Review: Yo-Yo Ma Plays (Alleged) Cello Masterworks

The real surprise is that he ever recorded the Finzi. He seems to have zero interests outside of the most vanilla of all standard repertoire.

"Vivaldi's Cello" is a beautiful recording. I ordered a box set you reviewed, "The Classical Cello Collection".

Sorry, but…though I recognize his fame and all, but I see Yo Yo Ma as a “cookie cutter” player, who always gets the job done, but there are many others who grab my attention much much more.

The cheap Yo Yo Ma box with Emanuel Ax is the best one, I think...

I'm glad someone else finds the Schumann cello concerto so uninteresting. I heard it two weeks ago by the NY Phil (Steven Isserlis/Simone Young) and I couldn't believe how dull it was. This is by the same composer who wrote the Dichterliebe, the C major Fantasy, and the slow movement of the 2nd Symphony? It was made up for by a great Bruckner 6.

Album recommendation:

“Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone”

Sony Classical 2004; recorded in 2003; I think there is a remastered 2010 release

Don Young
Columbus OH

None of the collaborations with Bobby McFerrin. So this compilation is about sticking to the classical repertoire, rather than a deep dive into Yo-Yo Ma’s vast oeuvre.

I really liked Ma’s last Bach Cello Suites & I think they are the best out of his three recordings.

Have you reviewed the Sony Hilary Hahn box? I enjoyed it very much.

Could you cover the newly released Rachmaninov 1 by John Wilson

Starting to feel like this a hate Yo-Yo -Ma channel. What's with all the hate? No-one produces great performances all of the timel

I have a few of the Sony/RCA budgie, budget boxsets & have been very pleased.
Curious just how much $$$ they save by not having any notes...basic notes would be nice or just cut down, and reuse the notes you've had for years 😊

Yo-Yo Ma hasn’t recorded the best version of anything but he’s recorded very good versions of a lot of things and he’s thoughtful enough that it’s worthwhile to hear his takes on certain repertoire. His Bach Suites have gotten progressively better throughout his life, so get the latest version of those. I happen to love the Brahms sonatas and his performances with Ax are first rate; their Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev sonatas are also excellent. His Vivaldi is surprisingly good and he has a good rapport with Koopman, with whom he also did a Boccherini disc that serves as penance for his earlier recording of the Grutzmacher monstrosity. He’s great at the French stuff: Saint-Saens, Lalo, the Franck sonata; I wish he would record the Honegger concerto which I’m quite fond of. I agree that the first movement of the Lalo is pretentious, promising a grandiose profound statement that it’s clearly incapable of following through on - the guy was no Dvorak - but it’s kind of like French grand opera; have some wine and just give into it and enjoy its considerable charms. And actually Ma does a good Dvorak too. You can safely skip his Haydn and Beethoven. I also have things to say about the Schumann and the Rococo Variations but I’ve taken up enough space here.

I do have 2 CDs of his. I cannot say either is something that makes me want any more.