...I just love it

[TheDancer11304]

OMG this is actually good- compared to his CD!

[GCLwins]

Ma's interpretation is better than Maisky's in my opinion. More depth and deliberation. Mischa rushes through the Prelude.

In any case, Rostropovich's (and even Tortelier's) versions are far superior, especially Rostropovich's 1956 Vanguard recording. His 1995 EMI full set recording though, is sub-par.

[pedrocks1312]

@aram01201 The resonance sets the mood of the piece. Yo-yo Ma is very mindful to not let any of the notes melt too much with each other... As for the "commercial setting", I believe that it makes perfect sense. Such a solemn piece with many pulls and tears, the setting only intensifies this; matching the sight with sound. Its as if he wants us to feel the pain of being alone and closed off from the world. Its, in my opinion, perfect!

[aram01201]

I really don't like the resonance of the building he plays in. It's a very commercial setting: he on his own playing like for no one but himself, it doesn't make any sense to me.

[violaXplayer]

I don't think this is YO-YO MA, its not in tune.... 

[thatonemusickid]

I like how he dropped the tuning to match the time period. It really threw me for a loop at first though. The first note, I was like "That's not a D..." lol

[Pretendkid]

Aw, yeah...

[JazzmanJeff]

Enjoyed this.-Jazzman Jeff

[HoneySempai13]

Thanks Gayle Forman for bringing me here !

[Harryro64]

this is really creepy....... but so epically awesome.

[rastadanlame18]

Je suis resté scotché devant le clip! c'est tellement beau il le joue à merveille... wawh je suis scotché!!!! l'ambiance est magique!!!! bravo yo-yo ma

[drogheda1966]

Wowee, this shur is purty...

[muzieksamurai]

yo-yo-ma sounds like a name for a rapper:)

[xXBleedingXBriannaXx]

@muzieksamurai I KNOW! Buut I love this song (:

[77723390]

nice!

[77723390]

Very good!

[LOTViolists]

I have been listening to a few versions of this suite today. I must say, Maisky plays it exactly the way I would want to. I normally don't like Yo Yo Ma's Bach; however, the last version I heard just now was Rostropovich, and compared to his "I'M GONNA PLAY THIS STRICTLY IN TEMPO OR ELSE, D*** IT!!!!," Ma's is actually pretty beautiful. I'm starting it over and taking a closer lesson, I can learn something here.

[MrAkifusion]

sucks big time

[fedey18]

I too prefer Maisky's version over this one, though I don't think Yo-Yo Ma lacks passion by any means. Maisky's interpetation just gets to me on a different level. But hey, it's great to have so many colossal musicians playing these beautiful pieces, 'cause every one is going to approach a unique and genius view on them.

Too bad people are always gonna bitch about who's "better" or not.

[asianboywonder2312]

@fedey18 Hey, at least Bieber isn't going to end up in these comparisons. Hopefully.

I think I just ensured that he would end up in the comparisons.

I hate mainstream pop music.

[pchantreau]

@asianboywonder2312

"I hate mainstream pop music."

I hear you bro...

[joaoluizbarros]

@fedey18 I completelly agree.

[violinzylla]

I appreciate his interpretation, and as a baroque (A415) specialist can also appreciate the lower pitch. However, to be totally "historically informed" he should be using a baroque bow and no endpin (not sure what strings he has on).

[physphilmusic]

@violinzylla He explained in an interview that he wasn't willing to go to that extreme (like Anner Bylsma does). To be totally informed it would require more that just the bow and endpin; it would need gut strings as well as a different design of the cello altogether: less tension on the strings and body, different bridge shape, even different neck shape (I think). So all Ma did was tune slightly low and hold the bow differently (you should notice that it's held further from the frog).

[StMichaelGrdianAngel]

;-;

[jasycheng2010]

超愛他的版本~快結束那幾句話~真辣的低音~好爽的感覺喔~拉的­真的好通透明亮的沉重低音~真辣~!愛死泥~

[KJBrancaccio]

ioewweflkdsfklndsflkdsf i love bach.

