From Artur Rubinstein's spaghetti dinner to Osvaldo Golijov runs the connection with Piazzolla's emergence as the creator and master of Tango Nuevo, the classical version of the Argentinian folk dance.
When the 18 year old Astor interrupted Rubinstein in his hotel room eating spaghetti, he had with him a concert he had composed for the maestro. Rubinstein finished his meal, sat at the piano, played a few bars and advised the young man to study music. Astor took the advise and studied for six years with Alberto Ginastera and then on to Paris for more studies with Nadia Boulanger, who recognised his talent with her remark: "Your Tango is the new music, and it is sincere."
It was his sincerity that guided his composing throughout his life. In an interview I watched on the DVD Astor Piazzolla. The Next Tango from Deutsche Grammophon he repeatedly pointed out that he is an Argentinian and his music will always be Argentinian, he can not be otherwise. Whether he wrote a Tango or concertos for bandoneon with a string orchestra and percussion, the music is definitely Argentinian.
This is the point where Osvaldo Golijov goes in a different direction from Piazzolla's influence exposed to while still in his native La Plata, Argentina. He will never deny his Argentinian roots but there are also his roots in his Jewish religion, the Kantors chants and the Klezmer musicians. When he moved via Israel to the US he added yet another musical influence and the combination of those influences are evident in his works. Whether he is always successful is a matter of debate, especially his venture into the Christian area in his St. Mark Passion.
I find it exceedingly fortunate to be alive observing the development of a talented musician, his search for the right path to follow, originating with Ginastera, past many noted musicians, like Piazzolla, foreign countries and diverse religions.
The DVD has interesting talks by Piazzolla, with samples of some of his works and then three full length performances of his Double Concerto for Guitar, Bandoneon and String Orchestra, the
Concerto for Bandoneon, String Orchestra and Percussion and his Tango adiós nonino. He also tells the history of the bandoneon. All in all, a not only very entertaining but also valuable instructive video.
from amazon:
Lis, thank you for the review! I'll definitely need to check this out. I love Piazzolla!
Maciek
The Concierto para bandoneón y orquesta is a great little piece!
Quote from: karlhenning on May 18, 2007, 08:02:52 AM
The Concierto para bandoneón y orquesta is a great little piece!
Seconded!
For anyone interested in Piazzolla but possibly lost in morass of best offs, live albums, compilations... I believe this is the best entry point:
Tango: Zero Hour(http://a5.vox.com/6a00b8ea069777dece00c22522c2c5f219-500pi)
Quote from: Drasko on May 18, 2007, 08:13:28 AM
Seconded!
For anyone interested in Piazzolla but possibly lost in morass of best offs, live albums, compilations... I believe this is the best entry point:
Tango: Zero Hour
(http://a5.vox.com/6a00b8ea069777dece00c22522c2c5f219-500pi)
It's the only Piazzolla I own, and I dig it. 8)
Last summer as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival, I heard Gidon Kremer and members of Kremerata Baltica do some elegant and sparkling Piazzolla works, all totally charming. Many of them were tango-oriented, but with little compositional twists, either in the rhythm or orchestration.
--Bruce
Well, you can buy a couple of CDs or you can go to this site (http://www.piazzolla.org/sounds/) (The Astor Piazzolla Listening Booth).
Actually, I find CDs are indispensable anyway... ;D
Maciek
Quote from: Drasko on May 18, 2007, 08:13:28 AM
Seconded!
For anyone interested in Piazzolla but possibly lost in morass of best offs, live albums, compilations... I believe this is the best entry point:
Tango: Zero Hour
(http://a5.vox.com/6a00b8ea069777dece00c22522c2c5f219-500pi)
It is indeed, but you ought to get hold of its two companion albums (recorded at about the same time, with the same producer) too:
The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night and
La Comorra (especially this last one, which is probably my favourite of the three). It's worth tracking down his piece for Kronos+himself
Four for Tango, too (a CD single release). Of the 'classical' recordings I've heard, Gidon Kremer's Hommage disc is the best.
Quote from: Drasko on May 18, 2007, 08:13:28 AM
Seconded!
For anyone interested in Piazzolla but possibly lost in morass of best offs, live albums, compilations... I believe this is the best entry point:
Tango: Zero Hour
(http://a5.vox.com/6a00b8ea069777dece00c22522c2c5f219-500pi)
That is the one.
Quote from: lukeottevanger on May 18, 2007, 11:27:18 AM
Of the 'classical' recordings I've heard, Gidon Kremer's Hommage disc is the best.
And it contains an arrangement of Petersburski's "Ostatnia niedziela" that is a pure masterpiece!
The Opus Arte DVD ("Portrait of," I think) is very enjoyable.
Nice live performance of some Piazzolla pieces can be downloaded here (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,9.msg76119.html#msg76119).
What do you think of the Tangos of other composers such as Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Antonio Bibalo?
I love Piazzolla, and gave away a 10 cd box for christmas to my tango-dancing woman. Sadly, it did not include the jazz experiments with Gerry Mulligan....
Like all his work IMO, the Stravinsky tangos are delightful, though rather stylized. (Shostakovich wrote a tango?)
Quote from: karlhenning on January 03, 2009, 09:46:20 AM
Like all his work IMO, the Stravinsky tangos are delightful, though rather stylized. (Shostakovich wrote a tango?)
Kozelkov's Dance with Friends from The Bolt (op.27) is a tango... Yes I agree that Stravinsky's tango is at least too stylized to dance to, according to my woman ;)
Unfortunately the recorded live performancies of Piazzolla do have poor sound quality.
