Episodes05 Jun 2008 01:14 pm
Cello Journey #29, Thais Meditation
YouTube Version 1
Direct Download Version 1
YouTube Version 2
Direct Download Version 2
I thought I would put up two versions of the same episode. It is difficult to pick one sometimes. There may be a different feeling in each. Let me know what you think.
In this episode we play the Meditation from the Opera Thais by Jules Massenet.
The Thais comes from an interlude towards the end of the opera. It is usually played on the violin. It is marked Andante Religioso and there is a reflective mood throughout.
This piece is special to me because, over the years, my mother has played it in church on the violin. I wanted to do a good job with it. We hope you enjoy it.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
That was beautiful, Luke. If I had to chose one I would pick the first version but they were both beautiful and it shows that you have a special connection to this piece. I got a video of my Haydn 1st Concerto today and I will post it on youtube soon. I could not have gotten to skill level required for that piece if it wasn’t for your inspiration. It’s been a great way for me to get serious with the cello because you have sort of guided all of the regulars through cello music.
I think it would be great if you played Fire Dance. There are some videos of it on youtube and my favorite is the Maisky version even though it’s in a very bad acoustic hall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snZozXyQrGQ
If I had a general thing I would like to see on this show it would be more sonatas and concertos (you do such a great job with them!) Keep up the fantastic work!
June 6th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Very nice to have new episode now!
I have just downloaded the flv file, and extracted the mp3 audio track. Then, I found that the audio track of this episode is monaural not stereo. Is this finding true? Did you intentionally set the audio track in monaural with this episode?
June 6th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Ah, what a surprise =) Luke and Ross thank you so much for that new episode!
Your are right Luke, it is quite hard to choose. Since you asked for our opinion I’d say that version one is slightly better than version two.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I also carefully compared the two versions. I agree with Geeksluvpi and Antonio that I would like the first version, but both of them are quite beautiful and immpressive.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Hey Luke! I think it’s two years ago that I write you a comment but I always look two your videos! Ross and you are a perfect team! I enjoy it really much to hear your playing! I play cello too and it’s a great insperation to hear you! Very nice feelings in every video! Always makes me smile! It’s brilliant! Thanks for playing for us!
Sarah
June 7th, 2008 at 3:47 am
Great to hear from everyone. Thanks for the feedback. Sometimes there are two versions of an episode and it is hard to pick one. Because it is live playing there are always decisions to make.
Geeksluvpi - The Fire Dance is a very cool piece. It is definitely worth playing. Sonatas and Concertos are great too. I think we might do a Brahms sonata, maybe the Strauss too.
Makoto - YouTube makes flv files mono to make them download faster. The iTunes version is usually the best one to get.
Sarah - I remember you. Nice to hear from you again.
Luke
June 7th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Right, over two years of cellojourney already .. wow .. time is passing by so fast
June 7th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Very nice Luke. I really enjoyed it. I have only listened to version, and I will listen to number two. But it really is such a nice piece. It was hard to find the religious quality at first, but it is there. It took me a second time to find it, but the beautiful religioso aspect is definitely there. True serene beauty. Thank you Luke!
Another blog post please? I really like to read your comments on music.
June 7th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Thank you, Luke,
You are right; I just remember that so far I extracted mp3 from iTunes mp4 not from YouTube flv. Today I downloaded iTunes mp4 of this episode and extracted the stereo mp3 from it. The sound track was a little bit Left-channel weighted, so I could balance it with Audacity free software to send this wonderful episode into my itunes library. Thank you again, and I am looking forward to the rest of Haydn Concerto, too!
June 16th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Bravo! Beautiful. I have been hoping you would play this piece (similar to your version of the Swan which is a favorite). I have told my son (age 8 and cello) that I want him to play this at my funeral. Not soon of course. (I had suggested an opera piece once before.)
I greatly enjoy your music and site.
Many many thanks.
Bryce
June 18th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Great!
I came across this site and I’ve enjoyed so much!
I would like some advice since I don’t actually play cello, but I like it. I’ve been told, though, that there are some special qualities I should have in order to learn how to play it.
is this true?
I’d appreciate your help
david
June 20th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Hi david,
I don’t know what you have been told. What special qualities? Yes, you need your hands. Yes, you need to be able to move your fingers, too.
Honestly, almost anything can be learned, it just depends on your aims.
June 20th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Hm. All I can think of what someone needs to learn is a cello, bow, teacher and time. It truly is a wonderful instrument, and you should dive in. Get a teacher who was/is a professional performer. They love passing on their knowledge. You can do it!
June 27th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Hi luke i really enjoy your playing. i think that with the way you play i think that if you played dvorak’s b minor concerto,elgar’s cello concerto,or saint saens cello concerto #1 it would sound absoloutly amazing.:)
June 28th, 2008 at 3:15 am
I am hoping we can get to all those great concertos.
Luke
July 13th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Luke, have you heard of the Internet Cello Society? It’s at cello.org and they have a wonderful forum with many nice people and interesting discussions.
Can’t wait for the next video!
Patrick
July 19th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I enjoy your videos so much and study your technique. I’m hoping you will be doing another episode soon.
