CD REVIEW
YO-YO
MA PLAYS ENNIO MORRICONE
Yo-Yo Ma (cello)
Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra, Ennio
Morricone
Sony 88697562802
(55:57)
The master of
"spaghetti western"
movie music and much more, Ennio
Morricone (born Rome 1928), was
lost to us earlier this year, and
for me this recently discovered
album is a fitting memorial to
his work that includes over 400
cinema/tv scores and more than
100 classical works, with total
sales over 70 million.
The American Yo-Yo
Ma, born Paris 1955 to Chinese
parents, is probably the best
cellist in the world today with
some saying the best ever. On
this release from 2004 he plays
19 tracks accompanied by the Roma
Sinfonietta Orchestra well
known since 1995 for playing for
the composer's live concert
performances and on his film
scores conducted by Signor
Morricone himself, who also
re-orchestrated his music and
produced it.
All the pieces
come from films, beginning with
the immensely popular Gabriels
Oboe from 'The Mission'. The
last two tracks are from 'The
Lady Caliph'. The rest are
arranged in four suites: 'Moses
and Marco Polo' (both made for
TV) and three named after film
directors Giuseppe Tornatore,
including 'Cinema Paradiso';
Sergio Leone, including 'Once
Upon a Time in America', 'Once
Upon a Time in the West' and 'The
Good, the Bad, and The Ugly' (not
the main theme); and Brian de
Parma, including 'The
Untouchables'. There are some
gorgeous tunes here.
The orchestral
playing is what one would expect
with the composer wielding the
baton, and that of Yo-Yo Ma as
marvellous as always in the
forefront. Two greats for the
price of one.
Although by no
means a recent release it
was digitally remastered in 2009
the disc is still widely
available sensibly priced. If you
are without a Morricone album in
your collection and would like
one in memory of him, then look
no further.
© Peter
Burt 2020
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