In addition to recordings of the standard classical repertoire, Ma has recorded a wide variety of folk music, such as American bluegrass music, traditional Chinese melodies, the tangos of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, and Brazilian music. He has also collaborated with artists from a diverse range of genres, including Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus, and Sting.
Ma has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006. He has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize in 1978, The Glenn Gould Prize in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Kennedy Center Honors in 2011, the Polar Music Prize in 2012, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize in 2022. He was named as one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Aside from English, Ma is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and French.
Ma's primary performance instrument is the Davidov cello, made in 1712 by Antonio Stradivari
Ma's mother, Marina Lu, was a singer, and his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, was a violinist, composer and professor of music at Nanjing National Central University (now relocated in Taoyuan, Taiwan; predecessor of the present-day Nanjing University and Southeast University). They both migrated from the Republic of China to France during the Chinese Civil War. Ma's sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, played the violin and piano professionally before obtaining a medical degree from Harvard and becoming a pediatrician. The family moved to New York City when Ma was seven.
From the age of three, Ma played the drums, violin, piano, and later viola, but settled on the cello in 1960 at age four. When three-year-old Yo-Yo said he wanted a big instrument, his father went to see Etienne Vatelot, a foremost violin maker in Paris who, after a chat, lent him a 1/16th cello. He jokes that his first choice was the double bass due to its large size, but he compromised and took up the cello instead. When his father realized that Yo-Yo was ready for a better teacher, a well-known cello instructor, Mme Michelle Lepinte, was selected. He began performing before audiences at age five and played for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was seven. At age eight, he appeared on American television with his sister in an event introduced by Leonard Bernstein. In 1964, Isaac Stern introduced them on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and they performed the Sonata of Sammartini. He attended Trinity School in New York but transferred to the Professional Children's School, where he graduated at age 15. He appeared as a soloist with the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra in a performance of Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.
Ma studied at the Juilliard School at age 19 with Leonard Rose and attended Columbia University, but dropped out. He later enrolled at Harvard College. Prior to entering Harvard, Ma played in the Marlboro Festival Orchestra under the direction of cellist, conductor and Ma’s childhood hero Pablo Casals. He spent four summers at the Marlboro Music Festival after meeting and falling in love with Mount Holyoke College sophomore and festival administrator Jill Hornor during his first summer there in 1972.
Even before that time, Ma gained fame and performed with many of the world's major orchestras. He has also played chamber music, often with pianist Emanuel Ax, with whom he has a close friendship from their days at Juilliard. Ma received his bachelor's degree in anthropology from Harvard in 1976, and in 1991 received an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
Yo-Yo Ma has been referred to by critics as "omnivorous" and possesses an eclectic repertoire. In addition to numerous recordings of the standard classical repertoire, he has recorded Baroque pieces using period instruments; American bluegrass music; traditional Chinese melodies, including the soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the tangos of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla; Brazilian music, recording traditional and contemporary songs composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Pixinguinha; a collaboration with Bobby McFerrin (where Ma admitted to being terrified by McFerrin's improvisation); and the music of modern minimalist Philip Glass, in such works as the 2002 Naqoyqatsi.
Ma is known for his smooth, rich tone, soulful lyricism, and virtuosity. He released a cello recording of Niccolò Paganini's Caprice No. 24 for solo violin and Zoltán Kodály's Solo Sonata.
On May 1, 2019, he performed at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama desert. He said that his interest in astronomy motivated him to visit and perform there.
Ma's albums include recordings of cello concertos, sonatas for cello and piano, works for solo cello, and a variety of chamber music. He has also recorded in non-classical styles, notably in collaboration with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Chris Thile, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus and Sting.
