Plays Ennio Morricone (CD - )

Recording information: Forum Music Valley Studios, Rome, Italy (06/16/2003-06/23/2003).

Listening to the music of Ennio Morricone is a joy for any music lover. Listening to his music as played by Yo-Yo Ma borders on the sublime. Morricone is an iconic film composer, a master melodist whose unique scores are characterized by his bold use of unusual musical techniques, sounds, and textures. The term "spaghetti western" would have less significance without his distinctive contributions. Yo-Yo Ma is a musician in a class by himself. He's an extraordinarily gifted cellist of enormous intellect and a fearless explorer of a broad musical landscape, who seems determined to prove that hardly any genre exists within which he can't excel.

It's evident from the very first notes of YO-YO MA PLAYS ENNIO MORRICONE that this was a labor of love for both artists. Ma is at his most expressive as he wraps his luminous tone around some of the most beautiful cinematic themes imaginable, including "Gabriel's Oboe" and "The Falls" from THE MISSION, as well as "Nostalgia" and "Looking For You" from CINEMA PARADISO. Morricone's marvelous arrangements, particularly the suites dedicated to some of the great directors he's worked with, provide a perfect vehicle for the star soloist while retaining the music's original character and flavor. Ma's muscular account of "Ecstasy of Gold" from Sergio Leone's epic THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY is notable among the album's many highlights. minimize