Of all the major cities on the east coast, Boston was the last but certainly not the least I visited. As one of the oldest cities and the cultural center of the United States, it reminds you the definitive image of this nation when it was born out of the old world. My first trip to Boston, therefore, started with a delightful concert featuring Yo-Yo Ma and, of course, Boston Symphony Orchestra.
I was welcomed at the door by a Japanese greeting ("Konijiwa") from a friendly usher. Even though he was embarrassed when I told him that I was Chinese, I didn't feel offended at all. With Seiji Ozawa as the longest-serving and the most beloved conductor of the Orchestra, I wouldn't be surprised if I was told that there was a constant population of Japanese audience in every concert.
It was the first time I saw Yo-Yo Ma performing live and he didn't let me down. He played the Schumann Cello Concerto with mesmerizing virtuosity and unparalleled vigor. No expression but "making love to his cello" would better depict the scence. I was a little disappointed that the Orchestra was completely overpowered by Ma, making no effort to retaliate the challenge from the soloist. Only later in an orchestral piece by Richard Strauss, did BSO seem to get their confidence back. (Well, to be fair, it might have been the conductor's decision or the composer's note which made the orchestra play restrainedly.) Musically speaking, Schumann Cello Concert was not the kind of music I would love or remember at the first hearing but the performance was unforgettable.
I was welcomed at the door by a Japanese greeting ("Konijiwa") from a friendly usher. Even though he was embarrassed when I told him that I was Chinese, I didn't feel offended at all. With Seiji Ozawa as the longest-serving and the most beloved conductor of the Orchestra, I wouldn't be surprised if I was told that there was a constant population of Japanese audience in every concert.
It was the first time I saw Yo-Yo Ma performing live and he didn't let me down. He played the Schumann Cello Concerto with mesmerizing virtuosity and unparalleled vigor. No expression but "making love to his cello" would better depict the scence. I was a little disappointed that the Orchestra was completely overpowered by Ma, making no effort to retaliate the challenge from the soloist. Only later in an orchestral piece by Richard Strauss, did BSO seem to get their confidence back. (Well, to be fair, it might have been the conductor's decision or the composer's note which made the orchestra play restrainedly.) Musically speaking, Schumann Cello Concert was not the kind of music I would love or remember at the first hearing but the performance was unforgettable.
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