Yo Yo Ma and Christian Macelaru, Conductor, Dazzle Tanglewood

Sunday Afternoon Concert in Bright Sun Had Audience Enjoying Picnics Pre-Concert

Whenever you see a program with Yo Yo Ma you should drop other commitments and attend the Yo Yo Ma concert. Not only is he a master cellist who brings rhythm and harmony to his instrument, and he makes it sing quietly and then raises its voice to project deep, powerful tones throughout the gigantic expanse of the Tanglewood Shed and the immense well-manicured lawn where audience members relax on chairs and blankets, sip wine and munch on their picnic items so as not to interfere with the magical music coming from Yo Yo Ma’s cello.

A couple of personal experiences with Yo Yo. One time I was onstage with him at Ozawa Hall, named for the BSO’s long time conductor, Seiji Ozawa. It is a smaller venue than the Shed, and I was sitting so close to Yo Yo that I could feel the extraordinary vibrations coming from his cello; so, there was audio music and physical vibration emanating from his cello. Quite an experience though Yo Yo feels that vibration with the sound all the time.

A funny experience happened another time. I had a seat onstage at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC, the home of the New York Philharmonic. Yo Yo Ma was playing together with his good friend and frequent duo companion, Emanuel Ax. Some people think I look like the current James Taylor, another friend of Ma who also has a house in The Berkshires as does Ma So, at the end of Intermission in the Ma-Ax performance, in NYC, I was sitting in my seat fairly distant from the performers, and Ax and Ma came back onstage, and Yo Yo saw me on stage and started talking to me and inviting me to go for drinks with him and Ax. Yo Yo’s glasses are fairly strong, and he thought I was James Taylor. Now the entire audience is looking at me trying to figure out what famous person I was to be having a conversation with Yo Yo Ma onstage at Avery Fisher Hall. So, finally I waved to Yo Yo and mouthed the words, “I am not James Taylor.” Yo Yo laughed and the Ax-Ma performance resumed.

Now back to Tanglewood on August 14, 2022

The first piece, “Masquerade” was composed by Anna Clyne, a British composer now living in NY, with a 2013 Commission from the BBC, and it was first performed on the last night of the 2013 BBC Proms in London, played by the BBC Symphony under the conducting of Marin Alsop. This was its first performance by the BSO and at Tanglewood. Clyne is a prolific composer, and she was the composer in residence at the Chicago Symphony from 2010 to 2015. The BSO has this year been highlighting performances by female composers, conductors and soloists.

Anne Clyne was onstage and gave her own description of “Masquerade”. In the Program Notes she says,

The work derives its material from two melodies. For the main theme, I imagined a chorus welcoming the audience and inviting them into their imaginary world. The second theme, “Juice of Barley”, is an old English country dance melody and drinking song, which first appeared in John Playford’s 1695 edition of the “English Dancing Master.”

The BSO Program Notes says the following about “Masquerade”:

Taking its cue from the Proms idea of the commission, her five-minute, single movement Masquerade combines the imagery of a festival, multilayered outdoor activity with familiar musical ideas smeared and reconfigured into new ways of sounding. The chromatic falling sequence that dominates the piece, already slightly tipsy-sounding, is continuously disrupted and supplanted, shifting suddenly to different material equally short-lived Using completely different musical ideas, the effect is a little like the fragmented opening Shrovetide Fair scene on Stravinsky’s Petrushka.

As you can see this five-minute piece is fast-paced as it attempts to get all the different musical themes into a short span. But the effect is quite enjoyable, and as the composer intended it gives one the feeling of being at a fair with fast-paced outdoor activity. Composer Clyne is someone to watch rise in the ranks.

Next was the draw of the afternoon, Yo Yo Ma playing Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor., Opus 85. This concerto unlike most had four movements, and as the Program Notes say for diversity and contrast. Each movement is different starting with “a declamatory opening for the soloist. Follows is a scherzo with lightness but with moments of full pomp as the entire orchestra demonstrates its acoustic abilities. Then a short movement with another declamatory start changing to a sweet melody. Finally, the last movement with a slow tempo that rises in intensity and ends with an energetic close.

But this is Yo Yo Ma so the cello sings and draws one into the music as it moves ike a roller coaster from quiet moments to strong evocative crescendo. Even on the lawn at Tanglewood, the huge audience was quiet as Yo Yo’s Cello went from low key, sweet melodies to strong and evocative rising harmonies and spirits. He is such a pleasure to hear play that Cello as they seem to meld together. The cleanness of Yo Yo’s playing is always superb.

Of course, the audience rose in a standing ovation and loud applause even for the lawn people.

There was another artist playing with the BSO and Yo Yo: our Golden Retriever Rodger, a certified Service Dog, loved Yo Yo’s playing, and he hummed along in a low voice but distinctly following the rhythm and singing quietly as a vocal accompanist. He always amazes us, and he was very quiet and respectful throughout.

Then a reflective treat as the orchestra played the song “Smile” as the conductor recounted people lost, wars being fought and other calamities and telling all of us that no matter what happens, try to keep smiling. The audience really appreciated the song and feeling, as did Rodger, who hummed along.

After Intermission, we were treated to Debussy’s “La Mer, Three Symphonic Sketches.

The BSO showed its dexterity and conductor Maceearu, the music director of the Orchestre National de France in Paris, led them through another piece with varied passages and intensities.

Finally, we were treated to George Enescu’s Roman Rhapsody in A, Opus 11, No1. This piece is imbued with folk music and folk melodies and has a fast and furious ending which the Program Notes says gets audience out of their seats.

A very enjoyable day in the Berkshires.