SHOSTAKOVICH The Cello Concertos Nos.1-2

Yo-Yo Ma – cello,

Boston Symphony Orchestra,
Andris Nelsons

Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 107

I. Allegretto 6:35
II. Moderato 12:13
III. Cadenza 5:36
IV. Allegro Con Moto 4:47

Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 126

I. Largo 13:20
II. Allegretto 4:43
III. Allegretto 16:10

TT 63min

Recorded 10/2023
Deutsche Grammophon – 486 6949
Release date: 25th Apr 2025, digipack
Barcode: 028948669493

Benefiting from the superb audio quality achieved in the exceptional acoustic of Boston’s Symphony Hall, Yo-Yo Ma gives inspired performances of the two cello concertos. The inventive First was written for another friend, Mstislav Rostropovich, a famously demanding piece that was an early landmark in Ma’s own career. The far more introspective Second was the composer’s 60th-birthday present to himself. Introducing the latter work to the Symphony Hall audience, Ma said, “This piece is as relevant today as it was then. I think Shostakovich’s artistic truth was to represent the voice of the voiceless.”