The Essential Yo-Yo Ma

( 6 )

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Scott Paulin
As if being the world's greatest living cellist weren't enough, Yo-Yo Ma is also one of the mere handful of genuine celebrities the classical music world has produced. In a recording career approaching three decades, he's put his stamp on nearly every nook and cranny of the standard cello repertoire while allowing his curiosity to lead him into a virtual world tour of crossover projects, too, each more successful than the last. With such a hit parade to choose from, it must have been daunting to select this program of his "essentials," but the results do justice to both the diversity and the consistent excellence of his work. It helps that the two discs divide neatly ...
See more details below
CD
$13.29
BN.com price
(Save 5%)$13.99 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (CD)
  • All (17) from $5.95   
  • New (15) from $9.79   
  • Used (2) from $5.95   

More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Scott Paulin
As if being the world's greatest living cellist weren't enough, Yo-Yo Ma is also one of the mere handful of genuine celebrities the classical music world has produced. In a recording career approaching three decades, he's put his stamp on nearly every nook and cranny of the standard cello repertoire while allowing his curiosity to lead him into a virtual world tour of crossover projects, too, each more successful than the last. With such a hit parade to choose from, it must have been daunting to select this program of his "essentials," but the results do justice to both the diversity and the consistent excellence of his work. It helps that the two discs divide neatly into a classical résumé and a crossover one. The former includes meaty excerpts from Bach, Shostakovich, Brahms, and Dvorák, as well as lighter encores such as Saint-Saëns' The Swan and Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, to name a few that show off the unsurpassed beauty of Ma's playing. The second disc, which is programmed even better for straight-through listening, draws from popular albums including the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack, Appalachian Journey, Soul of the Tango, Obrigado Brazil, and pieces by film composers John Williams and Ennio Morricone, as well as the most recent installment of the cellist's ambitious Silk Road project. It looks like a grab-bag assortment on paper, but Ma's impeccable taste and artistry tie it all together and leave you wondering where his insatiable musical appetites will lead him -- and his listeners -- next.
All Music Guide - James Manheim
Unlike the recent Classic Yo-Yo, really a single-disc sampler of the recorded work of our true superstar cellist, The Essential Yo-Yo Ma purports to be something more -- the Yo-Yo Ma album to own if you're going to own just one. Where Classic Yo-Yo more or less alternated track by track between Ma's straight classical and crossover music, The Essential Yo-Yo Ma devotes one of its two discs to the classics and the other to a generous sampling of music Ma has explored from around the popular sphere and around the world, including selections from his Silk Road Project and from his disc devoted to the music of Ennio Morricone. There's a lot to be said for this approach; Ma has really maintained parallel classical and crossover careers, and when it comes to actualy mixing things up on the concert stage, others have been bolder than he. The crossover second disc is nicely sequenced and remastered, concluding with a previously unreleased arrangement of "I Could Have Danced All Night" as a bonus track. It's a very reasonable greatest-hits group. The first disc is less successful as a representation of Ma's abilities in traditional repertoire. No complete multi-movement works are included, and most of the performances included are of the encore type. The disc moves more or less chronologically, beginning with a group of Bach and Vivaldi melodies though Ma's involvement with Vivaldi is underrepresented by the single "Four Seasons" movement included and proceeding to Romantic and late Romantic works. Many of these pieces Gershwin's "Prelude No. 1," Rachmaninov's "Vocalise," Massenet's "Méditation" are arrangements, and a few could have been sacrificed to make room for the consistent warmth that Ma brings to, say, Dvorák's cello concerto. Still, there's nothing here that makes this set anything less than a good introduction to a great musician, one who connects with audiences in a way that was second nature to the famed virtuosi of the past.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 8/16/2005
  • Label: Sony
  • UPC: 827969392720
  • Catalog Number: 93927
  • Sales rank: 6,940

