Album

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.

© James Manheim, Rovi

CD 1 of 2
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Cello Suite No.1 in G, BWV1007 Work Recorded 1996 Yo-Yo Ma Cello
1	1.Prelude	2:22			$0.99
Antonio Vivaldi Composer L'inverno (Winter) in F-, RV297, Op.8, No.4 Work Recorded 2003 Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Ton Koopman Harpsichord
2	2.Largo	1:45			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Cantata No.147: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (Visitation), BWV147 (includes 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring')...Part 2 Work Recorded 1998 Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Ton Koopman Organ
3	10.Chorale: Jesus bleibt meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring)	2:41			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Cantata 208: Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd! (includes 'Sheep May Safely Graze'), BWV208 Work Recorded 1998 Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Ton Koopman Organ
4	9.Aria (Soprano): Schafe können sicher weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze)	3:38			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Wachet auf! ruft uns die Stimme, BWV645 ('Sleepers Awake') Work Recorded 1998 Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Ton Koopman Organ
5	Wachet auf! ruft uns die Stimme, BWV645 ('Sleepers Awake')	3:48			$0.99
Camille Saint-Saëns Composer Carnival of the Animals: Zoological Fantasy for 2 Pianos and Chamber Ensemble...Carnival of the Animals: Zoological Fantasy for 2 Pianos and Chamber Ensemble (arr. solo instrument and piano) Work Recorded 1978 Philippe Entremont Piano, Gaby Casadesus Piano, Yo-Yo Ma Cello
6	13.The Swan	3:08			$0.99
Camille Saint-Saëns Composer Havanaise in E, for violin and orchestra, Op.83 Work Recorded 2003 Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Kathryn Stott Piano
7	Havanaise in E, for violin and orchestra, Op.83	8:54			$0.99
Jules Massenet Composer Thaïs (opera) Work Recorded 2003 Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Kathryn Stott Piano
8	Act 2; 7.Méditation (various arrangements)	5:48			$0.99
Fritz Kreisler Composer Liebesfreud ('Love's Joy') Work Recorded 1981 Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Patricia Zander Piano
9	Liebesfreud ('Love's Joy')	3:08			$0.99
George Gershwin Composer 3 Preludes...3 Preludes (arr. cello and piano) Work Recorded 1992 Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Jeffrey Kahane Piano
10	1.Allegro ben ritmato e deciso in Bb	1:42			$0.99
Sergey Vasilyevich Rachmaninov Composer 14 Songs, Op.34 Work Recorded 1991 Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Bobby McFerrin Vocals
11	14.Vocalise (arr. voice and cello)	6:24			$0.99
Dmitri Shostakovich Composer Cello Sonata, Op.40 Work Recorded 1987 Emanuel Ax Piano, Yo-Yo Ma Cello
12	4.Allegro	4:21			$0.99
Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky Composer String Quartet No.1 in D, Op.11...String Quartet No.1 in D, Op.11 (arr. cello and orchestra) Work Recorded 1991 Lorin Maazel Conductor, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Orchestra
13	2.Andante cantabile	8:22			$0.99
Johannes Brahms Composer Piano Quartet No.1 in G-, Op.25 Work Recorded 1989 Emanuel Ax Piano, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Isaac Stern Violin, Jaime Laredo Viola
14	4.Rondo all Zingarese	8:05			$0.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer Cello Concerto in B-, Op.104 Work Recorded 1997 New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Kurt Masur Conductor
15	3.Finale: Allegro moderato	12:50			$1.98
CD 2 of 2
César Camargo Mariano Composer Cristal Work Recorded 2002 César Camargo Mariano Piano, Yo-Yo Ma Cello
1	Cristal	2:50			$0.99
Heitor Villa-Lobos Composer A lenda do caboclo, A.166 Work Recorded 2002 Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Odair Assad Guitar, Sergio Assad Guitar
