As one might expect,
whole concertos dedicated to the tango style and idiom dig
a little deeper than shorter pieces intended for use on the
dance floor. Astor Piazzolla was one who took the tango far
beyond its roots, and the creation of a concerto in which
guitar and bandoneon engage in solistic dialogue seems a logical
extension of Piazzolla’s ambitions for the tango as concert
music.
Beginning with an almost
ambiguous guitar solo, the bandoneon entry provides sonic
orientation, and we are soon served Piazzolla’s trademark
milonga syncopations and descending figurations in
both orchestra and solos. The third movement, marked Tango,
is another Piazzolla fingerprint, the fugal tango, in
which instrumental and orchestral entries overlap and overlay
each other. This is fine music – sparing and tough, but I
felt myself urging the musicians to provide greater motor-like
energy. The typical bass ‘whoom’ has a natural speed which
just ain’t achieved here, and so any potential excitement
just seems to miss the mark. Listening to the last few minutes
you realise why the impact is missing. Notes are being extended
just a little too much; spending too much time developing
nice tone and vibrato rather than pushing the rhythms ahead.
Notes = rather than > shaped – just a little too much Corelli
and not quite enough Captain.
Cacho Tirao shares Piazzolla’s
Argentinian origins, but his Conciertango Buenos Aires
is immediately in contrast to Piazzolla’s. It is lighter,
more richly orchestrated, and coloured with a palette which
includes glockenspiel and other percussion, something which
in this case somehow reminds me of Ronnie Hazlehurst. Piazzolla’s
influence is there in the descending lines, but Tirao’s approach
incorporates Argentinian folk music and is structured as a
series of small vignettes, giving the piece a naïve and fragmented,
sometimes almost sentimental feel.
The Concerto Serenata
by Oliveiro Lacagnina is a tribute to Piazzolla’s Mediteranean
spirit, and is dedicated to the soloist on this recording.
Marked Ritmico, the first movement has indeed much
rhythmic power, contrasting with Tirao’s gentler voice. The
second movement is a heartfelt Elegia, which betrays
an Italian influence in its lyrically slow triple meter and
strophic structure. Tango-Finale has a return to rhythmic
forcefulness, with driving pizzicati and typical tango rhythms
transplanted into an irregular 7/4 beat.
This is an interesting
release containing much good music, but I do have a complaint
– intonation. Edoardo Catemario’s
guitar always seems to be on the brink of being out of tune,
and there are some moments when it sounds more than a little
dead as a result. Intervals close up or jangle suspectly on
occasion, and if you have a sensitive ear it’s just not attractive.
The Auditorium Latani is not a particularly generous acoustic,
nor is it overly dry, but the Orchestra Vincenzo Galilei’s strings are also not always entirely
wonderful when it comes to intonation. This is a minor point
on this recording – most of the playing is good and this is
not the kind of music where I consider glossily perfect string
sound entirely necessary, but there are enough minorly dodgy
moments to make me think twice about giving a glowing, unconditional
recommendation. Tango lovers and Piazzolla fans will be interested
in such an original programme, and I would be the last to
dissuade anyone from exploring new repertoire. There is much
to enjoy here, but it could have been just that little bit
better.
Dominy Clements
AVAILABILITY
Arts
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