The Eternal Vow from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Erbarme dich (Matthdus-Passion)
Quartet for Piano & Strings No. 2 in G minor, Op. 45
IV. Allegro molto
Vocalise
Libertango
Simple Gifts
Appalachia Waltz
Except for one "previously unreleased" recording and two new ones, this is a compilation of segments taken from older Yo-Yo Ma CDs, perhaps to whet listeners' appetite to hear the entire records. The disc represents a triu... more »mph of performance over material. The program consists of short pieces and single movements of long ones and serves to display Yo-Yo Ma's extraordinary versatility, his spectacular instrumental and musical gifts, and his remarkable ability to invest everything he plays with the same commitment and emotional concentration. There is no logic to the sequence, except that it begins and ends with solo cello. Bach, whom Ma plays tuned normally when unaccompanied and tuned low with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, may justify the CD's title but seems out of place. Moreover, juxtaposing him with O'Connor and Piazzolla is jarring, though the Tangos are beautiful. The transcription of Dvorák's lovely E-minor Slavonic Dance, despite the participation of violinist Itzhak Perlman and his golden tone, sounds like a movie soundtrack: all bravura and cheap effects. The playing's the thing, and it is stunning, not only Yo-Yo Ma's, but that of all his collaborators, from vocalists Bobby McFerrin and Alison Krauss to pianist Emanuel Ax, Ma's duo partner of 25 years. Ax joins Ma for the Finale of Brahms's second cello sonata; that is what you may find yourself humming at the end. --Edith Eisler« less
Except for one "previously unreleased" recording and two new ones, this is a compilation of segments taken from older Yo-Yo Ma CDs, perhaps to whet listeners' appetite to hear the entire records. The disc represents a triumph of performance over material. The program consists of short pieces and single movements of long ones and serves to display Yo-Yo Ma's extraordinary versatility, his spectacular instrumental and musical gifts, and his remarkable ability to invest everything he plays with the same commitment and emotional concentration. There is no logic to the sequence, except that it begins and ends with solo cello. Bach, whom Ma plays tuned normally when unaccompanied and tuned low with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, may justify the CD's title but seems out of place. Moreover, juxtaposing him with O'Connor and Piazzolla is jarring, though the Tangos are beautiful. The transcription of Dvorák's lovely E-minor Slavonic Dance, despite the participation of violinist Itzhak Perlman and his golden tone, sounds like a movie soundtrack: all bravura and cheap effects. The playing's the thing, and it is stunning, not only Yo-Yo Ma's, but that of all his collaborators, from vocalists Bobby McFerrin and Alison Krauss to pianist Emanuel Ax, Ma's duo partner of 25 years. Ax joins Ma for the Finale of Brahms's second cello sonata; that is what you may find yourself humming at the end. --Edith Eisler
I like this CD overall, but not consistently over the CD. A few cuts were disappointing, but the majority were wonderful!
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
CD Reviews
A good sampler
Jadepearl | Wandering, USA | 03/20/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As previous reviews have stated this CD is a sampler from previous albums. So if you are a long time Yo-Yo Ma fan this CD is not going to pleasurable and you may actually find it jarring. But if you are just trying out Ma and don't know what to get or to try afterall, CDs are pricey, then get this CD.If you are a huge fan of his _Soul of Tango_ then get this CD just for the unreleased cut of Piazolla's Tango Sensations: Fear (it is a great piece full of energy). You may also want to get this CD for the Alison Krauss cut of Simple Gifts.For the truly thrifty who think that the MP3 or OOG version of the music (ripped on premium ware and played on a higher end stereo) will be satisfactory I would argue that you will lose a great deal of richness so, get the CDs of Ma's music for fuller quality.This CD is good for the beginner and for those who compulsively collect Ma cuts but for the average fan it is a skip."
Bravo!
Allyn | USA | 04/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many people seem not enjoy this varied collection of Yo-Yo Ma's music...I think just the opposite! I loved every moment of this CD; to me every piece was the "best of the best" of Yo-Yo Ma's music. The CD begins with a Bach cello suite, which brilliantly showcases Ma's rich-sounding cello-playing in stunning solo. His samplings of tango music are not to be beaten either-the "Libertango" is filled with the exotically exciting sounds of many different instruments which complement the perfect "tango sounding" cello. Gershwin's famous first prelude gets a new twist with brightly swinging cello and fitting piano accompaniment, and "Simple Gifts", with Alison Krauss singing, is a simple yet deeply feeling arrangement of a timeless hymn-certainly not to be missed! Last, but certainly not least, some highlights of Ma's Appalachian CDs are included and showcase this uniquely American form of music wonderfully. OK, I'll admit that the order and compilation of this music is a little different...but I think you'll find, like I have, that each piece is like a beautiful gem-shining and stunning and able to stand on its own."
Great if you're not familiar with Yo-Yo Ma
L. Lee | Chicago | 12/27/2002
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is a good sample of what yo-yo ma has acheived in his musical career, if you want a more in depth listening of his talents than I suggest getting the simply baroque CD. The only thing that I didn't like about this cd was that the compositions were to mixed up in the genres. There was a bit of classical, some movie works, a great song by John Williams, and some of The Tango series music. If you would rather listen to one genre, get a CD that just has Classical or Contemerary, don't get a jack of all trades cd."
Awesome
Aggrivated by shallow reviews | Reading, PA | 08/19/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While most people on this site see the "classic" in the title of the album as referring to classical music only, they are mistaken. Classic Yo-Yo refers to his style, not the genre into which his music choices fall. The list of tracks alone should have been a big enough clue that the music isn't all classical. Judging this album, or any album for that matter, on just its title is simply foolish. And while this is technically a solo album, the way Yo-Yo brings in guest artists to perform with him shows his flexibility as an artist. His version of Simple Gifts is so much more than a school chorus; it is an amazing cellist playing the accompaniment on a song that is meant to be sung.
On a more positive note, I found every track beautiful, from the elegant solo cello in the Bach cello suite to the haunting vocal line in the Bobby McFerrin piece. Yo-Yo Ma gathered a wide range of intriguing pieces to make this fantastic album."
Simply wonderful!
Dana P. Barrick | West Virginia, USA | 06/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I recently got this CD as a birthday gift. I've been wanting this CD for a while. The first track is a wonderful song in all reality the entire CD is a wonderful experience. The prelude by Gershwin is unique sounding with the cello. The jazz quality is still there and has a bit of classical influence intertwined among it. Yo-Yo Ma's recording of Simple Gifts is a good song and when they had the lyrics sung by Alison Krauss it was a wonderful choice. Her vocals matched the cello incredibly well. Track 8 is a wonderful song that I love to hear being played on the cello. For any person who loves classical music or cello music this CD is a good choice to buy. It will be well worth your money."