This afternoon I attended a concert that was dedicated to a friend who died in December—a cellist, a composer, a lovely soul. Alison. (I've written about her, along with others who have departed in various ways, here.) Of the thirteen pieces on the program, all by local composers, ten featured the beautiful cello playing of Samsun Van Loon, either in small ensembles; with piano, flute, or guitar; or solo.
Mind you, this was all contemporary work, so kudos to Sam for mastering such varied pieces.
When I got home, I was feeling a little melancholy, so I put on a recording of Anner Bylsma playing the Bach suites for solo cello. I'm not sure such music exactly lifts my spirits, but it settles me, it soothes me, it grounds me.
That said, I also love the upbeat cello that Yo-Yo Ma plays in, for example, the Goat Rodeo Sessions with musicians of various genres, from jazz to Irish to bluegrass. Here's a sampling:
Maybe I'll put that album on after Bach has had his say. It no doubt will lift my spirits.
1 comment:
very uplifting! - hope it helped you
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