Yo-Yo Ma Essentials

Cello icon Yo-Yo Ma is familiar to millions thanks to his White House appearances and television cameos, but it's his supple tone that first endeared him to listeners. Ma's recordings of Bach's cello suites show off his gorgeously flowing legato playing, and his repertoire is rich with other qualities: he's adept at playing the French Romanticism of Saint-Saëns, as well as the film-score work of Ennio Morricone. Whether he's working in a chamber music context, as with pianist Emanuel Ax, or as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Ma's sound is beautiful, distinctive and well-balanced.