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Online Store - The Dvorak Album
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List Price: $11.98
Our Price: $10.99
Your Save: $ 0.99 ( 8% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Sony
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0827969285824
Label: Sony
Manufacturer: Sony
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: 2004-09-07
Studio: Sony
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Editorial Reviews:
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This compilation of music by Dvorak played by Yo-Yo Ma is just beautiful. Ma seems to understand just when Dvorak wants to be super-Romantic and sappy and when he is in fact being merely his usual expressive self. The former comes into bloom with the Slavonic Dance, in which he's accompanied by Itzhak Perlman and "Songs My Mother Taught Me," with Patricia Zander at the piano. But when it comes to revealing Dvorak as one of the most insightful and truly passionate of composers, with a particular understanding of the cello, Ma's playing of the B minor Concerto (under Kurt Masur, with the New York Philharmonic), the latter description comes into play. Ma gets every nuance out of the cello, and the way in which Masur, for instance, leads the winds against the cello at the start of the 2nd movement is just gorgeous. "Klid" ("Silent Woods") is given a deeply affecting reading as well, under Seiji Ozawa. 2004 is the 100th anniversary of Dvorak's death; this CD is fine tribute. --Robert Levine
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Great music, great playing, very poor audio engineering
Comment: Do not buy this record. I did, without reading any reviews, thinking that with the lovely, lyric Dvorak cello concerto and the superb cellist Yo-Yo Ma, I could hardly go wrong. Yes, the Dvorak is an outstanding composition, and Yo-Yo Ma plays very well, but the audio engineering on this recording is a disaster.
Reviewer C. Kang senses that something is not quite right when he says "The recording sounds a bit quiet", and reviewer Robert Preziose hits the nail on the head when he says that the cello line simply gets lost because the audio engineers did not properly emphasize what should be a singing, lyric line, at least balanced with the orchestra in some places, and soaring above it in others, or clearly audible when on its own, even in the quietest passages. Having to strain to hear the cello line in this recording, from first to last, robs the listener of any pleasure in the music. Yo-Yo Ma sounds as if he were playing in a closet. The audio engineers botched this one very badly, ruining a good performance, which is a pity and a crying shame.
I was so grievously disappointed when I listened to this record that I went and bought two other recordings of the Dvorak cell concerto, both of which were immensely satisfying (wonderful lyrical music, great playing by cello soloist and orchestra, and excellent sound and balance) and can be highly recommended.
(1) Mstislav Rostropovich, cellist, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Carlo Maria Giulini [EMI Classics]. The Dvorak is paired with the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1, which is not in the same league as Dvorak's masterpiece, but is a nice, interesting piece of music. Rostropovich is outstanding.
(2) Pierre Fournier, cellist, with the Berlin Philharmonic under George Szell [Deutsche Grammophon Musikfest]. Fournier is also outstanding. The Dvorak is coupled with Bloch's Shelomo, which is not to my taste (lots of rhapsody but not much melody) and Bruch's Kol Nidrei, a single adagio movement, which I liked very much.
Either one of these recordings of the Dvorak cello concerto is a much better bet than this one by Yo-Yo Ma. Reviewer Robert Preziose recommends the recording by Jacqueline Du Pre, which I do not have and cannot comment upon, but which you should certainly investigate and consider.
Customer Rating:
Summary: YoYo Ma Dvorak Album
Comment: YoYo Ma is YoTo Ma. When it comes Chello, YoYo Ma and Dvorak combo cannot be beaten if you appreciate Chello concerto. The recording sounds bit quiet but otherwise it's another success by YoYo.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great artist bad mix
Comment: Yo Yo Ma has the perfect tender and romantic feel for Dvorac. Unfortunately he is not a powerful performer. He is relatively subdued and that is okay with this music. The fault on the very first selection, the concerto, is the recording. It is though he is in the middle of the orchestra playing with everyone else. There is very little presence given to him by the engineer in the mix down. This is very unfortunate. The listener must pick out the lead performer.
I used to 'bury' musicians when they weren't up to par for the good of the whole recording. Everyone including the musican were grateful for this. However, Yo Yo was not having a bad day, and you never bury the lead. Shame on you guys in the booth.
The rest of the album is just fine.
I suggest purchasing Jacqueline du Pre 'A Lasting Inspiration' for fine cello and very fine recording and if you compare the two you will understand exactly what I mean to convey.
Customer Rating:
Summary: fabulous
Comment: 3 of my friends immediately ordered it after I played it for them. It is a great cd.
Customer Rating:
Summary: May he keep playing forever
Comment: The range of Yo Yo Ma's musical offerings is awesome. Is there nothing he's not willing to play--and do so beautifully! The richness of this recording is wonderful on a dark December day.
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