Kurt Weill wrote couple nice ones, Die Zuhälterballade (aka Tango-Ballade) from Die Dreigroschenoper being probably best known, but also Youkali-tango:
Ute Lemper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6itNYV8i0
Teresa Stratas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RlekqucDlU
There is only one page worth of commentary regarding this composer? It's a shame that Latin American composers get the short end of the stick when it comes to these types of discussions. I find a lot of their music colorful and just as interesting as anything that has come out of Europe. People just have to take risks sometimes and not many are willing to do this. They are truly missing out.
Anyway, getting back to Piazzolla, I discovered his music many years ago, but had no idea of his merit as a composer/musician or the seriousness of his music until a year ago. One of the most fascinating things about it, for me, especially now, is the attention to rhythm, which is an important part to most Latin American composer's music. Piazzolla, to my ears, is ingenius in the way he uses time signatures and almost a constant foward momentum in the music to get his ideas across. He doesn't stay in spot too long and before you know he's moved onto something else. This is not to say that his music doesn't have its moments of lyricism, because it certainly does, but I always get a sense that Piazzolla loves the thrill of new discovery.
I've recently purchased a great disc of some of his orchestral works on Naxos (w/ Giancarlo Guerrero, Nashville Symphony Orch.) and was incredibly impressed with these performances. Anyone interested in this wonderful composer should definitely checkout this new recording.
Quote from: Mirror Image on November 24, 2010, 07:57:43 PM
I've recently purchased a great disc of some of his orchestral works on Naxos (w/ Giancarlo Guerrero, Nashville Symphony Orch.) and was incredibly impressed with these performances. Anyone interested in this wonderful composer should definitely checkout this new recording.
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.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 25, 2010, 05:45:14 AM
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.
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.
Tango: Zero Hour and La Camorra are both essential listening. The maestro himself and his quinteto, in vivid sound.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 26, 2010, 04:42:54 AM
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!). :)
Quote from: Mirror Image on November 25, 2010, 10:45:59 PM
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).
Quote from: Luke on November 27, 2010, 07:53:58 AM
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!
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...
Quote from: Sid on November 27, 2010, 05:56:41 PM
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.
Quote from: Sid on November 27, 2010, 05:56:41 PM
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.
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.)
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...
Piazzolla: María de Buenos Aires
http://www.youtube.com/v/4SPjL7IgsRc
From the album... (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EipNmedmL._SL500_AA200_.jpg)
"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
Pasión fatal . . . no doubt!
Darn . . . another Kremerata recording I haz got to reelz in . . . .
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on May 01, 2012, 06:59:00 AM
Piazzolla: María de Buenos Aires
http://www.youtube.com/v/4SPjL7IgsRc
From the album... (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EipNmedmL._SL500_AA200_.jpg)
"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!
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]
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
.[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.
His Sinfonía Buenos Aires is a masterpiece.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on May 02, 2012, 04:09:34 AM
.[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)
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
Cross-posted from the 'Purchases' thread:
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 07, 2013, 07:28:58 PM
Also bought these beauties:
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B006OW8122.01.L.jpg) (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000IZJ3MS.01.L.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B002R67SJG.01.L.jpg)
I'm sure Monkey Greg will approve this purchase. 8)
Monkey Greg, do you own any of these recordings? I know you're a Piazzolla fan as I am so I would be interested in finding out what you own.
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 09, 2013, 05:42:01 PM
Monkey Greg, do you own any of these recordings? I know you're a Piazzolla fan as I am so I would be interested in finding out what you own.
Of the ones you have displayed, I own the Histoire du Tango disc on HM with Daroux and Marquez. Which is a very nice disc, I also own (I believe) all of the Kremer recordings, and then about ten various discs including five of the composer himself performing. I can get you a full listing when I get home later today, John.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on December 10, 2013, 02:54:25 AM
Of the ones you have displayed, I own the Histoire du Tango disc on HM with Daroux and Marquez. Which is a very nice disc, I also own (I believe) all of the Kremer recordings, and then about ten various discs including five of the composer himself performing. I can get you a full listing when I get home later today, John.
Cool, sounds good, Greg.
PIAZZOLLA'S ANGELS (https://musicakaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/piazzollas-angels/)
(https://musicakaleidoscope.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/piazzolla_muerte-del-angel.jpg?w=435&h=443)
Quote from: sanantonio on November 19, 2015, 11:00:39 AM
PIAZZOLLA’S ANGELS (https://musicakaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/piazzollas-angels/)
(https://musicakaleidoscope.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/piazzolla_muerte-del-angel.jpg?w=435&h=443)
Very interesting!
Neave Trio Does Astor Piazzolla Proud
(https://scontent-vie1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p75x225/58745071_10156465633387989_6849812202430398464_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent-vie1-1.xx&oh=44f12cb6693ed276ddbcd768bf47d5a6&oe=5D64C11C)
[insider content]
(https://www.classicstoday.com/review/neave-trio-does-astor-piazzolla-proud/)
https://amzn.to/2XVJVho (https://amzn.to/2XVJVho)
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on December 10, 2013, 02:54:25 AM
Of the ones you have displayed, I own the Histoire du Tango disc on HM with Daroux and Marquez. Which is a very nice disc, I also own (I believe) all of the Kremer recordings, and then about ten various discs including five of the composer himself performing. I can get you a full listing when I get home later today, John.
Almost six years later and I'm still waiting on that Piazzolla recordings list of your's, Greg. ;) ;D
To be fair, he said that he can, not that he will. :)
Quote from: schnittkease on April 29, 2019, 08:57:07 PM
To be fair, he said that he can, not that he will. :)
Still doesn't excuse the fact that I'm still waiting. ;)