[Fireflyls]

This guy is nothing compared to the epic beard Mischa Maisky.

[carvindc400]

@Fireflyls I like yo-yo bu tI have to agree with you, Mischa is just so much more passionate in the way he interprets Bach´s pieces.

[crazybunni3g1rl]

@carvindc400 I'm sorry, I can hear the difference, Mischa does not have more passion than Yo Yo Ma. Also, just the tone quality of Yo Yo Ma's cello is soo much better.

[carvindc400]

@crazybunni3g1rl Is that a method for measuring passion in one's playing? I don't think so. It's just our ears, or hearts, that feel this or that way about music. Makes no sense to argue about it. And to my ears, Mischa exaggerates more, uses the bow more violently, and that to me sounds more pleasing than a more "flat" performance. Is that they way Bach wanted his pieces to be played? We will never know.

[physphilmusic]

@carvindc400 You're making it sound as if "passion" is the most important quality in music making. What Maisky does is the "Romantic" kind of passion, which is much more sentimental and extreme. But many people, including Yo-Yo Ma, think that Bach is better suited for a more traditional way of playing, with smoother bowstrokes and less vibrato. It's not fair to say that anything other than Maisky's way of playing is "flat": You can feel just as much passion and emotion in this kind of playing.

[carvindc400]

@physphilmusic If passion is not that important as you are saying, you could listen to a MIDI, robotic-sounding computer file and enjoy it just the same... to my ears, Mischa's playing sounds more passionate ans beautiful. What are you going to do about it, sue me? : )

[crazybunni3g1rl]

@carvindc400 Dude. I respect your opinion please respect others.

[carvindc400]

@crazybunni3g1rl I do.

[physphilmusic]

@carvindc400 best represented by that kind of passion. Often I feel that when someone like Maisky plays, the exaggeration makes the whole picture too opaque and thick. It's too much effort. Sometimes the beauty of Bach is when you let the notes just to sound as they are, like a beautiful transparent cathedral of glass. It's the kind of thing that makes you reflect and pray instead of thrash around and weep violently - aren't those emotions just as profound?

[physphilmusic]

@carvindc400 And in fact looking at Yo Yo Ma's video here, I think that indeed was closer to what he intended - he's playing the Second Suite in a haunting Piranesi imaginative prison (which was all generated by CGI, by the way). In such a setting you don't want the human passion and warmth which comes from exaggeration - you want a pure, transparent kind of playing which shows the parallel between musical and building architecture. I believe such a goal is just as good as Maisky's passion.

[physphilmusic]

@carvindc400 No, you don't understand what I mean. I'm just saying that Ma channels his passion in a much different manner than Maisky. Although he has less vibrato and legato, the tone of his cello is leagues away from being a MIDI sample. On the other hand, Maisky prefers to channel his passion in a very direct, bursting manner. Now if we're talking about Dvorak or Shostakovich, Maisky's passion can be said to be more appropriate. But we're talking Bach, and I believe that Bach isn't always

[carvindc400]

@physphilmusic I never compared the great playing of Yoyo's to a soulless MIDI file. Re-read my post and hopefully you will understand what I meant. Humm, how do we know for sure how Bach intended this piece to be played? There were no audio recorders at the time, so it is all speculation at best. Was this piece meant to be played in a prison? Again, I am glad that we can use our imagination to interpret these pieces and we see fit. I just prefer Maisky playing.

[physphilmusic]

@carvindc400 I'm not saying anything about Bach's intentions, although we CAN try to know what they were from historical records (not audio recorders). Of course the prison is something Ma totally linked himself. I'm OK with anyone liking Maisky's playing better; after all, many cellists use a similar approach (the romantic school). I just think that for a person to think that Ma's interpretation is "soulless" due to his lack of romantic gestures is too much, and grossly inaccurate.

[carvindc400]

@physphilmusic We can try, but never be sure of. Maybe Maisky is playing like Bach intended, maybe not. I never said Ma's interpretation is "soulless". Anybody that badmouths a great musician like Ma probably doesn't get music well. - "You're making it sound as if "passion" is the most important quality in music making." - YOUR WORDS. I was trying to make a point about what YOU said, NOT about Ma's playing. I hope you finally understood what I meant.

