Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet

( 3 )

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Andrew Farach-Colton
Yo-Yo Ma has played tangos, jazz, and Appalachian fiddle music, but the Silk Road Project is certainly the most far-reaching of his musical explorations. Gathering together musicians from Iran, India, China, and other countries along the historic trade route, as well as a few Americans, Ma and musicologist Theodore Levin have woven a new tapestry of sounds from many different threads, some old and some new. The result is an ear-opening, mind-expanding kind of fusion. Among other pieces, Ma plays a work based on the classical traditions of Azerbaijan accompanied by a piano prepared à la John Cage, as well as Finnish folk songs. Recording in big jam sessions, Ma ...
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Andrew Farach-Colton
Yo-Yo Ma has played tangos, jazz, and Appalachian fiddle music, but the Silk Road Project is certainly the most far-reaching of his musical explorations. Gathering together musicians from Iran, India, China, and other countries along the historic trade route, as well as a few Americans, Ma and musicologist Theodore Levin have woven a new tapestry of sounds from many different threads, some old and some new. The result is an ear-opening, mind-expanding kind of fusion. Among other pieces, Ma plays a work based on the classical traditions of Azerbaijan accompanied by a piano prepared à la John Cage, as well as Finnish folk songs. Recording in big jam sessions, Ma says he had "a huge amount of fun," and that's perhaps the most memorable feature of this disc. Authenticity is beside the point -- the disc captures a joyful spirit of sharing and cooperation among people whose backgrounds are vastly different. In today's world, so full of conflict and misunderstanding, this spirit is of incomparable value.
All Music Guide - Chris Nickson
Recorded as part of the ongoing Silk Road Project, Silk Road Journeys brings together composers from the elusive, ancient Silk Road that crosses from China to the Middle East with musicians from both West and East. It's both ambitious and daring, two qualities that have been trademarks of Yo-Yo Ma's career. For its modernity and mix of Asian and Western instruments, though, it hews close to tradition (and not merely on "Mongolian Traditional Long Song"), although the departure into the Italian Renaissance for "Chi Passa Per'sta Strada" makes for an interesting, more formal and graceful aid in the whole. But the multicultural Silk Road itself makes for a good metaphor for this album, with the sheng, an ancient form of mouth organ, alongside the cello on the traditional "Blue Little Flower," for example. While it might seem strange to find Michio Mamiya's "Five Finnish Folksongs" here, it makes sense; the Saami people of Finland were nomadic, and traveled as far as the Silk Road. But the instruments, from Wu Man's pipa to Joel Fan's piano, work together, whether on traditional or commissioned material, to create something that's challenging to both listeners and performers and offers a strong impression of the journeys of the past.
Gramophone
This CD opens with the spine-tingling sound of a Mongolian Long Song... Sharav provides some glorious voicings, [and] this 11-minute work sets out the Silk Road Project's fertile agenda admirably. Ganbaatar Khongorzul's vocals and the tones Ma draws from the morin huur often merge eerily and effectively.

This CD opens with the spine-tingling sound of a Mongolian Long Song... Sharav provides some glorious voicings, [and] this 11-minute work sets out the Silk Road Project's fertile agenda admirably. Ganbaatar Khongorzul's vocals and the tones Ma draws from the morin huur often merge eerily and effectively.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 4/16/2002
  • Label: Sony
  • UPC: 696998978225
  • Catalog Number: 89782
  • Sales rank: 26,963

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Mongolian Traditional Long song - Mongolian Traditional & Cristin Bagnall (1:29)
    Composed byMongolian Traditional
  2. 2 Legend of Herlen - Byambasuren Sharav & Yo-Yo Ma (11:20)
    Composed byByambasuren Sharav
    Performed byShane Shanahan, Joseph Gramley, Mark Suter
  3. 3 Blue Little Flower - Edgar Meyer & Chinese Traditional (4:24)
    Composed byChinese Traditional
    Performed byShane Shanahan, Joel Fan, Joseph Gramley, Mark Suter
  4. 4 Mido Mountain - Edgar Meyer & Chinese Traditional (3:53)
    Composed byChinese Traditional
    Performed byShane Shanahan, Joel Fan, Joseph Gramley, Mark Suter
  5. 5 Moon Over Guan Mountains - Zhao Jiping & Yo-Yo Ma (11:50)
    Composed byZhao Jiping
  6. 6 Finnish Folksongs (5), for cello & piano: No. 3, Miero vuotti uutta kuuta - Michio Mamiya & Yo-Yo Ma (1:58)
    Composed byMichio Mamiya
  7. 7 Finnish Folksongs (5), for cello & piano: No. 5, Joiku - Michio Mamiya & Yo-Yo Ma (2:27)
    Composed byMichio Mamiya
  8. 8 Avaz-e Dashti - Persian Traditional & Kayhan Kalhor (6:04)
    Composed byPersian Traditional
  9. 9 Habil-Sajahy for cello & prepared piano - Franghiz Ali-Zadeh & Yo-Yo Ma (13:27)
    Composed byFranghiz Ali-Zadeh
  10. 10 Blue As the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur - Edgar Meyer & Kayhan Kalhor (15:36)
    Composed byKayhan Kalhor
  11. 11 Chi Passa per 'Sta Strada, for voices, lutes & violin - Fillippo Azzaiolo & Edgar Meyer (4:45)
    Composed byFillippo Azzaiolo
    Performed byShane Shanahan, Joel Fan, Joseph Gramley, Mark Suter
  12. 12 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, film score: Desert Capriccio - Tan Dun & Yo-Yo Ma (1:34)
    Composed byTan Dun
    Performed byShane Shanahan, Joseph Gramley
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
Yo-Yo Ma Primary Artist
Silk Road Ensemble Ensemble
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 3 )
Rating Distribution

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Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Simply exquisite; a beautiful journey

    This is, by far, my favorite world music CD. I have always had a love for Yo-yo Ma and his talents, but "Silk Road Journeys" just takes it to another level. The range of the styles of music, from Middle Eastern to Chinese/Mongolian to Northern Europe, is hard to find compiled together and played so beautifully. My favorite song: Chi Passa per 'Sta Strada. It's uplifting and jovial, bursting with life and love. The entire CD is a treat for the senses. If you want to expand your musical scope and truly get a taste of tradition world music, "Silk Road Journeys" is for you.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    :) super!!!

    I love this CD!! I'm in love with the first track, the Mongolian Long Song.. there is no WAY to describe it... it's just breath taking. I was lucky enough to see the concerts In Seattle.. If you ever get a chance to get to go see them you should go!! And buy the cd!! ;)

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 15, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews