The Essential Yo-Yo Ma

Nilson Matta (Performer), Hector Console (Performer), Edgar Meyer (Performer), Marc Michel (Performer), Jon Burr (Performer), Yo-Yo Ma (Performer), Paquito D'Rivera (Performer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Camille Saint-Saens (Composer), Jules Massenet (Composer), Fritz Kreisler (Composer), George Gershwin (Composer), Sergey Rachmaninov (Composer), Dmitry Shostakovich (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Johannes Brahms (Composer), Antonin Dvorak (Composer), Cesar Camargo Mariano (Composer), Heitor Villa-Lobos (Composer)

Product Details

• Performer: Nilson Matta, Hector Console, Edgar Meyer, Marc Michel, Jon Burr, et al.
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Camille Saint-Saens, Jules Massenet, Fritz Kreisler, et al.
• Audio CD (August 16, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000A7Q29G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,004 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Prélude from Suite No. 1 in G Major for Cello, BWV 1007

2. II. Largo from "Winter", Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 from the Four Seasons

3. Jesus, bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring), BWV 147

4. Schafe können sicher weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze), BWV 208

5. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake), BWV 645

6. The Swan from Carnival of the Animals (Chamber Version)

7. Havanaise, Op. 83

8. Méditation from Thaïs

9. Liebesfreud Instrumental

10. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso from Three Preludes

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Cristal

2. A lenda do caboclo

3. Chega de Saudade Live

4. Wapango Live

5. Libertango

6. Appalachia Waltz Solo Cello Version

7. Butterfly's Day Out

8. 1B

9. Pickin' from Three Pieces for Solo Cello

10. Simple Gifts

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Here are three dozen pieces of music, all played by Yo-Yo Ma, culled from his extensive discography. Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating. It's really a matter of how much Ma loves whatever he plays here, how entirely he becomes involved in it, and what a fine partner he invariably is to other musicians. This collection is a doozy--it is truly "essential." --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Far More Than a Potpourri, October 15, 2005

By	Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The title of the album says it all, August 18, 2005

By	Rachel Ciprotti (Brookline, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great place to start with the Cello, November 7, 2005

By	Ariella Vaccarino- creator of "Voice Lessons ... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

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.