For those unaware, cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca’s new two-disc set Wonderful World embraces classical, neo-classical, world music, and jazz in a program dedicated to saving the planet.

“Nature has always been a source of inspiration for many musicians,” says La Marca. “I have conceived Wonderful World, a project where several art forms combine on stage, aligning the beauty of our world with its fragility. A warning message. A humanist vision that awakens people’s minds to environmental matters.”

The French cellist is joined by a host of international artists and musicians from the Orchestre de Paris, and the accompanying booklet features images by renowned environmental photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

CD 1:
1. Après un rêve Op. 7/1
2. Over the Rainbow
3. Habanera
4. Morgen! Op. 27/4
5. Lost in the Stars
6. I’ve Never Been in Love Before
7. Summertime
8. The Hours: The Poet Acts
9. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): I. Sivas
10. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): II. Hopa
11. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): Prelude (of Wind and Water)
12. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): Silent Woods (From the Bohemian Forest, Op. 68)
13. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): Alfonsina y el mar
14. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): Flight of Bumblebee (from the Tale of Tsar Saltan)
15. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): La rosa y el sauce
16. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): Le Cygne (Le carnaval des animaux)
17. Four Cities (Cello Sonata): You Want My Money

Opening on the stirring, achingly poignant and wholly organic emotions of Après un rêve Op. 7/1 and the delicate, gentle swirl of the beautiful Over the Rainbow, he follows those with the perky, playful Habanera, the expressive, breathy yearn of Morgen! Op. 27/4, the somber piano work of richly layered Lost in the Stars, and then brings forth the ornately vocalized I’ve Never Been in Love Before and a sweeping magnificent Summertime.

Along next, and under The Hours, we get the four minute work of dramatic musical art between known as The Poet Acts and that is itself followed by the section entitled Four Cities (Cello Sonata): which opens on the storied grandeur of Sivas and continues on with the galloping fervency of II. Hopa, the lush orchestrations of both Prelude (of Wind and Water) and Silent Woods (From the Bohemian Forest, Op. 68), before we get treated to the cinematic Alfonsina y el mar, the scurrying Flight of Bumblebee (from the Tale of Tsar Saltan), a rather beautifully dulcet pairing of both La rosa y el sauce and Le Cygne (Le carnaval des animaux), the first disc culminating with vocalized vibrancy (from Lilly Wood & the Prick) on You Want My Money.

CD 2:
1. Moon River
2. I giorni: [Excerpt]
3. I giorni: Invierno porteño (Las cuatro estaciones porteñes)
4. I giorni: Awake of Nature (improvisation)
5. I giorni: Ambre (From Wintermusik)
6. I giorni: Between Man and Nature (improvisation)
7. I giorni: Valse sentimentale, Op. 51/6
8. I giorni: Celtic Valse
9. I giorni: Brian Boru Renaissance
10. From Jewish Life: Prayer
11. From Jewish Life: Fly
12. From Jewish Life: What a Wonderful World

The second CD opens with Henry Mancini’s lonesome ode Moon River and, from I giorni, we first get the aching [Excerpt], which are lovingly followed by the accordion-imbed Invierno porteño (Las cuatro estaciones porteñes), the atmospherically-charged Awake of Nature (improvisation), the ornate beauty of Ambre (From Wintermusik), another atmospherically-embedded, short but sweet track Between Man and Nature (improvisation), before this section rounds out with the inspirationally moving Valse sentimentale, Op. 51/6, the traditional Celtic Valse, and then the Irish traditional, vocalized Brian Boru Renaissance.

The last section on this 2CD recording is entitled From Jewish Life and this three-part work opens with the soul-stirring Prayer, follows that with the pure chiffon of Fly, the work, along with the collection, coming to a close on an ultra-fine bed of musical wonderment that carries to us What a Wonderful World.

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