Unlike past reviews I have done, this one really isn’t quite as complete as I would have liked it to be. The album is definitely worth the effort, but the information included in the copy I got is somewhat sketchy making a review about more then the actual material impossible. However, I hope that you will find it as informative and enjoyable as I found the process of writing it.

“Yo-Yo Ma Brazil” is a collection of different Brazilian melodies, played by different artists at likely different times with the performance of Yo-Yo Ma being the main focus. In fact, the performances on this CD do a great job of capturing not only the sights, sounds and colors of the country through the music, but their culture and history as well.

With introduction aside, let me start with the opening track, “Cristal.” It begins with the upbeat sound of a well played piano; then gently eases you into the sound of the cello without much ado. The two instruments blend together quite well and the harmony achieved is someone of a testament to both artists’ skills and mastery.

On of the things that hits you right away about this particular track is the well thought out placement of the microphones; the staging. Their placement compliments the piano and cello, allowing them to achieve a greater range of dynamic potential without putting emphasis on one instrument or another. In addition with this placement it is far easier to tell precise timing and location information without having to resort to using your imagination.

It is interesting to move from this track to track six, “Apelo.” Unlike "Cristal", which only included two instruments and performers, track six includes six different musicians and six different instruments. Without knowing much about the actual recording, the complexity of the recording process goes up exponentially. Also, the placement of the microphones, one would think would be somewhat important to the overall fidelity of the presentation.

I commented on how well this was done in "Cristal" because on "Apelo", it wasn’t that way at all. Although the instruments can be heard without distortion, showing that the engineers did their job, they unfortunately tend to overpower each other. There is far less a global meshing of tones and instrumental qualities and more of a tendency to fight for supremacy. This is somewhat sad, since the song itself is beautiful. The performance should have been as well.

Jumping ahead a bit to track eleven, “Carinhoso”, another cut where many instruments and musicians worked together. But, unlike "Apelo", the instruments are well heeled. Instead of trying to seemingly overpower each other, they tend to underscore each other. The placement of the instruments is easy to imagine listening to the piece and doing so makes the music more enjoyable.

Moving from the microphone and musical instrument placement to the actual musicians themselves, another interesting fact becomes very apparent. To my ears there are definite style and tonal clashes at times. While all the musicians work well together for the most part, there are times when you can feel a sense of disharmony between musicians and instruments.

Perhaps this is most notable in “Cristal,” and “Dansa brasileira.” While it is obvious that both pianists (Stott and Mariano) are extremely skilled, it seems just as obvious to me that Yo-Yo Ma was far more comfortable with Kathryn Stott. They seemed to have a far more apparent synergy providing a more cohesive performance then Yo-Yo Ma and Caesae Mariano achieved on this CD.

Yo-Yo Ma Brazil on the whole is a very well done collection of musical pieces. These pieces tend to range from somewhat reflective to highly energetic. The dynamic range of each piece is extremely well defined and unlike some recordings doesn’t take away from the album at all. The range allows for an expansive soundstage and a great degree of three dimensionality.

While I won’t say this is the best collection of recordings I have heard, they are very enjoyable. If you wonder just how versatile a cello can be in the hands of a master then you owe it to yourself to bring this disc home and give it a listen. In fact, it is likely to be one of the best introductions to Brazilian music you will find given its overall quality and inherent depth of content.

Editor's Note:

This title will also be released on July 29 as an SACD MC disc.

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Yo-Yo Ma
obrigado Brazil

Released: July 29, 2003
Origination Year: 2003
Time: 72:13
Tracks:16
Produced by: N/A
Engineered by:N/A
Mixed by: N/A
Mastered by:N/A
Style: Studio
Format: CD
Enhancement: None
Label: Sony Classical
Website:
www.yo-yoma.com

Cristal
Chega de Saudade
A lenda do coboclo
Doce de coco
Dansa brasileira
Apelo
Dansa negra
1 x 0 (um a zero)
Menino
Samambaia
Carinhoso
Alma brasileira
O Amor em Paz
Bodas de Prata & Quatro Cantos
Brasileirinho
Salvador