Appalachia Waltz

Yo-Yo Ma (Performer), Edgar Meyer (Performer), Mark O'Connor (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor
• Audio CD (September 24, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002C0Y
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,546 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #56 in Music > World Music > North America > Appalachian

Track Listings

1. The Green Groves of Erin - The Flowers Of Red Hill

2. Appalachia Waltz

3. Chief Sitting In The Rain

4. Mama

5. Butterfly's Day Out

6. Druid Fluid

7. First Impressions

8. Etienne Et Petunia

9. F.C.'s Jig

10. College Hornpipe

11. Pickles

12. Old Country Fairytale

13. Schizoozy

14. Star of the Country Down

15. Speed The Plow Medley

16. Fair Dancer Reel

Editorial Reviews

Audio Cd

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

180 of 183 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD seeks to break new ground -- and succeeds! March 31, 1999

By Melanie White

Format:Audio CD

A reviewer posted here (from Pennsylvania) complaining that this CD lacked a true bluegrass feel (sweaty farmer, etc.). This person missed the point. This is not a bluegrass CD. It's a hybrid, something new, blurring the lines between classical, jazz, bluegrass, and Celtic. You won't find anything anywhere like it (and if you do, please email me to tell me about it!). I love this CD almost more than is reasonable. We heard Yo-Yo Ma perform here in Seattle a few months ago, and for his encore, he played an arrangement of "Appalachia Waltz" for solo cello. Apart from the sheer virtuosity of playing this trio tune as a solo (no mean feat -- it was awesome), this was first and only time in my life when hearing a song *for the first time* I was moved to tears (plural, as in many). It was *sublime* -- as are several tunes on this album. It really is just about the prettiest music I've heard in many years... IF you listen with an open mind! Don't try to pidgeonhole it into a category -- try to take it on its own terms. Not all tracks are as successful as others -- but even on the ones I don't care for, I admire the creative effort and enjoy the playing. So if you want "pure" bluegrass, don't buy this CD. If you want true originality, creative risk-taking, and inspired collaboration, this is a work of moving beauty, top-notch playing -- and fun! My deepest gratitude to them, all three, for giving us this gift!

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb collaboration July 12, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

An excellent synergy of Meyer's peerless bass technique, unmatched stylistic versatilty, and innovative composing/arranging with the similar skills of smooth-fiddling Mark O'Connor and the open-eared virtuosity of Yo-Yo Ma. Those expecting the rough-edged sounds of old-timey, bluegrass, or other folk-derived styles might be disappointed, but if you'd like to hear those folk influences refined and superbly interpreted by three of the most technically accomplished and subtly soulful string players on the planet, this one's for you. Think Copland's "Appalachian Spring" but *vastly* deeper with the attention to detail that can only come of hands-on intimacy with the actual source traditions, distilled into beautifully energetic chamber music. Recommended without reservation!

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars JUST BUY IT! September 9, 2000

By Paul Adomshick

Format:Audio CD

When answering the favorite hypothetical, "If you were on a desert island and could only have 10 CDs...", this would surely be one of the first ones on my list.

While I have loved the music of Mark O'Connor for many years and have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have ever heard from Edgar Meyer and am always impressed with Yo-Yo Ma's talent, I think that this may be some of the most inspired, and inspiring music from any of them. I have listened to this CD time and time again since it first came out (I literally buy everything that Mark O'Connor records on the day it is released.) and never tire of a single note. JUST BUY IT!

One recommendation to anyone who has not had the opportunity to see Mark O'Connor perform live, in any setting - it will be one of the most amazing musical experiences of your life. I have seen him perform solo (fiddle, guitar and mandolin)several times and with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra once, and each performance was among the greatest I will ever experience.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing! kids even like it! April 8, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

i found this cd and got it cause i like bluegrass music and the title stood out. this cd has totally turned me on to Edgar Meyer's music, all of which is absolutley beautiful. i'm so glad i found out about this guy. his other cd's are just as good if not better than this one. the music on this cd is very calming and soulful, the kids i babysitt for even like it! they especially like "Butterfly's Day Out", it's a fun song. Letting them listen to this cd has helped me keep them from sitting in front of the tv for hours and hours. You should also go sample Edgar Meyer's cds "Uncommon Ritual", and "Short Trip Home" they are awsome.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Three unique musical giants meld their gifts seamlessly March 8, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

A hybrid of classical, folk, bluegrass, celtic and world music, played by three of the most gifted musicians in the world. From the elegant melodic quality of "Butterfly's Day Out" to the rhythmic "Mama" to the haunting beauty of "Appalachia Waltz" and "Star of the County Down," this collaborative endeavor reaps the rewards of the creativity and brilliance of the players.

One thing an earlier reviewer missed: though O'Connor and Meyer (an incredible composer, by the way) wrote the tunes, Yo-Yo Ma is credited with an equal by-line because of the collaborative nature of the arrangements. It's his virtuosity as a soloist and his tasteful elegance as an accompanist that makes this album such an exceptional treasure.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a worthwhile sound October 22, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

Very rarely does one get the chance to hear a musical style so unique and yet so enjoyable as on the Appalachia Waltz. Some music just takes you to another place, and this CD is definitely filled with that very style of music. The title track especially moves the heart, as do many of the other tracks. The blend of classical instruments and technique to a truly heart-of-America style of music is a treat, and well-worth listening to again and again. Probably one of the best CDs to come out in the last twenty years.