The Musical Life of Yo-Yo Ma

Author: John A. Atanasoff (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Ma Youshou once said in the recording of "Ma Youshou at Tanggawu," "Every musical work has a story behind it. To uncover these stories from the composer's personal thoughts is the responsibility of the performer." At that time, he was busy practicing a cello concerto tailored for him. Ma Youshou opposed the fragmentation of different musical styles. Although renowned internationally for performing and recording classical music from the 18th and 19th centuries, he has also commissioned numerous compositions from contemporary classical composers. He has also explored genres such as folk music, jazz, and tango. Recently, he has been working on a musical project called "Silk Road," where he has performed and recorded music from the Middle East and Asia. To Ma Youshou, music is transcendent of borders and is a universal language, not confined by artificial classifications. While there may indeed be differences in style and structure between different types of music, these differences are far outweighed by their similarities. Ma Youshou's philosophy is not difficult to understand. Although he grew up in the United States, he is a true global citizen. In 1911, Ma Youshou's father, Ma Xiaojun, was born in Ningbo, a city located south of Shanghai in China. Ma Youshou's mother, Lu Yawen, was born in Hong Kong under British rule in 1923. The Ma and Lu families were among the few influential middle-class families in China at the time. Ma Xiaojun's father was a small landowner, while Lu Yawen's father was a fish and rice merchant. Their affluent backgrounds allowed Xiaojun and Yawen the opportunity to be exposed to art, literature, and classical music. Xiaojun learned the violin from a young age, while Yawen studied vocal music. Due to their exceptional talent, their parents and teachers encouraged them to pursue further musical studies. However, in China, which was then torn apart by internal turmoil and war, this was practically impossible. China, this ancient civilization, has nurtured many great philosophers, poets, artists, and entrepreneurs. Yet, power and wealth have always been controlled by a few. Until the early 20th century, China was still a monarchy. In 1912, Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary leader, overthrew the monarchy and established the Republic of China. Unfortunately, this did not bring stability to the people, as most remained impoverished. In many regions, warlords still held sway. In 1921, Mao Zedong founded the Communist Party of China. The party grew rapidly and soon became a rival to the Kuomintang (KMT) led by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. After Sun Yat-sen's death in 1925, Chiang Kai-shek took control of the Republic of China. While Lu Yawen lived a peaceful life in Hong Kong, Ma Xiaojun was less fortunate. To fight for control, the armies of the Communist Party and the Kuomintang clashed in the rural areas of China. In 1931, Japan launched a war of aggression against China, seeking to exploit the country's internal chaos to seize its territory. Forced by the turbulent situation, Xiaojun had to abandon his teaching position at Nanjing University and travel to Paris to continue his studies, hoping to find a job—though above all, to escape the horrors of war. However, in 1940, Hitler (Adolf Hitler) invaded and occupied France, shattering Xiaojun's dream of living a stable and creative life in the West. At the same time, Lu Yawen's life was also declining. She first left Hong Kong to study opera at Nanjing University. But after the Japanese army attacked Hong Kong in 1941 and advanced into central China, Nanjing was threatened. To ensure the university could safely reopen, faculty and students quickly relocated as far as Chongqing in the southwest with all their belongings. P007-008