Silk Road Journeys - When Strangers Meet

"This is one of two companion albums for Yo-Yo Ma's globe-trotting Silk Road Project, which has raced around the world both conceptually and literally, with live performances in Asia, Europe, and North America. (Another complementary accessory, if you're interested in further exploration, is Smithsonian Folkways' exemplary two-disc set of field and studio recordings of traditional and non-Western classical music, which has much more ethnological bent.) But taken as a stand-alone title, Silk Road Journeys is an invigorating, eye-opening ride. To be sure, some pieces fare better than others, but as with any unforgettable trip, you tend to forget the occasional bumps you hit along unknown roads. Our guides are a generally stellar selection of master artists, including the luminary pipa player Wu Man and kemencheh and setar player Kayhan Kalhor. These two musicians in particular can go head-to-head in virtuosity with Yo-Yo Ma any day. Complemented by cleanly articulated sound, Sony Classical has produced a real keeper in its Yo-Yo Ma catalog, but the cellist makes his collaborators the true focus of this album.

The disc neatly divides itself into two segments: the first half nods to east and central Asia, and the second focuses on the western part of the continent. It opens with a powerhouse performance by the young Mongolian singer Ganbaatar Khongorzul, singing a traditional long song that is simply breathtaking for her exquisite control and remarkable power. Following similar lines, Mongolian composer Byambasuren Sharav uses another long song, The Legend of Herlen, as the jumping-off point for his own work. Though the piece possesses a mystical, mesmerizing combination of the horsehead fiddle (called the morin khuur-and played by Ma!), delicate piano, and percussion as well as Khongorzul's amazing voice, Sharav falls into the sway of clichéd thundering drum rolls and brass to express excitement." ClassicsToday (10/10)