2	A lenda do caboclo, A.166	3:10			$0.99
Antonio Carlos Jobim Composer Chega de Saudade Work Recorded 2003 Cyro Baptista Percussion, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Kathryn Stott Piano, Rosa Passos Vocals, Nilson Matta Double Bass
3	Chega de Saudade	5:02			$0.99
Paquito D'Rivera Composer Wapango, for woodwind quintet Work Recorded 2003 Cyro Baptista Percussion, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Kathryn Stott Piano, Paquito D'Rivera Clarinet
4	Wapango, for woodwind quintet	3:46			$0.99
Astor Piazzolla Composer Libertango, tango for chamber ensemble Work Recorded 1997-2997 Hector Console Double Bass, Leonardo D. Marconi Piano, Horacio Malvicino Guitar, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Néstor Marconi Bandoneon, Antonio Agri Violin, Leonardo Marconi Piano
5	Libertango, tango for chamber ensemble	3:08			$0.99
Mark O'Connor Composer Appalachia Waltz, version for solo cello Work Recorded 1999 Yo-Yo Ma Cello
6	Appalachia Waltz, version for solo cello	4:25			$0.99
Mark O'Connor Composer Butterfly's Day Out Work Recorded 1995 Edgar Meyer Double Bass, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Mark O'Connor Mandolin
7	Butterfly's Day Out	4:43			$0.99
Edgar Meyer Composer 1B, for violin, cello and double bass Work Recorded 1999 Edgar Meyer Double Bass, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Mark O'Connor Violin
8	1B, for violin, cello and double bass	3:59			$0.99
John Williams Composer 3 Pieces for Solo Cello Work Recorded 2001 Yo-Yo Ma Cello
9	Pickin'	2:34			$0.99
Traditional, Shaker Composer Simple Gifts Work Recorded 2001 Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Alison Krauss Vocals
10	Simple Gifts	2:34			$0.99
Ennio Morricone Composer The Mission, film score Work Recorded 2003 5:38 Ennio Morricone Conductor, Gilda Buttà Piano, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra
11	Gabriel's Oboe	3:11			$0.99
12	The Falls	2:27			$0.99
Dun Tan Composer Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, film score Work Recorded 2000 Dun Tan Conductor, Chen Xieyang Conductor, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Shanghai National Orchestra Orchestra, Shanghai Percussion Ensemble Percussion Ensemble, David Cossin Drums, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Kasim Drums, Alimjan Rawap
13	The Eternal Vow	2:58			$0.99
David Wilde Composer The Cellist of Sarajevo, a lament in rondo form for cello, Op.12 Work Recorded 1999 Yo-Yo Ma Cello
14	The Cellist of Sarajevo, a lament in rondo form for cello, Op.12	7:00			$0.99
Filippo Azzaiolo Composer Chi passa per 'sta strada, for voices, lutes and violin Work Recorded 2001 Silk Road Ensemble Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma Cello
15	Chi passa per 'sta strada, for voices, lutes and violin	4:43			$0.99
Chinese Traditional Composer Mido Mountain Work Recorded 2001 Silk Road Ensemble Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma Cello
16	Mido Mountain	3:51			$0.99
Sandeep Das / Indrajit Dey Composer Mohini (Enchantment) Work Recorded 2004 Silk Road Ensemble Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma Cello
17	Mohini (Enchantment)	1:47			$0.99
Claude Bolling Composer Suite for cello & jazz piano trio Work Recorded 1983 Claude Bolling Piano, Claude Bolling Ensemble Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Jean-Luc Dayan Drums, Marc Michel Double Bass
18	Baroque in Rhythm	4:26			$0.99
Cole Porter Composer Anything Goes, song (for the musical Anything Goes) Work Recorded 1989 Daniel Humair Drums, Stéphane Grappelli Violin, Marc Fosset Guitar, Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Jon Burr Double Bass, Roger Kellaway Piano
19	Anything Goes, song (for the musical Anything Goes)	5:48			$0.99
Frederick Loewe Composer I Could Have Danced All Night, song (for the musical My Fair Lady) Work Recorded 2001 Yo-Yo Ma Cello, Stephen Prutsman Piano
20	I Could Have Danced All Night, song (for the musical My Fair Lady)	3:43			$0.99