Simply Baroque 2, featuring cello super-star Yo-Yo Ma is a gentle and delightful treat for the ear. Tracks 1-9 are transcriptions of Bach Cantatas, Chorales and Arias, by Ton Koopman, musical director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Koopman also performs on the harpsichord and organ in these arrangements. The cello afficianado will notice a similarity between this cd and one done earlier by cellist Heinrich Schiff, accompanied by Ton Koopman on the harpsichord, featuring sonatas of Geminiani and Vivaldi (Phillips 434-124-2). Jaap ter Linden did the cello continuo on the Schiff cd, and also is the principal cellist in the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra.
Tracks 10-15 of Simply Baroque 2 feature two concertos by Boccherini, the D Major Concerto, and the more familiar B flat Concerto. Of course the version is not the modern Grutzmacher-Rose edition generally studied by beginning cellists, but a more original and baroque rendering of the concerto. The instrumentation of the orchestra is different, and the concerto has a more gentle and fragile feel to it.
Ma's 1712 Stradivarius cello was slightly modified by changing to gut strings, and a different bridge. He used a baroque bow, which has a much larger, and convex curve. This sort of bow provides much less power and volume than the modern bow, but has certain advantages in articulation.
I recommend this cd because it showcases the music and not the performer. If you like baroque music for the cello, beautifully done, soothing to the spirit, you will enjoy this album. If you are looking for a cellistic technical fireworks show, this is not the cd for you. This is a Sony cd, number 7464-60681-2, and may be purchased through Amazon.Com, or at your local music store.
Reviewed by "drcello," February 3, 2001.