Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos (2LP)

Yo-Yo Ma performs both of Shostakovich's cello concertos with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and conductor Andris Nelsons. Both orchestra and conductor have received numerous awards in recent years for their recordings of Shostakovich's symphonies, making them the cellist's ideal partners for this repertoire. The composer originally wrote the inventive First Cello Concerto for cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. It is a beloved piece of Yo-Yo Ma, which he performed frequently throughout his career. The more introspective Second Cello Concerto was the composer's 60th birthday gift to himself. Ma says of this work: "This piece is as relevant today as it was when it was written. I think it was Shostakovich's artistic wish to represent the voice of the voiceless."