Track Listing

1. Going To School featuring John Williams
2. IV. Allegretto poco mosso from Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano
3. II. Andante con moto e poco rubato from Three Preludes
4. II. Largo from "Winter", Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 from the Four Seasons
5. Doce de coco
6. II. Largo from Concerto No. 1 in G minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 49
7. Cinema Paradiso: Nostalgia from Giuseppe Tornatore Suite
8. The Swan from Carnival of the Animals (Chamber Version)
9. Yanzi (Swallow Song)
10. II. Andante from Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra in A minor,
11. Soledad
12. No. 4 Mikin Pekko from Five Finnish Folk Songs
13. First Impressions featuring Edgar Meyer; Mark O'Connor
14. Song Without Words, Op. 109
15. Gabriel's Oboe from The Mission featuring Ennio Morricone

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2668 in Music
• Released on: 2007-01-09
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Any new compilation CD starring Yo-Yo Ma is certain to please. This master of the cello takes the listener through so many types of music that the ear and mind never tire. The present selection is billed as a sort of "musical autobiography," and, indeed, it gives us a tour of Ma's musical life. The Silk Road Project is represented by Zhao's "Swallow Song," with its eerie, fascinating soundscape (specially re-recorded for this CD). We also accompany Ma on his excursions into the world of the baroque cello with Vivaldi or of the Finnish folk song (by Mamiya, a first recording). There are Gershwin's languid Second Prelude, with its intimations of the song "Summertime," and an all-new recording of a nine-minute heart-breaker by Astor Piazzolla ("Soledad"). Ma also gives us more familiar Brahms, Franck, and Saint-Saens. The compilation's mellow 65 minutes offer relaxing, beautiful music, all exquisitely played. Ma is joined by the best: Emanuel Ax, Kathryn Stott, John Williams (who plays piano on his own "Going to School" from Memoirs of a Geisha), Isaac Stern, and Claudio Abbado. This is a veritable Who's Who of superb musicians. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews

Not sure what to say
Unfortunately, while I received confirmation from amazon that this had shipped, and was charged for the item, I never received it. I can't find a phone number, and my efforts to secure it via amazon's "where's my order" service and UPS tracking, were so time-consuming and tedious that I gave up in order not to spend hours at work on the tasks. I would like to resolve the issue, and receive another CD that shipped with this one, and it finally occurred to me that this review might help.

There Aren't Enough Stars...
Of the thousands of albums/cds I have purchased in my lifetime -- were I to have to pick only one to keep -- this would be it.

The mark of the collection is an exquisite sensibility and technical excellence. In several of the pieces, you can feel as if your soul, rather than musical instruments, is being played -- but nothing mundane, boring, sophomoric, sentimental, or trite. The choice of material is intelligent and intuitive -- the taste of a great musician. The culmination piece by Ennio Morricone could arguably be considered the most beautiful 2 plus minutes of recorded music. It is nothing short of a cry to heaven.

Five stars -- hardly enough -- there aren't enough stars for me to rate this.

Refreshing beauty
A beautiful CD, with freshness and clarity.
A well balanced selection of pieces and wonderfully produced, to show each instrument at its best.
Accessible for a wide range of listeners, this collection has "heart" without being overly sentimental.