[physphilmusic]

@carvindc400 Yes - those are my words. I meant them literally - I did NOT say that passion is UNIMPORTANT, what I did say was that there were other aspects of music which could be just as important, depending on the context, besides pure unadulterated Romantic passion. Hence indeed, "passion" isn't THE most important quality in music making - there might be others as well. That's what I mean when I said that you misunderstood me.

[physphilmusic]

@carvindc400 And I brought up the comparison of Yo Yo Ma's playing to a MIDI file since you yourself brought up the MIDI file example as something that I should listen to if I "think passion is not that important". I was referring to this specific case (Ma), and yet you brought up MIDI files, so it's just common sense to assume that you were comparing Ma to MIDI. Sorry for the misunderstanding. :)

[RasMajnouni]

@physphilmusic This is a good discussion,maybe finish it over a large glass of draft beer.

[carvindc400]

@physphilmusic This is just music and sounds... no point in arguing about these things, as we perceive them differently and nobody is right/wrong about them. I don't mean to change your views and as you can see you obviously cannot change mine. Let's enjoy the music, shall we?

[crazybunni3g1rl]

@carvindc400 Again..this is all based on opinion. I believe Yo Yo Ma has more passion in what he plays based on what I HEAR, you obviously hear differently.

[vergilbass]

Why is yoyoma playing in a videogame??? o.o

[CxHxAfan11]

is that place real?!?! o_O??

[AEFic]

It is dark.

He is likely to be eaten by a grue.

[murssheed]

I think mischa maisky's interpretation is better, but still this is amazing. :P

[MrBoricua73]

One of the most deep pieces ever. Bach rules!

[bachtocello]

This is an absolutely beautiful interpretation of this piece! Everything about it so so romantic and sorrowful. I love it, and praise the interpretation of Yo-Yo Ma!

[wesbo4]

piranesi

[BWV1013]

Alguien podría decirme donde puedo escuchar el Minuet de esta misma Suite porfas de preferencia que sea de Yo-yo Ma ya que no eh escuchado la interpretación de el y no al encuentro :/ a i les encargo por favor que me pongan un Linck gracias n.n

[HimmelfriedStein]

yes, the interpretation is wonderful! But the sound in this video is sooo crappy!

[billnoll]

@HimmelfriedStein

what do you expect? it doesn't look like the best acoustics in that place!

[JNBergs]

Yes, me too. I also love how he plays the Prèlude of the 5th Suite

[MrNENE141]

Very nice

[nextoneup123]

that was an enchanting performance.... it illustrates a story

[nextoneup123]

lol i like how they put him playing his cello in random places lol

[Rhavaniell]

I like this suite very much, it is a pity this one isn`t played as much as suite nr 1.

[heukmaneul]

beautiful performance

[downeyb]

i believe this is a CGIed location. Its vary beautiful in an Adams family kind of way but looks too well lit and too "clean" to be real

[youtubeuserwilly]

of course I meant Mstislav--sorry

[youtubeuserwilly]

beautiful performance but I think Miroslav kicks Yo Yo's butt on this one. Miroslav's version is more intense--grabs you right out of the box. Maybe the video for Yo Yo's version is more distracting. I hear Lady Gaga will be performing this soon.

[SlRDancealot]

Shadowfang Keep

[BBRENTTAGHAPP]

can anyone tell me where hes performing and why?

[violinzar]

The "carceri d´invenzione" from Giovanni Battista Piranessi is a drawing that shows a giant jail with infinitely long stairs and large watchtowers.

[adult09]

it's tuned to 415 instead of 440!

[regaldrifter]

can anyone find me a accurate sheet music of this song? i would greatly appreciate it.

[phleigm]

go to your local music store, my teacher has me playing this on Bari sax, the music is out there if your not afraid to pay the money that its worth

[melkorzeblack]

why should you be true to oldies? be true to your time, be true to your feeling, be true to your love of music, of the piece, be true to your madness, be true to your state at the time you play it, and do not think too much.

