Search - Pablo Ziegler :: Tango Romance

In 1978, the late Astor Piazzolla tapped Pablo Ziegler to join his New Tango Quintet. In those days, Ziegler was not a tanguero (as tango fans and players are called) but rather a classically trained pianist, composer, and arranger--and a jazz player to boot. By the time the quintet dissolved, a decade later, it had grown to be an exceptional ensemble, a sort of streetwise chamber group, and Ziegler had helped stretch the vocabulary of tango with his jazz style improvisations. It also made Ziegler a leading figure in new tango. Tango Romance, Ziegler's collaboration with New York-based Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, includes arrangements of five Piazzolla pieces, four Ziegler originals, and two classic tangos. The arrangements (mostly by Ziegler) are elegant, lush, and for the most part, effective. But filling out the details in the music becomes at times problematic. Ziegler has always been a romantic--part of what made him essential in balancing Piazzolla's tartness. Now unchecked, he favors rich, sweet textures and borders on sentimentality almost to a point of diminishing returns. At his best, he knows how to dress new tango in tails while holding on to its street smarts. It's a delicate balance that only someone who has lived this music as Ziegler has can begin to attempt. --Fernando Gonzalez