Yo-Yo Ma's New Album

HOST: Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English. (MUSIC) I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week: We play some music by world famous musician Yo-Yo Ma (Music) Yo-Yo Ma is one of the finest and most popular cello players in the world. He was born in nineteen fifty-five to Chinese parents in Paris, France. His family later moved to New York City. He has been playing the cello since he was four years old. Now Yo-Yo Ma has a new album called "Appassionato." Shirley Griffith tells us about it.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The word "appassionato" is an Italian word used in music. It means "with passion" or powerful emotion. Critics say this latest CD is the story of Yo-Yo Ma's musical life. The fifteen pieces were recorded between nineteen seventy-eight and two thousand six. They include four that have never been released before.

The music on "Appassionato" is by many different composers, from Felix Mendelssohn to George Gershwin. Yo-Yo Ma says he chose the music for "Appassionato" to represent different kinds of love. Nine different musicians play the piano on the CD. Ma says "Appassionato" also represents his love for performing music with friends. Here is Yo-Yo Ma playing "Going to School," composed by his friend John Williams. It is from the recent movie "Memoirs of a Geisha." Ma says this music is about innocent love.

(MUSIC) Ennio Morricone is another modern composer best known for his music for films. Two of his pieces are included in the album. Yo-Yo Ma says "Gabriel's Oboe" is one of the most romantic pieces of music. He says it has layers and layers of emotion.

(MUSIC) We leave you now with one of the songs recorded especially for Yo-Yo Ma's new CD "Appassionato." It is "Song Without Words" by Felix Mendelssohn. (MUSIC) HOST: I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

It was written by Dana Demange, Shelley Gollust and Caty Weaver, who also was our producer.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA?s radio magazine in Special English.