Piazzólla: Escualo (Shark)

Chronologically, this programme of music for wind ensemble is framed by Darius Milhaud’s La création du monde, a ballet score from 1923, and the composer Anders Emilsson’s Salute the band, commissioned for the 2006 centenary of the Swedish Wind Ensemble.

Arrangements by Martin Schwarz

The brilliant Argentine musician Astor Piazzolla, who revolutionised the traditional tango through his use of jazz elements, counterpoint, extended harmonies and dissonance, has constantly appealed to wide audiences, as well as fascinating classical musicians. Here Astoria (string quintet, piano, accordion), led by Christophe Delporte, gives a delightfully lively rendering, capturing the rhythm and all the lyricism and charm of Piazzolla’s tango nuevo.

On this CD the ensemble Triade perform Astor Piazzolla’s most well known and famous tangos in inimitable, excellent fashion.

Astor Piazzolla’s name has become synonymous with tango, that epitome of sadness and melancholy expressed in dance and singing. Piazzolla laid the foundations for the worldwide renaissance of this cultural phenomenon. The Argentinean composer and bandonéon player rescued tango from being the clichéd dance form it had been reduced to during the Golden Twenties – Piazzolla set about reviving tango with an equal amount of courage and uncompromising endeavour. He mixed traditional tango with elements of jazz and classical music, inventing a new style in the process: tango nuevo. Some tango aficionados celebrated Piazzolla as being a true innovator – others cursed him, calling him tango’s “gravedigger”. Regardless of the subjective assessment of his achievements, Piazzolla personified tango‘s zenith and in addition, became one of the most important composers of the twentieth century.

Legendary tango performer and composer Astor Piazzolla gained experience of jazz in New York and classical form and technique through studies with Alberto Ginastera. His work lends itself perfectly to arrangement for all kinds of ensemble, and this is the first recording with solo trombone. These popular pieces showcase the stunning playing of multi-award winning soloist Achilles Liarmakopoulos in a variety of moods, including the famous Oblivion, and Le Grand Tango, a virtuoso show-stopper originally written for cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

These fiery works are brilliantly performed by the Macquarie Trio. This collection of tangos and other dances captures the universal theme of the tango: love, life and death.

All tracks are arranged by Quentin Grant unless specified