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
Williams' 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
Ma and
Williams, 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
Ma or
Williams, or both, will eat this album up; what is novel is that others can hear it profitably as well. ~ James Manheim