Born in Paris of Chinese parents, educated and anchored in America, performing on every continent, Yo-Yo Ma is a true citizen of the world by heritage, disposition, and choice. Dauntlessly adventurous, he has explored musical styles from baroque and classical to bluegrass, jazz, and electronic; now he has embarked on a study of the cultural traditions of the peoples along the historic Silk Road that brought Asia and Europe together. This disc is the first step on that journey of discovery; it is fascinating, and Ma is the perfect guide. Sheng's Seven Chinese Tunes are beautiful and each has its own character; the cello is tuned down for sonority. Wilde's lamentatious The Cellist of Sarajevo honors the cellist who played in that city's streets every day to commemorate the dead. Tcherepnin's rhapsodic Suite in three contrasting movements has a distinctly Chinese flavor. O'Connor's Appalachia Waltz was originally written for three instruments; with double stops and drones, it sounds perfectly self-sufficient. Indeed, Ma's playing throughout is stunning: it often seems impossible that one man and one instrument can create such a wealth of sounds. His tone is invariably pure and beautiful, sonorous as an organ on the low strings, radiant on top; he negotiates the most hair-raising pyrotechnics with apparent ease, his palette of colors is unlimited, and he is at home in every style and idiom. He even gives the fiendishly difficult Kodály sonata--with its incredible sound effects and fireworks--musical and emotional expression, making it sing, speak, shout, whisper, dance, and cry. --Edith Eisler