Yo-Yo Ma - Simply Baroque II ~ Bach & Boccherini / ABO, Koopman

Johann Sebastian Bach (Artist), Luigi Boccherini (Artist), Ton Koopman (Artist), Yo-Yo Ma (Artist), The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 15, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00004W5A9
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,744 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This is the sequel to Yo-Yo Ma's wildly successful Simply Baroque, released last year. Again joined by the excellent Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, with Ton Koopman conducting from the harpsichord, he plays with a baroque bow on his 1712 Stradivarius cello "reconfigured" as a baroque instrument with gut strings and no endpin and tuned a half-tone lower. This gives it a mellower, more subdued sound, though his tone, despite very sparing vibrato, retains its unique expressive warmth and purity. (In concert, he currently performs on his Montagnana cello and one made recently by the well-known American luthiers Moes & Moes.) The program again features two Boccherini concertos and a group of Bach transcriptions for cello and orchestra by Koopman, including the Aria from the Goldberg Variations. These are only intermittently successful and make great demands on the soloist. Ma, of course, meets the demands handily, soaring to stratospheric heights, blending into the orchestra, and weaving figurations around it. The Boccherini concertos are the core of the record, notably the famous B-flat, for which Ma and Koopman went back to the originals in search of a more authentic version than the familiar one (which was actually conflated later from several others by Grützmacher, a cellist and editor). Here, Ma has ample opportunity to display his virtuosity, his charm, and his pleasure in intimate give-and-take with the orchestra; one can almost see him smile. The result is pure delight. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CelloTranscriptions Meet The Early Music Scene, October 4, 2000

By 

Nicholas Good (Topeka, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yo-Yo Ma - Simply Baroque II ~ Bach & Boccherini / ABO, Koopman (Audio CD)

The Music: Both Vol 1 and this disc are really about Bach and Boccherini -- no other baroque composers are offered. I tend to think of Boccherini as early classical, not baroque. However this is all wonderful music, and a good juxtaposition of composers, even if the title is a little misleading.

Having decided make transcriptions of Bach works written for other combinations a core offering of both this disc and the earlier vol 1, YoYo Ma avoids merely rehashing the warhorses that we have heard in endless arrangements and focused on less frequently transcribed works. All of them will be familiar to an avid Bach listener, but he goes way beyound the stereo-typed Jesu, Joy and Sheep May Safely Graze type of arrangements. Many of the selections are pieces that were Bach's own favorites as evidenced by the multiple versions that he himself circulated. I think the effectiveness of Ton Koopman's arrangements is a key component of the musical success of these albums.

The Performances: A very effective partnership between a early music group and a performer using a modified modern setup. It has the crispness and lightness and nuanced articulation that are hallmarks of the HIP (historically informed performance) movement without sounding academic in any way.

I have a very large classical CD collection and I keep listening to this one over and over. I would recommend it both to newcomers to classical music and to experienced classical listeners.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fantabulous, September 6, 2000

By 

Trevor Gillespie "sol_man" (San Jose, California United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yo-Yo Ma - Simply Baroque II ~ Bach & Boccherini / ABO, Koopman (Audio CD)

I just bought this CD and I must say it is truly an inspiration. Yo Yo Ma has to be the greatest cello in recent history. I think he has surpassed the artistic achievements of Rostropovich. This new Baroque album is even better than the first. The playing is flawless. The best part of Ma's playing is the sound he creates with his cello. It is such a warm, beautiful, and focused sound. One can't help but catch the feeling these composers were trying to create when he plays them.

First of all, most of the pieces are by Bach, who was the genius of geniuses composer. Yo Yo Ma has taken familiar parts of cantatas and transcribed them into beautiful pieces for cello. Certainly, this CD is a must hear. Full heartedly recommended.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yo-Yo Ma has done it again...., August 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Yo-Yo Ma - Simply Baroque II ~ Bach & Boccherini / ABO, Koopman (Audio CD)

This album truly lives up to all we have come to expect of the world's most prominent cellist. Ma's sweet nuances do wonders for the classic baroque pieces, bringing these standards to life in a most enchanting way. Unfortunately, only two composers are showcased in this recording (but the pieces prove to be good selections). Well worth your time and money.