Search - Astor Piazzolla, Giovanni Sollima, Leonid Desyatnikov :: Tracing Astor: Gidon Kremer Plays Astor Piazzolla

Kremer /Piazzolla -- a stunning addition to the cycle!!!

Paul Howard Hamburg | Berkeley, CA USA | 06/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tracing Astor: Gidon Kremer plays Astor Piazzolla (Nonesuch 79601-2) is the latest and perhaps the most brilliant recording in Gidon Kremer's breathtaking traversal of Astor Piazzolla's oeuvre. This disc catches the listener by the throat from the first track to the last. Kremer performs six spectacular solo Tango-Etudes, originally recorded in 1996 concurrently with the first released disc, Homage a Piazzolla (Nonesuch 79407-2). All but two of the other tracks were recorded in 1999 and consist of chamber transcriptions by Leonid Desyatnikov performed by Kremer and members of the Kremerata Baltica. The remaining tracks were recorded in 2000 and 2001. The former a composition by Giovanni Sollima, a young (b.1962) Sicilian cellist and composer, is a riveting duo for two cellos. The last track is a kind of encore. All in the Past, by Latvian composer Georgs Pelecis (b.1947), is a tribute to Oskar Strock, the Latvian-Jewish Tango-King -- a poignant conclusion to a disc that is a must for any aficionado of Kremer and his beloved Piazzolla."

Cannot imagine rewarding less

Avid Reader | Franklin, Tn | 03/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Baltic group, Kremerat Baltica (from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia) is a group of young musicians brought together by Gidon Kremer, Their range of performance is impressive- Vivaldi to Piazzolla. In a sense the latter is more difficult than the former not only for the instrumental complexity but also for the wide range of emotions required. Neither is necessariy "better" but then comparing them is like apples and organes.



In this case, they have taken Pizzolla and transformed the music into another creation that is simultaneously sultry, prickly, brilliant and edgy. The arrangements are stunning, from the five arrangements by Leonid Desyatnikov to the six Etudes Tango arranged by Gidon Kremer. The individual instruments and the sounds of the street (whistles, cracks, pops, squeal of the string, etc) merge perfectly with the nervousness of the music.



The Etudes, by the way, are violin solos in the Argentinian style - lots of bowing, dipping and "sharping". Whoever is on the bandoneon (I could find no mention) deserves an honorable mention as does Desyatnikov for the luscious "Rio Sena" arrangement and his own composition, "Tracing Astor", an eerie salute to the evolution of the Tango from backstreet song to complex, classical music of the first degree. George Pelecis composed the final work, "All in the Past", a sumptous homage to the master in the form of a reverie."

Accordion Classic

Anne K. Stahl | San Luis Obispo, CA United States | 09/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are many great accordion albums. I bought this one for my father, who loves contemporary accordion injected with some classic roots of tango, cafe de paris, etc... not an expert on this myself and coming more from the indie/industrial/punk genre, I immediately was drawn into this album. It is innovative and yet classic. Great tunes blend in with a contemporary edge. An unusual find for the modern 'on the edge' music lover, and an expected gem for Astor Piazolla fans."