Customer Reviews

The Essential Yo-Yo Ma

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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.

Before first hearing this awesome Essential Yo-Yo Ma, my hearing Yo-Yo Ma in person came from a few feet from front-stage. Yet hearing him on ear-phones on this CD each morning, you get such erie aura of inner presence, from the Prelude of Bach Suite No 1 in G major, then Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Sheep May Safely Graze, full Orchestra with Wachet Auf, "Simple Gifts" played by the Master Musician, sung by the plaintive soprano voice of an angel, two Morricone Pieces, "Gabriel's Oboe and the Falls" + "The Eternal Vow," from the Crouching Tiger and "The Cellist of Sarajevo." It is 153 minutes of blessed, calming, soothing, heavenly, Eternally Peaceful, flowing of Melodies!

After heaing both discs of 76 & 77 minutes for two months, I list it with my top 10 classical discs of Choral Classics of Ancient Russian Treasures, Robert Shaw Choral Masterpiences, Brahms Violin Concerto, and Essential George Gershwin! Joyfully from fully-retired Chaplain, Fred W Hood

Between these two disks, the listener experiences the expansive swath of this virtuoso's briliant repetoire. I bought the disk primarily for Bach's Prelude from Cello Suite No 1 in G Major, but I also loved the other Bach selections and the hauntingly beautiful rendition of "Simple Gifts". I have heard other performances by Yo-Yo Ma of this Cello suite selection, but I found this version to be the most stylistically appealing--at least by my humble tastes. I usually avoid compilation cds ("best of" is usually a turn off), but this is a definite thumbs-up. At the very least, it will point the way to other selections to pursue in greater depth. It really is a great musical find!

Although I had previously purchased YoYo Ma CDs with classical music, I was intrigued by this CD. Had I not already been playing, incessantly, "YoYo Ma plays Ennio Morricone", I probably wouldn't have known how exquisitely he plays the cello. The nuances are perfection. This CD has the selections from "The Mission" by Ennio Morricone (Gabriel's Oboe, The Falls), as well as "The Swan" from C. Saint-Saens "Carnival of the Animals" and Massenet's "Meditation" from Thais. Throw in Vivaldi, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Bach and Tchaikovsky, and you have a perfect mix of classical, contemporary, eclectic and just plain wonderful. I've purchased additional YoYo Ma CDs, as well as Ennio Morricone CDs, and this cold, dark winter has been enlivened and I feel like spring is just around the corner. All because of YoYo Ma's interpretations of a wide selection of music. I recommend this CD to everyone who has an appreciation of all types of music, but especially those who enjoy YoYo Ma's exuberance and talented interpretation of any and all music. YoYo Ma Rocks!

When I first played this CD in my computer I listen to the first four or five songs and was completely in awe of the musical prowess of Yo-Yo Ma. (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring) was, I thought-perfect; I envisioned it as how Bach would have wanted it to be composed. Parts of Vivaldi's Four Seasons is on here. And there are also a few other classical favorites on the first CD which are beautiful in every sense of the word. However, the reason why I gave this "greatest hits" of Yo-Yo Ma a four is it seems less like the best of Yo-Yo Ma and more like a potpourri of random music to me. I have to say I am not a weathered fan of his work yet, so I am not sure if he plays a wide variety of music or if this CD is not characteristic of him. While none of the scores were lackluster in any way I felt some of the music actually sounded like a jazz and light classical mixed together-definitely was not expecting that. There are a few Chinese traditional compositions as well. However, I would not call it "essential" by any means. Some of the music after hearing it a few times became rather annoying, nonetheless, overall it is a great collection of some traditionally played classics with some newer age work thrown in; were I a Jazz fan I would have given this CD a 5 out of 5

I've found this collection to be extremely delightful! It gives you a sense of the versatility of Yo-Yo Ma like no other, with one disc being dedicated more to his classical side, while the other explores jazz and world music venues. Not your typical "greatest hits" collection.

Incredible. My young cellist (son) loves it. Beautiful music. The album is well organized and each song transitions nicely.

No instrument asks more from the soul of an artist as the cello does.
Yo Yo Ma shows to be master of the instrument and his interpretations en technique are pure genius. Everyone should have this album in his (or hers of course) basic classical collection