Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)

[Brian]

What's the scoring of Las estaciones porteñas on that disc, MI? I love those pieces for strings on the Kremerata Baltica disc, The Eight Seasons.

That disc has the Desyatnikov string orchestra arrangement.

[Mirror Image]

Has anyone heard Piazzolla's own recordings with his group? I'm really interested in the last recordings he made, specifically Zero Hour. Has anyone heard this one? I heard it was amazing.

[karlhenning]

Tango: Zero Hour and La Camorra are both essential listening.  The maestro himself and his quinteto, in vivid sound.

[Mirror Image]

Tango: Zero Hour and La Camorra are both essential listening.  The maestro himself and his quinteto, in vivid sound.

Thanks Karl, I'll check those out (aka buy them!).

[Luke]

Has anyone heard Piazzolla's own recordings with his group? I'm really interested in the last recordings he made, specifically Zero Hour. Has anyone heard this one? I heard it was amazing.

Yes, as I said earlier in the thread those three late albums - Tango Zero Hour, The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night and La Camora - are incredible, as perfect and immortal in their own way and to their own genre as, say, Kind of Blue is to its (IMO naturally).

[Mirror Image]

Yes, as I said earlier in the thread those three late albums - Tango Zero Hour, The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night and La Camora - are incredible, as perfect and immortal in their own way and to their own genre as, say, Kind of Blue is to its (IMO naturally).

Great! Thanks for the feedback, Luke. I bought all three of these recordings the other day. Can't wait to hear them!

[Sid]

I think that one of the great things that Piazzolla did was to bring into the classical fold many listeners who thought that they could never like classical music (or even hated it!). His blend of the tango with jazz and Baroque counterpoint really seems to have spoken to these people, not only the usual classical buffs. It's also great that he is becoming one of the most often performed South American composers (around here in Australia, anyway). Even if there isn't a bandeon player in sight, there are many arrangements of his works (from string quartet to piano trio to orchestra, you name it!) that means it is easy for ensembles of all kinds to perform his music. This is great, and I am looking forward to seeing Australian pianist Kathryn Selby's "Trioz" perform one of his works arranged for piano trio in their next season. It'll be great...

[DavidRoss]

I am looking forward to seeing Australian pianist Kathryn Selby's "Trioz" perform one of his works arranged for piano trio in their next season. It'll be great...

Say "Howdy" to her mom, Agnes, for us, please.

[Mirror Image]

I think that one of the great things that Piazzolla did was to bring into the classical fold many listeners who thought that they could never like classical music (or even hated it!). His blend of the tango with jazz and Baroque counterpoint really seems to have spoken to these people, not only the usual classical buffs. It's also great that he is becoming one of the most often performed South American composers (around here in Australia, anyway). Even if there isn't a bandeon player in sight, there are many arrangements of his works (from string quartet to piano trio to orchestra, you name it!) that means it is easy for ensembles of all kinds to perform his music. This is great, and I am looking forward to seeing Australian pianist Kathryn Selby's "Trioz" perform one of his works arranged for piano trio in their next season. It'll be great...

I think what attracts me the most to Piazzolla's music is its dark lyricism. It has this kind of yearning that I find refreshing and, at the same time, it heals the battered heart. I have such a strong kinship with Latin American music now that alot of this music just shoots directly into my soul. I used to have very negative feelings about the bandoneon, but I realize that now it's all matter of its played and Piazzolla played this instrument with such feeling and passion. I love it.

[RJR]

Here is a link that has just about every recording:
http://www.piazzolla.org/works/astorcd.html

Here are some of my personal suggestions:

La Historia del Tango, vol. I & 2
Maria de Buenos Aires (Alfa AFCD-14/15, 1990, Spain)
Oblivion- Piazzolla & Jose Angel Trelles. (orchestra) 1976 (Atoll ATO 8624, France)
Astor Piazzolla- Roberto Goyeneche. (BMG/RCA 74321 18920-2
Milva and Astor Piazzolla- Live at the 'Bouffes du Nord' (Dischi Ricordi CDMRL 6332
Libertango (Music Hall MH 10.010, 1988, USA)
Cavalcata (a.a.a prologo CD 287, 1992, Italy)
Piazzolla with Gerry MulliganSummit (Reunion Cumbre) (Music Hall MH-10005-2, 1988
Libertango (Tropical Music 68.904, 1988, Germany)
Persecuta/Biyuya (Tropical Music 68.943, 1990, Germany)

Note - The entire body of work by Piazzolla in Italy has recently been reissued in 9 CDs in 3 boxes of 3 CDs each. Following are the details (thanks Fumihide Fukuoka for the data and the typing!):
"Carosello Italiano 1974-1984" in 9 CDs, divided into 3 Boxes, distributed by PolyGram, Italia. 

