Yo-Yo Ma didn’t mutter a single word throughout his performance, and he didn’t need to.

As Ma walked on stage he accepted our applause, sat down in the lone black chair that laid center stage and immediately dived into Bach’s Suite No. 1. This was followed by Bach’s Suite No. 5 and, after intermission, Bach’s Suite No. 3.

While familiar from countless recordings, these unaccompanied suites soared to a higher plane of musical existence when Ma effortlessly played them for what must be the thousandth time. Each note, arpeggio, double-stop and trill demanded veneration.

However, the genius that is Ma is not defined simply by technical skill or tonal ability. Ma’s exploration of every minutiae of Bach’s music allowed for him to bring these 300-year-old masterpieces to life. His matchless legato phrasing, rich tone and effortless ability to maneuver through Bach’s multi-layered voicings allowed him to reach for a higher goal.

Starting with Suite No. 1, Ma grasped his audience with a familiar and moving major piece. As always, the Courante was extremely striking and elegant. Throughout the suite, climaxes were reached beautifully and artistry was certainly apparent. Ma was able to reinvigorate a classic, simply by playing, well, classically.

The next two suites certainly followed suit. Moving first to Suite No. 5, a minor piece, Ma perfectly conveyed the Rembrandt-like darkness of the suite and was especially successful during the Sarabande (The Sarabande of this suite is written in a different style than all other Sarabandes as it is far more minimalistic and lacks the ornamental qualities of most eighteenth century literature).

Suite No. 3 in C major is a fairly straightforward piece; the harmonies are clear and the developments are easy to follow, especially with Ma in control. Ma took the suite, expressed mainly in scales and triads or parts thereof, and revived its hallmark variety and playfulness.

There was an emotional timbre that struck the hearts and minds of the audience that night. It was as if each member of the audience was given the opportunity to know Bach personally.

It isn’t often a single instrument can completely envelop a venue, but Ma’s musicality, easily seen by his movements and intense faces, enticed the audience even without the presence of words.

The sold out performance was met with many rounds of applause to which Ma responded with humble grins, bows and a much anticipated encore in which Ma spoke for the first time explaining that he would play Pablo Casals’ “Song of the Birds,” which highlighted his irresistible and effortless lyricism. At the end of the night, the cellist left the audience’s ears salivating, yearning for more.