Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Camille Saint-Saens :: The Essential Yo-Yo Ma

The title of the album says it all

Rachel Ciprotti | Brookline, MA | 08/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've been meaning to buy something of Yo-Yo Ma's for years now, but never got around to it, or if you own a few albums but wish you had more - this collection is perfect!



Not for the hard-core fan or collector, the Essential series is still fantastic for more casual fans.



Pieces from Bach, his Appalachian CDs, show tunes, film scores, traditional Chinese tunes - this collection of 35 pieces is a wonderful smattering of Ma's wide-ranging career.



No new recordings are included here, but since Ma has put out more than 70 CDs, it's difficult to own them all (or even most). This collection is a good start."

Far More Than a Potpourri

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 10/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not being a fan of 'best of' or 'highlights' recordings which always seem to be a commercial re-hash of successful records gathered for increased monetary drivers, this 2 CD collection of THE ESSENTIAL YO-YO MA did not immediately appeal. But for some reason it became part of the library and now this listener is so touched by this collection that a review is merited.



Not that this generous sampling of 36 works has not been available before, and to the purists the excerpts may be annoyingly programmed. But the true beauty of this remarkable album is that it captures the humanity of Ma's spirit and that presence makes each band go beyond the technical finesse and into the heart of the musician.



Included in this collection are works for solo cello (especially Bach), for cello and piano, cello and voice (in an eerily transcendent 'Vocalise' of Rachmaninoff), cello and chamber ensemble, cello and orchestra, and cello and folk instruments. There are works form his Morricone album, his foray into the Appalachian series, the Tango series, the jazz series, single items like the Méditation from Thaïs, The Swan from Carnival of the Animals, and finally selections from the Silk Road album. The joy here is not just the variety of music, it is the complete devotion to each form of music that makes Ma the universal classical musician he has become.



For more in depth listening of your favorite bands on this collection you may turn to the original recordings, but for the casual listener - and those who always thought recordings like this were less than satisfactory (!) - this remarkable collection has universal appeal and pays homage to Yo-Yo Ma the brilliant cellist and the Humanist. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05"

Great place to start with the Cello

Ariella Vaccarino- creator of "Voic | Los Angeles, California | 11/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great CD to be introduced to some of the finest cello pieces and playing. As one of the most beautiful instruments by played by the best Cellist today, you can't miss."