Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer new Bach Trios recording

[Perilous Deep]

Ma, and Thile at Symphony Center, Chicago... as far as I can tell, there are 12 tickets left, selling by the box office at $644, and $783 a piece....

just sayin.... astounding on so many levels

That's outrageous. These tickets were available as part of a chamber music series at Symphony Center, but you had to buy over a year before this show. The per ticket breakdown was ~$50 I think, and of course you also got seats to see Hilary Hahn and Anne-Sophie Mutter. It's been wonderful, and I was able to get fantastic seats as a first-time series subscriber at Symphony Hall. It wouldn't surprise me if there were crazy prices for Thile/Meyer/Ma on the secondary market, but I'm a bit shocked that the box office would be trying that. I wonder if it's Thile's popularity that's driving the demand, or Ma's name.

[mandopops]

I bought tix my for the concert in February & they were $70. That's a reasoable price for good seats at Symphony center.
Joe B

[Charlieshafer]

Ma, and Thile at Symphony Center, Chicago... as far as I can tell, there are 12 tickets left, selling by the box office at $644, and $783 a piece....

just sayin.... astounding on so many levels

I'm thinking those are through the secondary market. Otherwise it's idiotic.

[guidoStow]

Got the disc in the mail today. Listened to it over dinner. I have to say I agree with the lukewarm review. It is very nice background music. But it doesn't lift me off my chair like the Goat Rodeo Sessions disc does or draw me in like Chris' sonatas disc does. I'm going to give it a few more listens but first impression is modest at best...

[Steve-o]

I saw the Trio play in Ann Arbor tonight. The music was sublime. I was very impressed with Chris' tone, precision, and dynamics. Yo Yo and Edgar delivered their usual stellar performances, and the chemistry between the three was magical. It was a sold out show. The audience was very appreciative, although I have to say, the applause got a little louder when they played Quarter Chicken Dark during the encore.

[JH Murray]

I find the album has grown on my over repeated listens. In a normal string trio, the violin is the lead instrument, and the cello occasionally comes forward in the mix. On this disc, the role of the mandolin is more of a subdued lead, as if you traded your piano for a harpsichord. The cello as a result is much more front and centre. The mandolin dances around the lead but never dominates the cello. It makes for a very different and enjoyable dynamic between the two lead instruments.

[jmkatcher]

I'm listening to it now and it's very good!

[Charlie Bernstein]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG9fXbhoPJE

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[kmiller1610]

Interesting thread. Most of the posts precede the actual release. I got my copy three weeks ago and I have been listening to it constantly. First observation is that it IS pleasant background music. Secondly, the decision to do the album lacks forethought. The mandolin needs an accompanying instrument closer to its range, like a second mandolin, a banjo or a violin. The effect is one of the tinkling mandolin and the deep throat-ed accompanying instruments not quite working together. Third, the decision to record from some distance creates a kind of sleepy quality, like the first Thile-Marshall duets album (Into the Cauldron). Thile sounds like he's playing in a more subdued style than his usual work. Still, it IS pleasant background music. 6.5 rating

[Charlieshafer]

Interesting thread. Most of the posts precede the actual release. I got my copy three weeks ago and I have been listening to it constantly. First observation is that it IS pleasant background music. Secondly, the decision to do the album lacks forethought. The mandolin needs an accompanying instrument closer to its range, like a second mandolin, a banjo or a violin. The effect is one of the tinkling mandolin and the deep throat-ed accompanying instruments not quite working together. Third, the decision to record from some distance creates a kind of sleepy quality, like the first Thile-Marshall duets album (Into the Cauldron). Thile sounds like he's playing in a more subdued style than his usual work. Still, it IS pleasant background music. 6.5 rating

Interesting points, and I agree with the voices of the different instruments lacking a mid-range bridge. The other issue is an interesting phenomenon in the classical world right now. There seems to be a real preference and preponderance for recording with either real or artificial space or reverb. I'm not sure why. Is it because they're trying to emulate old recordings with tube amplification? Trying to give the impression of being played in a large hall? Some sort of stamp of faux-quality, like "ooo, this sounds like an old classical recording from the golden era..." Whatever the reason, to my ears it's misguided, as it loses a lot of the fine detail in translation, especially with the higher-pitched instruments. Modern ears are used to a more immediate and clearly-defined recording style, which suits the mandolin better.

[Peter Barnett]

I don't want to quote all of Charlieshafer's post but I can vouch for the number of musicians who have left that world for app development. It seemed that every third person in the IT department was a used rock guitarist. The boss had regular jam sessions in his office over the lunch hour.

Most of them were pretty darn good developers. There must be something in patterns, be it music or software development, that appealed to them.