Yo-Yo Ma - Japanese Melodies

Information

1. Matsushima-Ondo
2. Kojo-No-Tsuki
3. Zui-Zui-Zukkorobashi
4. Defune
5. Nara-Yama
6. Chin-Chin-Chidori
7. Sakura, Sakura
8. Oroku-Musume
9. Chugoku-Chiho-No-Komoriuta
10. Chiran-Bushi

Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Pactricia Zander, harpsichord

Pro Musica Nipponia

Michio Mamiya, arranger & conductor

Sumire Yoshiwara, percussion

Hiroaki Naka, bass

Masami Nakagawa, flute

Date: 1984

Label: CBS

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Review

‘JAPANESE MELODIES.” Yo-Yo Ma, cello. Patricia Zander, harpsichord. Michio Mamiya conducting the Pro Musica Nipponia. CBS Masterworks Compact Disc MK 39703. As flutists Jean-Pierre Rampal and James Galway and violinist Isaac Stern have discovered, there is much to tantalize Western ears in Japan’s musical heritage. Mamiya has arranged, with originality and gusto, traditional Japanese music that affords Ma wide latitude in adding all sorts of virtuosic business to some fascinating melodies. Mamiya even wrote one of the more sophisticated pieces for Ma, the ending “Chiran-Bushi.” The sound is first-rate, capturing the warmth of the cello and the precision of the percussion, bass and flute while not turning Zander’s harpsichord into the clanging mess so often heard on records. The only fault with this CD is the non-existent album notes--a fatal flaw in a collection of this kind. Not even the titles are translated and there is no information whatsoever on the music or players. Consumers should be furious.

— Joe Saltzman

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Yo-Yo Ma (born 7 October 1955 in Paris) is an American cellist renowned for his exceptional technique and cross-cultural collaborations that broadened classical music's reach. A prodigy, he debuted at Carnegie Hall at 9, studied at Juilliard, and graduated from Harvard in 1977. Celebrated for his interpretations of standard repertoire, he has also explored diverse genres, collaborating with artists from bluegrass to tango. In 1998 he founded the Silk Road Project to promote global artistic exchange. A prolific recording artist, Ma has received numerous prestigious honors, including multiple Grammy Awards.

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