PIAZZOLLA Tango Nuevo – Boulouris 5 Ens. – Claves Records

by | Oct 14, 2005 | Classical CD Reviews | 0 comments

PIAZZOLLA Tango Nuevo – Boulouris 5 Ens. – Claves Records 50-2414, 72:53 *** 1/2:

Boulouris 5 is a quintet consisting of violin, doublebass, guitar, and
both clarinet and bass clarinets. They provided the music for a Swiss
stage production based on Piazzolla tangos in a cabaret setting. While
Piazzolla’s music had been criticized as not intended to be danced to,
this production put the emphasis on dance by a thoroughly professional
company of dancers. The  musicians came from a background of both
classical and jazz and decided to eliminate the bandoneon and piano
from the usual tango ensemble to achieve (as the notes call it) “a more
personal and expressive ensemble sound.”

Well, I find the standard Piazzolla tango band has an extremely
personal and expressive sound, but this more chamber music approach
also has its appeal. What is missing here is the violent emphases on
certain beats which the bandoneon can create by banging on the knee of
the performer and the piano creates thru its recognized ability as a
percussion instrument. The various classical forms used by Piazzolla
seem more spotlit with this approach: the fugues, theme and variations,
concertante form, and so on. The arrangements by guitarist Ignacio
Lamas work perfectly with the instruments at hand and the excellent
live recording adds an excitement appropriate to the tango milieu.

Tracks: Intro, Fuga y Misterio, Michelangelo, Escualo, Adios Nonino,
Deus Xango, Kicho, Soledad, Libertango, Contrabajissimo, Death of the
Angel, Finale & more!

– John Sunier 

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