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Reviews:
Fabulous Yo-Yo-Ma
Mix this CD with one reasonably good glass of wine and a decent hi-fi and you have the makings of a relaxing and wonderful evening! If you purchase only one Yo-Yo-Ma CD--make it this one! Enjoy!!
Great Performance
This is a smooth, wonderful performance that wrings every last bit out of this incredible music.
Exceptional
The single most astonishing performance by Mr. Ma. Somehow Mr. Ma outdones himself with this performance. This highly talented artist dares to interpret his composer with elegance and exquisite technique. Feel his fingers detecting the notes as he plays. Lisaten to his heart beat as he stops... In this CD by Mr. Ma, the musical notes invite you to participate with the composer to dance amongst the Lilies, and pleasantly be taken in the air by wind and water. This CD is amongst my very favorites to do art work, oil painting or calligraphy. perfect for expectant mothers and new borns.. Highly recommended.
Love listening to this at work
I really enjoy listening to this CD at work, it offers relaxing background music and since there is only one instrument, the Cello, there isn't a lot of novel sounds that jump in to distract me. At the same time, it offers beautiful music in the background.
works of genius
These cello suites, masterfully played by Yo-Yo Ma, are complex and beautiful compositions. Yo-Yo Ma is able to extract considerable elegance and emotion from the series since his control of the cello is absolutely complete and inspiring. This results in a series of suites that push the cello to the full extent of its capacities as a baroque instrument and as the medium by which Bach's full intentions may be experienced. By including all 6 suites on a 2 CD collection, the listener is given the opportunity to hear all 6 in one setting, which I found further enhances appreciation for Bach's accomplishment and Yo-Yo Ma's considerable interpretive talents.
The suites were composed around 1720 when Johann Sebastian Bach was temporarily focused on secular themes rather than religious music. The cello was gradually gaining acceptance by composers and musicians in the late 1600s and early 1700s so these 6 suites mark a pioneering effort on the part of Bach. The fact that there were few early works for cello means that these 6 suites built on few other examples of early works for cello. Thus they are masterpieces developed in a relatively new medium, a fantastic accomplishment.
Of interest is the fact that Bach would devote such effort to create such a fairly large collection of masterworks for a relatively new instrument in a compressed period of time. Yet art and music history is full of examples of those of genius who will push a concept, media, or instrument to extremes. Bach seemed to wish to determine for himself what he could create for this instrument.
