A Gathering of Friends [Colored Vinyl] [B&N Exclusive] in Bloomington, MN

It is not clear whether two persons constitute a "gathering," but the long collaboration between cellist
Yo-Yo Ma
and composer
John Williams
appears to involve a genuine friendship. Perhaps
New York Philharmonic
harpist
Jessica Zhou
, present in the rarely heard concert piece
Highwood's Ghost
, fills out the gathering. Most of the program on this 2022 release, predictably headed for the best-seller charts, consists of film themes, both familiar (a group from
Schindler's List
) and a bit less so (the lovely "With Malice Toward None," from the film
Lincoln
); all undeniably fit
Ma
's style well. The biggest news here is a revision of the
Williams
Cello Concerto
made by the nonagenarian composer, who shows no signs of slowing down. Although clearly the product of a cinema composer, this concerto holds off on the big movie themes until the finale, which
' revision sharpens for greater emotional impact. The work has an interesting balance of popular elements and the possibilities of the classical concerto, a balance that
and
, conducting the
Philharmonic
, strike effectively. Consider the second movement, "Blues," which is not an obvious blues but deploys orchestration and register as well as melodic contour and harmony in service of the blues mood. There is no question that fans of either
or
, or both, will eat this album up; what is novel is that others can hear it profitably as well. ~ James Manheim