Beautiful Bang for the Buck
R. Key | Bay Area, California | 11/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is one of the better deals I ever landed. I did not have any solo cello music when I bought this; the snippet from suite #1 that Ma played on "West Wing" intrigued me enough to buy this without knowing that that unknown-to-me piece would be here. Although I was awhile getting accustomed to the stark, spare music from a composer whose orchestral works I enjoyed, it has become a house favorite that can go on the stereo on almost any quiet morning or evening.
The quality of performance seems superb, as you might expect; the recording and production values are more than adequate for anyone short of audiophilia; and the music flows back and forth from haunting to lilting. I recommend this to those who like Bach and those who like, say, solo piano recordings--even those who normally prefer jazz; it intrigues and relaxes. We listen to it over morning coffee, while we read late at night, and even while we drive in the woods. And all of this, so to speak, for a song."