Yo-Yo Ma’s latest recording for Sony Classical, Appassionato, is a journey through a few of the world’s most romantic music—from Mendelssohn to Gershwin to John Williams. Appassionato is a fewthing of an event in the recording industry, as it marks Yo-Yo Ma’s first release since The Essential Yo-Yo Ma appeared in August 2005. With a release date set for January 9, 2007, Appassionato seems an ideal Valentine’s Day choice for music lovers.

While Ma has chosen the works in Appassionato to represent various aspects of love, they also symbolize another type of love, namely Yo-Yo Ma’s passion for performing music with friends. Appassionato unfolds as a kind of musical memoir, pairing the cellist with many of the great influences and collaborators of his career. In a never-before published interview included in the CD booklet, Ma recalls many of his famous artistic partnerships. One of his most celebrated collaborations is with pianist Emanuel Ax, who joins him on Appassionato for “Song Without Words.” The two men have been friends and colleagues for thirty-five years. “I thought this album would not be complete if Manny wasn’t part of it,” says Ma. “We know each other’s timing. We kind of feel it. It’s a brother kind of thing.”

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