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Suite for solo cello No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007: Prélude - Johann Sebastian Bach & Yo-Yo Ma (2:19)
    Composed byJohann Sebastian Bach
  2. 2 Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in F minor ("L'inverno," The Four Seasons; "Il cimento" No. 4), Op. 8/4, RV 297: II. Largo - Antonio Vivaldi & Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (1:46)
    Composed byAntonio Vivaldi
    Conducted byTon Koopman
    Performed byAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman
  3. 3 Cantata No. 147, "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben," BWV 147 (BC A174): Jesus, bleibet meine Freude - Johann Sebastian Bach & Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (2:42)
    Composed byJohann Sebastian Bach
    Conducted byTon Koopman
    Performed byAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman
  4. 4 Cantata No. 208, "Was mir behagt," (Hunt Cantata), BWV 208 (BC G1, G3): Schafe können sicher weiden - Johann Sebastian Bach & Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (3:37)
    Composed byJohann Sebastian Bach
    Conducted byTon Koopman
    Performed byAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman
  5. 5 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, chorale prelude for organ (Schübler Chorale No. 1), BWV 645 (BC K22) - Johann Sebastian Bach & Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (3:48)
    Composed byJohann Sebastian Bach
    Conducted byTon Koopman
    Performed byAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman
  6. 6 The Swan (from "Carnival of the Animals"), original (for 2 pianos & ensemble) and arrangements - Camille Saint-Saëns & Gaby Casadesus (3:08)
    Composed byCamille Saint-Saëns
  7. 7 Havanaise, in E major for violin & piano (or orchestra), Op. 83 - Camille Saint-Saëns & Yo-Yo Ma (8:50)
    Composed byCamille Saint-Saëns
  8. 8 Méditation, for violin & orchestra (or other arrangement) (from opera "Thäis") - Jules Massenet & Yo-Yo Ma (5:48)
    Composed byJules Massenet
  9. 9 Liebesfreud (Love's Joy), for violin & piano - Fritz Kreisler & Yo-Yo Ma (3:11)
    Composed byFritz Kreisler
  10. 10 Preludes (3) for piano: Prelude No. 1. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso - Jascha Heifetz & George Gershwin (1:43)
    Composed byGeorge Gershwin
  11. 11 Vocalise, instrumental arrangement, Op. 34/14 - Bobby McFerrin & Sergey Rachmaninov (6:26)
    Composed bySergey Rachmaninov
    Performed byBobby McFerrin
  12. 12 Sonata for cello & piano in D minor, Op. 40: IV. Allegro - Dmitry Shostakovich & Emanuel Ax (4:25)
    Composed byDmitry Shostakovich
  13. 13 Andante cantabile, for cello and string orchestra in D major (arr. of 2nd mvt. from String Quartet No.1) - Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky & Yo-Yo Ma (8:21)
    Composed byPeter Ilich Tchaikovsky
    Conducted byLorin Maazel
    Performed byPittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
  14. 14 Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25: IV. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto - Johannes Brahms & Emanuel Ax (8:04)
    Composed byJohannes Brahms
  15. 15 Cello Concerto in B minor, B. 191 (Op. 104): III. Finale. Allegro moderato - New York Philharmonic & Antonin Dvorák (12:50)
    Composed byAntonin Dvorák
    Conducted byKurt Masur
    Performed byNew York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur
Disc 2
  1. 1 Cristal - Jorge Calandrelli & César Camargo Mariano (2:50)
    Composed byCésar Camargo Mariano
  2. 2 A lenda do caboclo, for piano, A. 166 - Sergio Assad & Heitor Villa-Lobos (3:11)
    Composed byHeitor Villa-Lobos
  3. 3 Chega de Saudade - Jorge Calandrelli & Antonio Carlos Jobim (5:01)
    Composed byAntonio Carlos Jobim
    Performed byCyro Baptista, Rosa Passos
  4. 4 Wapango, for woodwind quintet - Paquito d'Rivera & Yo-Yo Ma (3:46)
    Composed byPaquito d'Rivera
    Performed byCyro Baptista
  5. 5 Libertango, tango - Astor Piazzolla & Jorge Calandrelli (3:11)
    Composed byAstor Piazzolla
  6. 6 Appalachia Waltz, for solo cello - Mark O'Connor & Yo-Yo Ma (4:20)
    Composed byMark O'Connor, Mark O'Connor
  7. 7 Butterfly's Day Out - Edgar Meyer & Mark O'Connor (4:46)
    Composed byMark O'Connor
  8. 8 1B, for violin, cello & double bass - Edgar Meyer & Edgar Meyer (4:01)
    Composed byEdgar Meyer
  9. 9 Pieces (3) for solo cello: Pickin' - John Williams [composer] & Yo-Yo Ma (2:34)
    Composed byJohn Williams [composer]
  10. 10 Simple Gifts - Edgar Meyer & Shaker Traditional (2:31)
    Composed byShaker Traditional
    Performed byAlison Krauss
  11. 11 The Mission, film score: Gabriel's Oboe - Ennio Morricone & Ennio Morricone (3:11)
    Composed byEnnio Morricone, Ennio Morricone
    Conducted byEnnio Morricone
    Performed byEnnio Morricone, Roma Sinfonietta
  12. 12 The Mission, film score: The Falls - Ennio Morricone & Ennio Morricone (2:28)
    Composed byEnnio Morricone, Ennio Morricone
    Conducted byEnnio Morricone
    Performed byEnnio Morricone, Roma Sinfonietta
  13. 13 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, film score: The Eternal Vow - Tan Dun & Tan Dun (3:01)
    Composed byTan Dun
    Conducted byTan Dun, Chen Xieyang
    Performed byTan Dun, Chen Xieyang, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, David Cossin, Shanghai National Orchestra, Shanghai Percussion Ensemble, Kasim
  14. 14 The Cellist of Sarajevo, a lament in rondo form for cello, Op. 12 - David Wilde & Yo-Yo Ma (6:57)
    Composed byDavid Wilde
  15. 15 Chi Passa per 'Sta Strada, for voices, lutes & violin - Fillippo Azzaiolo & Yo-Yo Ma (4:41)
    Composed byFillippo Azzaiolo
  16. 16 Mido Mountain - Chinese Traditional & Yo-Yo Ma (3:51)
    Composed byChinese Traditional
  17. 17 Mohini (Enchantment) - Sandeep Das / Indrajit Dey & Yo-Yo Ma (1:47)
    Composed bySandeep Das / Indrajit Dey
  18. 18 Suite for cello & jazz piano trio: Baroque in Rhythm - Claude Bolling & Claude Bolling (4:25)
    Composed byClaude Bolling
    Performed byJean-Luc Dayan
  19. 19 Anything Goes, song (from "Anything Goes") - Roger Kellaway & Cole Porter (5:53)
    Composed byCole Porter
    Performed byDaniel Humair
  20. 20 I Could Have Danced All Night, song (from "My Fair Lady") - Frederick Loewe & Yo-Yo Ma (3:43)
    Composed byFrederick Loewe
Read More Show Less

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Yo-Yo Ma Primary Artist
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 6 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(4)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Best of Yo-Yo Ma

    This CD gives a sweeping overview of Yo-Yo Ma's career. It includes classics and modern pieces. If you only have one Yo-Yo Ma CD in your collection it should be this one as it hits all of the highlights of his career and wide range of his talent.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 4, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 3, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 27, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 29, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 2, 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews