“Tango Rhapsody” – Karin Lechner & Sergio Tiempo, pianos (with Orch. della Svizzera Italiana/ Jacek Kaspszyk in Tango Rhapsody) – Avanti SACD+DVD

“Tango Rhapsody” – [TrackList follows] – Karin Lechner & Sergio Tiempo, pianos (with Orch. della Svizzera Italiana/Jacek Kaspszyk in Tango Rhapsody) – Avanti multichannel SACD (5.0) + Bonus DVD (16:9) of the Tango Rhapsody 5414 706 1033-2, SACD: 63:58, DVD 19:00 [Distr. by Allegro] ****:
Bravo Avanti for putting together this excellent combination of formats again, though it could be even better if the DVD had been a Blu-ray, considering that there is a greater penetration of Blu-ray players out there now than SACD decks. The brother and sister duo-pianists, one born in Argentina and the other in Venezuela, perform nine two-piano tango pieces on the SACD, and in the middle we hear their performance with a student orchestra of the Tango Rhapsody by Federico Jusid, written especially for them.
The composer says he had great pleasure working with the piano duo on developing the Rhapsody. It is a described as a concertante-theatrical piece which borrow the rhythmic and harmonic flavors of the tango and also its dramatic tone, theatricality, uninhabited way of being romantic, and its sensuality. He felt the orchestra could accompany the two pianists in their discourse, or enrich the conflict by taking an opposite position. Though in rhapsodic form it still has three movements and is said to tell a tacit story of seduction, dance, love, dispute, solitude, reencounter and celebration.
The DVD of the Tango Rhapsody only is an interesting accompaniment to the complete SACD. It stresses the theatrical aspects of the work, with pianist Tiempo starting by sort of sneaking thru the orchestra to get to the piano. Later his sister displays scowling while playing more intense portions of the score, and ultimately takes off and throws her red shoes into the orchestra in a fit of pique; they don’t seem the least bit surprised.
Four of the two-piano selections on the SACD are by Piazzolla, with three of them arranged by tango pianist Pablo Ziegler. Another four are original tangos composed by Ziegler. The over eight-minute arrangement of Piazzolla’s lovely Adios Nonino is a highlight of the concert—I believe one of the best versions of this classic I’ve ever heard. The audio disc closes with a two-piano version of “The Secret in Their Eyes,” which Jusid wrote together with Emilio Kauderer for a 1950 Spanish film of the same name which won a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
TrackList:

—John Sunier