YO YO MA'S SIMPLY BAROQUE IS SIMPLY... WONDERFUL !
ol' nuff n' den sum | the Virginia coast, USA | 03/31/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Baroque Period in Europe originated in the early 17th century and reached it's peak in the early 18th century. The English word "baroque" is translated from the Italian "barocco", meaning "bizarre". "Passionate" is probably more like it. Johann Sebastian Bach is the most celebrated of the Baroque composers, although George Frederick Handel and Antonio Vivaldi are also famous for their Baroque music.
Yo Yo Ma's Simply Baroque (1999) brings the Grammy Award winning master cellist together with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (Ton Koopman) to perform mostly Bach pieces from the 18th century late Baroque period. You might recognize some of this music even if you don't know your classical music. It is thoughtful and soothing, even sounding sacred at times. Yo Yo's rich and soulful cello brings a sad beauty to these beautiful melodies, and his skillful perfection is satisfying and impressive. Enveloped by the A.B.O., Ma brings these great compositions to life, and once again a new generation hears the music of Bach and Boccherini.
You don't have to know anything about classical music to enjoy Simply Baroque; it's quite enjoyable just as it is. It's relaxing, reflective and interesting. It's simply... wonderful!
"I can only say, that as far as I am concerned, this is just some of the best music I have ever heard.... Im guessing this is the way Bach intended his music to sound in the first place, and who better for that than the AMO and Koopman...and of course YO YO... if u love classic music, you are absolutly going to LOVE this cd..I highly recommend it"
Simply baroque
Anita K. Barni | St. Louis, MO | 07/30/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Great album of YO YO Ma's ......as usual he is a master of the instrument.....I have to say , however, that Simply Baroque II was a greater listening pleasure for me simply because the music was more uplifting and in the style of baroque I prefer....but this is also a fine album for Baroque lovers."
A little bit of prominence to the cello, to go with the pict
Renato B. Bismonte | qatar | 05/14/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this because I love to listen to cellos. On my Mark&Daniels,the sound is first rate, overall. ButI would have loved to have the cello given a bit more prominence, audio-wise. The accompanying instruments are aggressive enough to drown the cello out in the musical pictures, except for the first selection which is just fabulous."