[caronyE]

such a beautiful song

[rockfootball42]

no one is singing, so you mean piece.

[freemanmaurice]

He is mi favorite. I want to be like him when i grow up.

[olneymike]

Some movements of Bach I really like Rostopovich, but this is absolutely YoYo Ma at his finest.

Truly gorgeous.

[Row606]

Pues ya ví las 2 interpretaciones y las 2 me gustan. Está cañón!!!! Gracias por compartir estos videos con la comunidad.

[chipnugget]

my god!

[cinemaviva]

I think yo yo ma plays it with much more feeling that rostropovich. He has as "romantic" interpretation of the piece while rostropovich is a bit cold and clinical...

[omnimoofy]

i'm sorry

but rostropvich is famously un-traditional, he plays the suites like they were tchaikowsky, big long phrases and a huge sound with lots of vibrato... yo yo ma is more restrained, closer to the baroque style of bowing. he uses baroque tuning. for full on period style listen to anner bylsma. and you might want to get your facts straight about feelings and emotion in the baroque, because there certainly were alot of them. just less emphasis on the individual, as in romantic music

[physphilmusic]

@Azadeh22 Are you crazy? Rostropovich is the much more emotional one. The way he holds his bow and his long endpin already assures a thicker, meatier tone more suited for works such as Shostakovich and Dvorak. Not to mention that his bowings for the Bach Suites feature a lot of legato. Maybe he doesn't emote the music on his face like Ma, but his is definitely the more Romantic style.

[platypusfredrik]

i like yo yo mas interpretation of this song the best

[AhnuldSchwarzenegger]

@platypusfredrik 

[19pack]

Fantastic video. Piranesi's Carceri are so evocative and thought provoking and this Bach piece compliments it perfectly.

[pijnlijke]

the Carceri from Piranesi are great stuff!!!

[Alexjr1543]

Even if you suck at it, this piece is such a pleasure to play.

[Navea123]

los hay mejores que Yo-Yo Ma

pero está bien

:)

[krassum]

wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­o!!! incredible.... yo yo ma is the best player of bach

[Snobbstech777]

false....Rostropovich is...by FAR.

[alamarezcontigo]

QUERIDA GUARDIANA ...

[JillZMViolinist]

i want to go practice it tuned down now lol

[JillZMViolinist]

yeah the background is weird, so I won't watch it lol.

[sandrashou]

Me encantan tdos los conciertos para cello pero este tiene un sentimiento muy especial.

[dogtransport]

This Yo-Yo Ma Bach videos suck. He plays great and all, but they could at least just show how he plays instead of just putting his audio over a completely irrelevant setting (sometimes with distracting sound effects, ugh).

[riceboii101]

i agreee man Great playing crap videos.The least they could do is show him playing with a picture of bach in the bachround or something

[ElenoroftheShire]

Now THAT is how you're supposed to play it. Gives me goosebumps. *swoon*

[sideris9]

the cello sometimes sounds as the organ

[PetrushenkoVictor]

Очень душевно!

[TwilightTheAwesome]

im playing this song right now and i luv it.....the backround he plays in is kinda scary....its like all dusty and dark

[THEMGOROTH75]

EEEEEEPIC!!!!

[theman21]

they tune down because its more pleasing to the ear. A federation of musicians voted on A 432 because it has more pleasing qualities mathematically but for some reason we play in A 440. That and the fact that gut strings can't take as much tension as modern steel strings can. People tune them up higher because you get a brighter and sound.

[cyclonesupercell]

excelent

[lillipig]

well that's a strange key he's playing in, or at least the lowest D I have heard. it's closer to d flat...does he tune his cello differently? does anyone know why?

play's beautifully as always but this caught my ear.

[trentjenkins06]

He tuned to a 416 A. It's the standard frequency for baroque performance.

[e1234563929]

I always said that to my friends...

but nobody feels strange..

so he tuned to a 416A, no wonder it's weird to me.

thanks:)

[whiteknight505]

he makes the cello sing