リベルタンゴ
Yo-Yo Ma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
指先で刻む あつい宿命(さだめ)のリズム
苦しみの闇の中に 光る愛を求め
帰る家を忘れ さまよい歩いていく
自由を手にするために
別れをつげた人に 声のかぎり歌おう
終わりのない愛を
吹き荒れる風に 倒れそうな木々が
もだえふるえながら うたいつづけるように
愛を叫ぶバンドネオン 夢を誘うヴァイオリン
まどいあがきながら 見つめる暗闇
The lyrics of "リベルタンゴ" evoke a profound exploration of love, longing, destiny, and the struggle for freedom. The opening lines introduce the theme of unending love intertwined with the remnants of boundless dreams. The phrase "消えない恋のうずき" (the persistent ache of love) sets a melancholic yet passionate tone. Here, the singer presents a vivid image of love that continues to resonate deeply, despite its elusiveness. The mention of "指先で刻む あつい宿命のリズム" (carving the hot rhythm of fate with fingertips) conveys a sense of intimacy and connection, hinting at how love and destiny are intricately linked. This imagery implies that destiny is not just a predetermined path but one that is actively shaped through human emotion and life experiences.
As the lyrics unfold, they delve into the complexities of love amid darkness and suffering. The juxtaposition of "苦しみの闇" (the darkness of suffering) with "光る愛を求め" (seeking shining love) establishes a struggle against despair. This dichotomy highlights the inherent tension between sorrow and hope. It underscores a person's relentless quest for love, illuminating how it becomes a guiding light even amidst the most challenging circumstances. The expression "帰る家を忘れ" (forgetting the home to return to) amplifies this notion of wandering—suggesting a disconnection from one’s past and a readiness to sacrifice stability in pursuit of love and freedom. This idea of feeling lost yet resolute reflects a universal human experience of yearning for something more profound.
The theme of separation emerges poignantly in the lines discussing the farewell to a significant person. The intention to "歌おう" (to sing) at the top of one’s voice for the one left behind signifies a cathartic release of emotion through song. This moment resonates with the idea that music serves as a form of expression and healing, acting as a bridge between pain and liberation. The phrase "自由を手にするために" (to attain freedom) further encapsulates the overarching desire to break free from emotional chains, emphasizing that even in the face of heartache, there exists a brave determination to proclaim love without end. Singing becomes a means to reclaim one's power and the freedom that love can grant.
In the subsequent imagery rooted in nature, the lyrics evoke a vivid tableau of the natural world reflecting human emotions. The depiction of "吹き荒れる風に 倒れそうな木々" (trees about to fall in the howling wind) personifies nature in a way that mirrors the internal struggle within the singer. The trees, trembling yet still standing, symbolize resilience amidst overwhelming forces, akin to the emotional turmoil faced in love. The instruments—"愛を叫ぶバンドネオン" (bandoneon screaming love) and "夢を誘うヴァイオリン" (violin inviting dreams)—ground the song in musicality, reinforcing the idea that emotion can be expressed and transcended through music. This powerful combination of vivid imagery and emotive soundscape encapsulates the essence of yearning and the unending pursuit of love, suggesting that even in darkness, one can find beauty and hope through both art and human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
消えない恋のうずき はてしない夢の名残り
The enduring ache of love, a lingering echo of infinite dreams.
指先で刻む あつい宿命(さだめ)のリズム
With my fingertips, I carve out the passionate rhythm of fate.
苦しみの闇の中に 光る愛を求め
In the depths of suffering's darkness, I seek the luminous presence of love.
帰る家を忘れ さまよい歩いていく
Forgetting the path home, I wander aimlessly, searching.
自由を手にするために
In pursuit of freedom, I strive to break my chains.
別れをつげた人に 声のかぎり歌おう
To the one who bid me farewell, I will sing with all my voice.
終わりのない愛を
Of a love that knows no conclusion or end.
吹き荒れる風に 倒れそうな木々が
Trees on the brink of collapse, battered by the raging winds.
もだえふるえながら うたいつづけるように
As they tremble and writhe, they continue to sing their enduring song.
愛を叫ぶバンドネオン 夢を誘うヴァイオリン
The bandoneon cries out for love, while the violin entices with dreams.
まどいあがきながら 見つめる暗闇
As I struggle in a haze, I gaze into the encompassing darkness.
Writer(s): Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla
Contributed by Madison S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.