Journey along Silk Road proves to be captivating
By T.J. Medrek

Boston Herald
Friday, April 8, 2005

Poor Yo-Yo Ma – and lucky us. The classical superstar can try his best
to just blend into an ensemble, such as his own Silk Road Project. But
the eloquent sound he draws from his cello just naturally commands
attention, admiration and love. Of course, when Ma and his Silk
Roadies played a Bank of America Celebrity Series gig at Symphony
Hall on Wednesday, there was lots more to love than just the skill
of one of Cambridge’s most celebrated residents.

To my ears, last year’s Silk Road appearance underwhelmed. But
this year’s was taut and engaging from the start – and the audience
responded ecstatically. Certainly this year’s addition of several
musicians from such places as Armenia and Azerbaijan to the concert
was not only more in line with the Silk Road’s CD releases but also
more in line with its purpose.

Ma organized the Silk Road Project and its band to explore musical
traditions of countries along the ancient Silk Road, once the major
Europe-to-Asia trading route, and the impact of those traditions
on modern composers in the region. Add some Western instruments and
sensibility to the mix, and East meets West in still-new ways.

Ma got his time front and center, playing Franghiz Ali-Zadeh’s haunting
“Habil-Sayagy (In Habil’s Style)” accompanied only by the mostly
gentle sounds of Joel Fan’s prepared piano (think a mandolin crossed
with bedsprings). But for the rest he ceded the spotlight – if not
his persistent hold on our ears – to the likes of Gevorg Dabaghyan,
whose playing of the clarinet-like duduk was as expressive as a human
voice in settings of three Armenian folk songs. Composer and virtuoso
tabla player Sandeep Das’ improvisatory “Tarang” for percussion was
another standout. And sensational singer Alim Qasimov filled songs
from Azerbaijan with vocal prowess and astonishing authority.

The evening concluded with Ma and company playing rousing,
foot-stomping music of the Roma, including an arrangement of
“Turceasca” by Newton composer Osvaldo Golijov. To say that this Silk
Road Project sent everyone home happy would be understating it wildly.

Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, at Symphony Hall, Boston,
Wednesday.