Yo-Yo Ma performs Bach’s beautiful prelude in newly renovated Notre Dame cathedral

16 December 2024, 12:43

Yo-Yo Ma Performs at the Re-opening of Notre-Dame de Paris

Yo-Yo Ma has released a video of his sublime rendition of Bach’s Cello Prelude, which he performed live at the reopening of Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral.

Yo-Yo Ma stunned audiences in Paris last weekend, with a sublime rendition of Bach’s prelude from the First Cello Suite, which he performed live at the reopening of Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral.

To mark the reopening of the iconic building, a concert was held featuring some of classical music’s brightest stars.

During the ceremony inside the cathedral, brothers Renaud and Gautier Capuçon played a violin and cello duet, South African soprano Pretty Yende sang a breathtaking ‘Amazing Grace’, and Lang Lang joined forces with the legendary conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

In stark contrast to Lang Lang’s ferocious account of Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto, Yo-Yo Ma performed one of the most beautiful and calming pieces of classical music ever written: Bach’s iconic prelude from the Cello Suite No.1.

Read more: Lang Lang plays stunning Saint-Saëns in newly-reopened Notre Dame

Ma’s radiant sound echoed around the vast space of the cathedral, with expert filming capturing Notre Dame in all its restored opulence, six years after the fire that nearly destroyed it.

Ma’s status as one of the world’s greatest living musicians has led to a plethora of accolades, including numerous Grammy awards. His main instrument is the famous Davidov Stradivarius cello, made in 1712 with an estimated worth of over $3.5 million. The instrument was previously owned by legendary cellist Jacqueline Du Pré, who bequeathed it to Ma.

It seems fitting that Ma was one of the performers chosen to play at the event, as the Chinese American cellist was born and raised in Paris.

Ma’s interpretations of Bach’s six Cello Suites have become the stuff of legend, and he has released several critically acclaimed recordings of the Suites over the years. The works are the cornerstone of the cello repertoire, requiring immense musical ability to deliver an expressive and convincing performance.