July 20th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Elaine - Thank you. Have fun at the cello.
Luke
July 24th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Well, Luke, I studied cello from 1966-1969…..then moved on to a job teaching elementary music and left the cello when I moved from British Columbia, Canada to Zimbabwe, Africa in 1980 because I could not afford a ticket to take my cello there. In 2005, after raising 2 children in California and teaching full time, I finally returned to the cello, traveling to Los Angeles and purchasing a cello from Hans Benning at Studio City Music. My best friend is a cellist with the San Luis Obispo Symphony and played with the San Diego Symphony. She is the one who encouraged me to begin again and I am fortunate to be able to play in an amateur community orchestra. I was so delighted to find your utube performances and I appreciate your response to my first comment. At the moment, I am playing in a trio and working on the Popper Requium. I appreciate all of the pieces you have performed by Popper….he knew how to compose for cello!
July 26th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Elaine - Thanks for writing and sharing your background. That is great that you are playing the Popper Requiem. I am starting to appreciate Popper more these days. His pieces have nice melodies and really take advantage of the cello.
Luke
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:57 am
You both played this piece beautifully. Thanks for sharing this with the world!
This website is becoming a great resource for students learning these pieces. It has lots of educational value to be able to hear and see a cellist with fine technique and lovely interpretation.
Maybe you already talked about it in the comments, but could you tell us more about your beautiful cello, it’s history, etc…? Maybe for a next blogpost…?
Keep it up!
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Luke,
I have been appreciating your website and performances online since October of 2007. I started playing cello, at the age of 37, in November of 2007. I have no other music training whatsoever. I must say that your website and John Holt’s book have been my two biggest sources of inspiration. Thank you, thank you! The sharing of your talent truly makes the world a better place. I may always be a ‘beginner’ at playing the cello, but I enjoy it immensely and it has opened an entirely new and wonderful door for me in my life…and you will always be linked to my decision to take the leap!
Sincerely,
Anne Gardon
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Anne - Thank you. That is wonderful to hear. It makes me really happy to hear that I can have a positive effect on someone. It makes the whole thing worth it. Happy cello playing!
Luke
September 4th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Hi, I’m Sofía from Argentina, I play the violin and searching for some music in some web sites I found this and, I’m sourprised, the music that you do is great, and now I Listen to it all the time. Congratulations!
Sofía.
September 6th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Wow, this piece is great. I come often to hear pieces I’ve played and want to improve. I was wondering if you will ever play Concerto No. 5 in D minor, Opus 76 by Goltermann in the future. It is a bit long but it has a piano accompaniement and sounds great (when my teacher plays).(He plays in the Houston Symphony Orchestra). I’ve been looking for a cello version of this song for a while and only found one video on youtube.com that wasn’t very clear. Thanks for reading this!
-Anna
September 6th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Anna - I remember once playing lots of Goltermann. I think I played two of the concertos. We might play it at some point.
Luke
September 11th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Hi Luke,
Great piece, and you did a wonderful job, playing it. Could you maybe consider, at some point, to play the Bramhs cello sonata in e minor, or even better, the Cesar Franck sonata? (I especially love the 2nd. movement of the latter)
Tord
October 28th, 2008 at 4:58 am
I think we are going to play the Brahms e minor Sonata next.
Luke
October 31st, 2008 at 10:31 am
Hello Luke,
it is nice to hear that and I am really looking forward to it
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:35 am
I’m not a trained musician. I cannot read music. I have been playing guitar for 30 years. My exposure to this type of music has been at best, very limited. One of the pieces that I have been exposed to is this piece. Always a violin though. This, in the deep rich sound of the cello, goes, I think, even deeper into meditation than the smaller instument could ever reach. Although the high of the final note left me wanting one more octive, this was worth my listening to at least one more time. By the way, if your Mom is not with us any longer,be advised she approves of your gift to her!
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Peter - I agree I think it sounds great on the cello. Fortunately my Mom is around. She watched it and liked it. I thought I got my tenses a bit mixed up when talking about her in the episode. She plays this piece really well.
Maybe you could post a video of yourself playing guitar.
Luke
November 4th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Thank you Luke - that was a meal in itself, and I don’t know which one I listend to, but I don’t want to listen to another just now - I want to let the fine tastes of this one linger for a while. Beautifully done and played - and thank you for playing it from the inside.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:18 am
Brenda - Thanks. I appreciate it.
Luke
November 5th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Hi again Luke - maybe its time for some cello duets! I love the sound of two or three cellos together….
November 7th, 2008 at 7:59 am
I like cello ensembles too. I remember playing in cello choirs of 8 cellos or more. They always sounded really great. There is that nice Vivaldi concerto for two cellos too.
Luke
November 27th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Absolutely beautiful! I just discovered the site and have been enjoying it very much. I would love to hear some Vivaldi sometime…
November 28th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Josh,
Thanks. I know there are some Vivaldi cello concertos.
Luke
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Your music is so beautiful. I am trying to expose my daughter to different instruments so she can pick something she likes and learn to play it. So far your cello music has won her over. The music is so beautiful and inspiring! Thank you!
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 am
Laurie,
Thanks. Sounds great.