Tangos (EMI Preferences 2526322, 1990, France) (Pulsacion 1, 2, 3, 4 circa 1965)
Tangos (EMI Preferences 2526322, 1990, France) CD3 (Avant-garde stuff: A Intrusa, Celos, Luna Luna, etc.)
Love Tanguedia (Tropical Storm 74919-2, 1989, USA) (Duo de Amor - a knockout)
Sur- Music from the film 'Sur' by Fernando E. Solanas. (quintet) 1988 (Milan CD CH 358, France) (Vuelvo al Sur, Regresa al amor, Los Suenos, etc.)

[Sid]

Lately I've been listening to Piazzolla's music a lot. He's one of the few composers that I can listen to nowadays with any regularity. Maybe it's because I'm experiencing a bit of a "downer" in my life now & I need a bit of a boost. As Mirror Image wrote above, his music "shoots directly to my soul." It puts a spring in my step & a bit of sunshine in my day, to use two cliches. I have been listening to two recent releases on the ABC Classics Discovery budget label. One of them is by the now defunct Macquarie Trio playing his works arranged for piano trio, including The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. I particularly like the sound of the cello in these works, so soulful and poetic. The other disc includes Piazzolla's Histoire du Tango as well as other works for flute and guitar duo by Beaser, Leisner, Machado & Correa. In this work, Piazzolla takes us on a journey charting the history of the tango, from it's seedy beginnings in the brothels, to the cafes, night-clubs and finally the concert halls. It's not hard to hear the difference between the styles of these movements, the tango music becomes more refined and "classical" sounding by the end.

I also have a two disc collection of recordings done by Piazzolla himself and also one of the Naxos discs, which includes the Maria de Buenos Aires Suite. By the way people above have been talking about it, Tango Zero Hour sounds like a must-get for Piazzolla fans. I'll have to look into it.

Piazzolla's works are played in a dazzling array of arrangments. Last year, I missed a concert here in Sydney of his and another composer's tangos (I forget who that was, a name not familiar to me). It was done by the Sydney Consort, a period instruments outfit! It would have been very interesting hearing Piazzolla's music on harpsichord & period violins and cellos. As I said above, this year I'm looking forward to seeing Kathryn Selby's "Trioz" playing The Four Seasons, it's great that his music is being played lived by many different ensembles...

[TheGSMoeller]

Piazzolla: María de Buenos Aires

http://www.youtube.com/v/4SPjL7IgsRc

From the album...

"The surreal plot centers on a prostitute in Buenos Aires, Argentina; the second half takes place after her death. The characters include María (and, after her death, the Shadow of María), a singer of payadas, various members of the Buenos Aires underworld, a poet narrator who is also a goblin-like duende, several marionettes under his control, and a circus of psychoanalysts. Several elements of the libretto suggest parallels between María and Mary, the mother of Jesus (in Spanish, María) or to Jesus himself.[1]"

-Wikipedia, María de Buenos Aires page

[Karl Henning]

Pasión fatal . . . no doubt!

Darn . . . another Kremerata recording I haz got to reelz in . . . .

[raduneo]

Piazzolla: María de Buenos Aires

http://www.youtube.com/v/4SPjL7IgsRc

From the album...

"The surreal plot centers on a prostitute in Buenos Aires, Argentina; the second half takes place after her death. The characters include María (and, after her death, the Shadow of María), a singer of payadas, various members of the Buenos Aires underworld, a poet narrator who is also a goblin-like duende, several marionettes under his control, and a circus of psychoanalysts. Several elements of the libretto suggest parallels between María and Mary, the mother of Jesus (in Spanish, María) or to Jesus himself.[1]"

-Wikipedia, María de Buenos Aires page

Oh WOW! Must. explore. Piazolla. As. Soon. As. Possible !!! Thank you Nadia Boulanger for encouraging him to discover his music, creating this interesting mix of tango and classical!

[bumtz]

There is a nice 10-CD Piazzolla box on Membran. I normally avoid these European rip-ff cheapo labels, but my understanding is the material in this box is not easily available elsewhere. You can buy it for €11 at amazon.es: http://www.amazon.es/Astor-Piazzolla-10-Cd/dp/B00005FCME/

[asin]B00005FCME[/asin]

[xochitl]

great to see there's a thread for piazzolla!!

i started my love affair with his music in my teens when i checked out Tango:Zero Hour from the library...and ive never been without it since!

La Camorra is also amazing

one of my top 10 modern composers

[TheGSMoeller]

.[asin]B00004R8RX[/asin]

If you enjoy Zero Hour, I highly recommend The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado). I first heard the track Finale (Tango Apasionado) in a Hong Kong film over ten years ago, some of the most passionate music around.

[Elnimio]

His Sinfonía Buenos Aires is a masterpiece.

[xochitl]

.[asin]B00004R8RX[/asin]

If you enjoy Zero Hour, I highly recommend The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado). I first heard the track Finale (Tango Apasionado) in a Hong Kong film over ten years ago, some of the most passionate music around.

already have it  B)

[Mirror Image]

I'm already digging the new Gidon Kremer Piazzolla box set I received today. Great music. I was already familiar with a lot of Piazzolla's music, but many of these recordings in this set I didn't own. Very, very nice.

Anyway, this is just outstanding:

http://www.youtube.com/v/JhcKVwiWRCw