The Sound of Piazzolla

In the 1950s, when Astor Piazzolla went to Paris to study classical composition, the tango of his native Argentina was not considered fit for the concert stages of Europe; these were the sultry sounds of the street; the music of the demimonde. Luckily, the formidable composition teacher Nadia Boulanger encouraged her Argentinian pupil to draw precisely on those roots. Piazzolla at last found his true voice as a composer and bandoneon virtuoso.

Today, he is considered the father of tango as we know it today, blending rhythmic vitality with orchestral textures. Twenty-five years after Piazzolla’s death, The Sound of Piazzolla confirms that the founder of Tango Nuevo left as his legacy a unique style of music that sounds just as fresh and vibrant today.

Daniel Barenboim, Gidon Kremer, Mstislav Rostropovich, Martha Argerich, Alison Balsom, Emmanuel Pahud, the Alban Berg Quartet, the Artemis Quartet, the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic and Philippe Jaroussky: some of the greatest names on today’s classical music scene pay Homage to Piazzolla on Part 1 of the album, highlighting the most varied of influences: this is not just about the tango; there are influences from jazz and the classical traditions of Bach and Vivaldi, all brought together here. The second album combines original classical compositions – the opera María de Buenos Aires, the Tango Ballet and Concierto del Angel. The recordings by Gidon Kremer and his KremerATA Baltica are a true piece of Piazzolla pioneer work.