NodopianoCamicie.com - Instruments, Music, Piano and more.

Once more...with feeling.....   April 11, 2004

I've heard much better interpretations. If you're a fan of Yo Yo Ma or Rossa Passos, then I probably would add this to complete my collection. Bu if you're looking for emotionally honest "classical" performances - - I'd try Morelenbaum(squared) and Ryuichi Sakamoto's tribute to Composer Antonio Carlos Jobim's "A Day in New York" which is much, much better than Obrigado Brazil. They perform the standards not only with precision, but with alegria(happiness).


Obrigado in the studio   March 4, 2004
  12 out of 13 found this review helpful

Yo-yo Ma is one of the most interesting musicians working today. His eclectic tastes bring us fascinating music from around the globe, and his astonishing musicianship guarantees excellence in every new adventure. Recent CDs have seen him venturing to China via the Silk Road and to the Belle Epoque of France. His attention has also been focused on Latin America with Soul of the Tango and this first, studio version of Obrigado Brazil. He has even followed up these recordings with Obrigado Brazil Live in Concert, which repeats some pieces from the earlier studio recordings but is primarily new work in the same vein.

Ma is joined by a septet of mostly Latin American performers, two of whom also double as composers: composer/clarinettist Paquito d'Rivera, singer/guitarist Rosa Passos, guitarists Sergio and Odair Assad, Ma's long time accompanist at the piano Kathryn Stott, and a bassist and percussionist.

Listen to one of my favorite tracks, the lovely Menino, and you wil hear that Ma brings real sensibility to this music. Occasionally his performance reveals that he isn't as familiar with the style as d'Rivera or the others--he tends, for example, not to bend pitches but approach them as his Classical training would have--but this is no significant flaw, as the qualities of line and rhythm he does bring to the music compensate. Those who complain that Obrigado Brazil isn't truly Brazilian music, that it's perhaps over-refined miss the point entirely, and are advised to look elsewhere for their entertainment. Certainly if "authentic" folk music is what listeners are after, they won't find it here. But they will find wonderful music, played with love and dedication by superb musicians, and well worth hearing.

Now, to compare the studio version with the live concert recording. The liner notes of Obrigado Brazil Live in Concert claim that the energy of a live performance makes the works the two CDs share sound totally different, with the implication that live is better, but I can't agree. There are subtle variations, to be sure-for example one of the pieces has much more percussion in the studio version, and even the ambience of the studio recording is audibly different from the live concert-but these aren't wild distinctions and certainly not necessarily improvements. The energy of a live concert may well be counterbalanced by the control of a studio version. It's surely a matter of taste. Personally I usually prefer studio recordings to live. Here, though, the biggest difference is not in the comparisons of the pieces that are on both CDs, but on the contrasting approaches of the overall programme. The studio version of Obgriado Brazil is more introspective and melancholy; the concert recording has more fast, joyful works and moves beyond Brazil for its sources. In this particular case, I prefer the live concert material for the most part. The two final pieces of the studio recording are glorious, though, and I wouldn't want to miss them by only purchasing the live recording. I'm totally taken by the joyous exhuberance of the penultimate track, Brasileirinho, and the crazed final track, Salvador, with its wild improvisation. Admittedly, what I prize many listeners may despise--so much so that the marketers label this last a "bonus track". And I'm not so much a Bossa Nova fan, but if you are, I think the studio CD leans more in that general direction. Whether to buy one or the other, or even both, will surely be a matter of personal taste. But certainly, do buy one--you're almost guaranteed to enjoy it!


Wonderful   February 3, 2004
  4 out of 5 found this review helpful

I'm no classical music fanatic, but I am definitely in love with this album. Although I'm (shocker!) a teenager, I love to listen to Ma as I study, and Obrigado Brazil does a wonderful job of entertaining me- but doesn't distract me- a wonderful quality to have in study music.

The tracks are all outstanding, and my personal favorite, like many others, is the hauntingly beautiful "Saudade" (Track 2). I sampled some of his other albums, and now plan to purchase them, again, as great study music.

But this is also good for casual listening, and I would prefer it anyday over "Lookit me! I'm cool!" music, if it even classifies under music. But off of this little tangent- This is a wonderful album to be savored and enjoyed by all.


Disappointed   January 29, 2004
  6 out of 12 found this review helpful

I was terribly disappointed in this album...I did not think that Mr. Ma captured the essence of Brazilian music. I found the tunes rather uninspiring and thought that the recordings in general sounded very hollow....Not a CD that I will likely play very often.


Get out and Buy it!   January 26, 2004
  5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is a wonderful new blend of classical and Bossa Nova themes, woven into a great new disc. The cello and clarinet particularly sing in this album.

give it a shot