Yo-Yo Ma, classic or dud?

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Curious to know whether he's taken seriously by professional classical musicians. And if people think his crossover efforts have been (a) of any musical value, (b) a useful gateway for many listeners into new genres of music.

Inspired by my workmates praising him to the skies.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 July 2003 19:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Most of the string players I know say he isn't very good. I'd say this was just jealousy, but many of them do like Joshua Bell.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 11 July 2003 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

He seems to define middlebrow, his interpretations of John Williams (the "Star Wars" one), his collaborations with Bobby McFerrin, his tasteful dabbling in Appalachian music and bossa nova and tango and Chinese-European fusion. He seems compulsively eclectic in a rather trite way.

On the other hand he has done a whole album of Tavener pieces.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 July 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't understand this idea that people who are very talented at their instrument will be by definition interested in the obscure/esoteric.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 11 July 2003 20:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I wasn't making a value judgement, I was just pointing out that his career strategy seems to be leaping around from style to style, most of which take a genre obscure to the mainstream audience and make it visible by a kind of classical fusion. The Tavener album simply stands out as not being in this mold.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 July 2003 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually never mind I used the word "trite." I probably shouldn't've. It was the wrong word.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 July 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha I was about to call you on that!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 11 July 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic for his name alone. What a great name.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Friday, 11 July 2003 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I compared two different albums: one from the 30s and one from the 80s by Yo-Yo Ma. Not only was Yo-Yo Ma's version so entirely different that I did not recognize it, I actually sort of hated it. The old version from the 30s was WAY BETTER (and $4) compared to Yo-Yo's ($16)

― Scaredy Cat, Friday, 11 July 2003 23:53 (twenty-two years ago)

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