Word: pianist
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...Little Sweeter (Verve) is nevertheless a curious album, and not just because it opens with an ambitious but maudlin version of Eleanor Rigby (is there such a thing as a non-maudlin Eleanor Rigby? Could one even be possible given the known laws of art?). Recorded with the pianist Kenny Barron and his regular rhythm section (Ray Drummond on bass and Ben Riley on drums), this is such a simple, straight-ahead shot of vocal jazz that it could have been made 40 years ago, and yet it couldn't sound newer. This may be the most vital album...
...same sterling sea--all too often, the modern citizen instinctively sets aside any abiding appreciation for classical music, saving it for the Sunday matinees of his or her golden years. The names Yo-Yo and Itzhak ring bells for many Americans, but few would immediately recognize the virtues of pianist Max Levinson '93 or cellist Matt Haimovitz '96, both of fairly recent recording fame. It is no wonder that performing artists of a classical bent at Harvard find them-selves on the defensive more often than...
Tcherepnin had a rich musical back-ground. Born in Paris, he was the son and grandson of composers. His mother, Lee Hsien-Ming, was the first female pianist to graduate from Shanghai Conservatory...
...with electronic instruments, exploring the links between the European tradition and other world music, and involving himself in music education on every level from Sesame Street to Tanglewood. "The whole idea of what music is and what culture and education are has changed so much," says Emanuel Ax, the pianist who is a longtime friend and performance partner of Ma's. "Yo-Yo is in a way the right man at the right time. I think we need people like him if music is to remain a truly vital force...
Aside from sheer intellectual curiosity there is a practical reason for Ma's restlessness. "A pianist," says Ax, "could go on playing for 100 years and not begin to play the complete standard repertoire. For a cellist, if you are a talent like Yo-Yo, by the time you are 25 you have mastered all the cello concertos that are known." Through numerous commissions, Ma has done his best to expand the repertoire. Still, he's swimming his laps in a comparatively small pool...