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An open window to our universal journey through life and time

Songs of the Arc of Life is the title of the album I present to you, which is charged with personal meanings. It is the way through which the two artists marked, last year in September, the wonderful experience that has come out of their 30 years of collaboration. The two are violoncellist Yo Yo Ma and his recital partner, pianist Kathryn Stott.

Yo Yo Ma says: Life is a sum of experiences, for us translated in musical experience, it envelops all notes from the beginning till the end. Our album is a musical journey that Kathryn Stott and I are sharing with you. It represents an open window to our universal journey through life and time.

Their musical venture outlines the arc of an artistic life filled with joy and powerful emotions. Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott have been playing together since 1984. Through these years their creative collaboration was positive and their communication flourished during their numerous recitals. The two are made for eachother and they get along wonderfully. The latter is the strong point of this album.

Songs of the Arc of Life

This Arc of Life begins and finishes with Ave Maria, the first is signed by Bach-Gounod, and the last one by Franz Schubert. Between them, the core of the album is made up of cherished classic plays, mostly being interpreted in the encores from their recitals, never-before recorded, until now.

The tracks go from childhood to youth, adulthood, and finally reach the end of life and death. The entire layout of the album is nicely drawn in the shape of a friendly talk between Yo Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott. It is music played with love, told with plenty of bonhomie and warmth. Yo Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott play what they like the most. They have chosen less known works but also substantial songs, which come on strong, like Lounge a l'Eternite de Jesu from the quartet Pour la fin du Temps by Olivier Messien and Theme III from the soundtrack of the recent cinematographic remake Il Soulful bell'Antonio, with music by violoncellist and contemporary Italian composer Giovanni Solima who is a good friend of Yo Yo Ma.

The album is part of our campaign "Vote the classical music album of the year 2016" for the musical experience that it offers for those who listen to it. The sound of the album is faultless, the recording being done in Mecanics Hall from Worcester - Massachusetts, USA. And you have an exceptional cover which should, with good reason, put Ma and Stott back in the tops

Going beyond words, I invite you to listen to excerpts from the Songs of the Arc of Life album which is launching at CD Review (12, 15) on Friday, 14th of October.