Luke
December 10th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Luke,
Absolutely beautiful tone and expression! What an inspiration. I have decided to study the cello at age 59! I played classical piano many years and rock/jazz drums for several years. But now I’m ready for something new.
I am so impressed with the quality of the sound too…and I’m just listening through small speakers connected to my computer. Wow! You are a great resource.
I cannot find it now, but when I first got to your site there were some kind of introductory lessons or something like that. Can you link me to that area?
Warm regards,
Micki
December 15th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Micki - Thank you. That is great to hear that you are starting up the cello. Sorry I didn’t reply earlier. All these Christmas concerts are keeping me busy.
There aren’t really any lessons on here. Maybe at some point I will add something like this. I was thinking about a weekly audio podcast where I answer questions about the cello.
Luke
January 10th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
wow absolutely wonderful job im begining to regret not choosing this solo when i had the chance, you made it sound so wonderful, i ended up choosing the swan which u do an absolutely wonderful job on as well hopefully i can play just as well as u at competition which is in one month
February 10th, 2009 at 1:47 am
Luke & Ross:
Thank you for sharing the wonderful gift of beautiful music. I have your CD w/the Swan and it is my all time favorite version. I believe your style and skill would lend itself to the Theme Song from Schindler’s List -a beautiful moving piece. (I know I suggested an opera piece once before). My son is now age 9 and continues on the cello. He had the great opportunity (not that he appreciates it yet) to meet Yo Yo Ma this past summer in Austin, Texas. Thank you again for sharing your wonderful talents.
Bryce
February 12th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Bryce - Thank you. I really like the Theme Song from Schindler’s List too.
Luke
February 19th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
You are wonderful at cello!!!
April 9th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Hello, I’m amateur cello player
Thanhk you for these wonderful videos
I’m fighting with the Vivaldi cello sonatas. Will you post any of them?
April 9th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
I haven’t played Vivaldi sonatas for cello before. Now I am curious what they sound like.
Luke
May 28th, 2009 at 7:39 am
This is the first time on your site. I love the cello very much, but I have never had a chance or money to buy one or study. I will retire in a few years and with the money from my last check I want to buy a cello and start to learn how to play. Would you suggest a relatively good cello at a reasonable price please? Also, I don’t understand the different sizings, such as 4/4, 7/8, 1/2…what does this mean? I love your playing and I am very happy I have found this site. Thank you!!
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 am
Steve - When it comes to cellos you want a 4/4 size. The other ones are mostly for children as they are growing up. Also, renting a cello is a good idea. A local string shop may make that available. If you have more questions just leave a comment or e-mail me at cellojourney@gmail.com. You can also ask questions at celloheaven.com or cello.org.
Luke
July 11th, 2009 at 6:24 am
Hi my name is Jill, im about to start my third year playing the cello. i love the sound of the piano and the cello together , and i cant wait till i can play the cello like that. Do you guys have any advise on composing?Do you guys know of any good private tuters for the cello?
November 1st, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Thanks - I’m listening to Meditation while I type. Beautiful. I used to accompany a daughter playing this on violin. It is so special.
I’ll share this with our young son later. He was a gift to us - and his website is: http://bit.ly/wigzf
I’m delighted I’ve found your podcasts.
We’d love to interview you for our newsletter which is attached to our blog. We simply want to provide all the encouragement we can to young cellists. Would you be willing? Thanks!
November 21st, 2009 at 12:39 am
Hi
I’m a 46 years old E.N.T. doctor from Izmir-Turkey (So far to you!). But you are so close to me! I started to learn cello about one month ago after listening to it for 35 years. You are good and I will follow you in net. Be always happy!
Arman Afrashi
January 24th, 2010 at 9:03 am
just gorgeous i love this piece so much so much emotion an inspiration i think i shall go play my cello now
January 27th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
WOW! This is my mother playing it on the violin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEOTVektk9k). I too want to do a cello rendition of this piece just as my mother did here (she is playing from memory after not playing for about 15 years; she was once the second chair for the Seattle Youth Symphony). I just started learning to cello so wish me luck that I can do the very thing you set out to do! So weird to see such similarities in our passions. Of course you seem like mountains beyond me as I am trying to figure out to hold the darn cello comfortably and you are a master.
February 10th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Hi. Thank you for your last episode of cello journey. It touched us both. I watch it before every cello lesson for inspiration. We want some more. Please.
August 26th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Does anybody know how many years of experience you would need to play this?
I’m doing my 7th Grade AMEB at the tomorrow and thinking of 8th.
Thanks
January 10th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Luke -
I do not if you are still taking posts to your site but glad it is still “up”; I wanted to let you know that I still appreciate the beautiful music you have and enjoy the opportunity to “come back” every now and again and listen to inspiring favorites….like your feeling for Meditation…..
B
January 12th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Bryce -
Thank you. Nice to hear from you.
Luke
September 11th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Dear Luke,
I am showing your videos to my 12 years old son who wants to start playing cello and this is thanks to you. I hope everything is fine on your side because I see that you have not posted new videos for a long time. I hope you will start again soon.
Cheers,
Laurent
September 15th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Laurent, thank you.
Luke