The Protecting Veil / Wake Up…and Die (1998) is a luminous, deeply spiritual journey into the mystical, Orthodox-inspired world of British composer Sir John Tavener, featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma with David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. On "The Protecting Veil," Ma’s cello acts as an endless, soaring vocal line representing the Mother of God—rising into soaring, ultra-high harmonics above a shimmering, static cushion of orchestral strings. The soundscape is wide, reverent, and suspended in time, relying on Tavener's trademark "holy minimalism," slow-blooming modal harmonies, and dramatic dynamic contrasts. "Wake Up…and Die," scored for solo cello and an ensemble of 12 cellos, adds a darker, lower-frequency resonance, creating a dense, woody wall of acoustic cello tones that range from hushed, meditative drones to sudden, cathartic, dynamic surges.
The Protecting Veil / Wake Up…and Die (1998) is a luminous, deeply spiritual journey into the mystical, Orthodox-inspired world of British composer Sir John Tavener, featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma with David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. On "The Protecting Veil," Ma’s cello acts as an endless, soaring vocal line representing the Mother of God—rising into soaring, ultra-high harmonics above a shimmering, static cushion of orchestral strings. The soundscape is wide, reverent, and suspended in time, relying on Tavener's trademark "holy minimalism," slow-blooming modal harmonies, and dramatic dynamic contrasts. "Wake Up…and Die," scored for solo cello and an ensemble of 12 cellos, adds a darker, lower-frequency resonance, creating a dense, woody wall of acoustic cello tones that range from hushed, meditative drones to sudden, cathartic, dynamic surges.