The Essential Yo-Yo Ma

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The Essential Yo-Yo Ma
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  1. Audio CD: Release Date 2005-08-16
  2. Publisher: Sony
  3. Sales Rank in Music: #2185

Product Review

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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
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Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)

86 of 88 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Far More Than a Potpourri, October 15, 2005
Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Essential Yo-Yo Ma (Audio CD)
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...Read more


71 of 75 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The title of the album says it all, August 18, 2005
Rachel Ciprotti (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Essential Yo-Yo Ma (Audio CD)
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.


24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great place to start with the Cello, November 7, 2005
Ariella Vaccarino- creator of "Voice Lessons ... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Essential Yo-Yo Ma (Audio CD)
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.

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