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An Exquisite Package

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 10/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many people have asked me why I buy the music of Astor Piazzolla as performed by others when I already own so much by El Troesma himself. The answer is simple: I love the music of Piazzolla so much that I enjoy hearing any interpretations of it by virtuoso musicians almost as much as I enjoy listening to the originals. Since Piazzolla's death, his music has become regarded as almost neo-classical and in some circles nearly sacred. Starting with Gidon Kremer and Al DiMeola, there has since been a virtual stampede of musicians racing to put his/her own interpretations of Piazzolla before the listening public.

I bought Histoire du Tango solely because it was brought to my attention here on amazon, it seemed interesting and most importantly, it is Piazzolla. I had never heard of guitarist Maria Isabel Siewers or of violinist Rafael Gintoli before reading of this and I was quite prepared for possible disappointment. Suffice to say that delight was my reaction instead upon listening the first time.

This is truly an exquisite package. Though it took several listens before I became entirely comfortable with all the renditions here, I am now utterly convinced of its quality and merit. The duo covers the now obligatory 20 minute Histoire du Tango sequence first introduced by Piazzolla in the mid-80s. It also covers much that is rarely heard such as the melancholy Chiquilin de Bachin, the bittersweet Chau Paris, and the delicate Valsisimo. A special treat is Cinco Piezas, a rare delight which I have not heard covered before. Add in standards Escualo, Milonga En Re, and my personal Piazzolla favorite Soledad and you have the ingredients for one terrific album best listened to with no distractions.

The CD comes with a booklet in English, French, and German (but for some reason not Spanish) that contains short biographies of Siewers and Gintoli as well as commentary on Piazzolla and the tango. If you love the music of Astor Piazzolla as I do, then Histoire du Tango certainly deserves a place in your CD library."