Starter Packs

Complete your collection with these curated titles, grouped at a special discount.

Shop Now
Chamber Works of Astor Piazzolla / Escualo5
BIS

Chamber Works of Astor Piazzolla / Escualo5

$19.79
$21.99 Save 10%

Details

Composer
Piazzolla, Astor
Artist
Escualo5
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Dec 03, 2021
Catalog #
BIS-2605
UPC
7318599926056

About

With his tango nuevo, Astor Piazzolla has been welcomed into the world of classical music in a way that no other ‘non-classical’ composer has experienced. His music is played in concert halls around the world, and has been arranged for the most varied forces: symphony orchestra, string quartet, brass ensemble, mandolin orchestra, harpsichord… Taking their name from Piazzolla’s Escualo (‘Shark’), written in 1979 for his Quinteto Tango Nuevo, the five musicians that make up ESCUALO5 have a different approach, replicating the formation that Piazzolla performed with for much of his career: bandoneon, violin, piano, guitar and double bass.

The aim isn’t to recreate Piazzolla’s own performances, however – based in Munich but hailing from respectively Brazil, Germany, Greece and Belarus, the members are soloists in their own right, bringing their individual talents as improvisers and arrangers to the recordings. The program that ESCUALO5 have devised for their first album includes some much-loved as well as less familiar pieces for the quintet setup – Primavera Porteña, Soledad, Adiós Nonino, Fracanapa – as well as arrangements of Tango Suite and Histoire du Tango, originally for two guitars and flute and guitar, respectively.

REVIEWS:

Several of the pieces are arranged for new combinations, the Tango Suite for guitar and piano, and the Histoire du Tango, the masterful tracing of tango styles since 1900, for accordion, guitar, and double bass. The biggest thing is that without violating Piazzolla's musical texts, the group brings to his music a new and intense spirit. It is as if, having been established as part of the classical canon, Piazzolla's music is now subject to what has been called the chain of interpretation. It's a tremendously exciting release, consisting of Piazzolla standards like the Primavera Porteña from the Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas and lesser-known pieces like Fracanapa; Escualo5 adds something new to every single one, and the album will appeal to heavy Piazzolla collectors and newbies alike.

-- AllMusic.com

The release of a new recording of music by Piazzolla is, in my opinion, always a very welcome occurrence. Here we have passionate performances from the ensemble Esucalo5 which consists of violin, accorion, guitar, piano and double bass. Alongside the more familiar and extensive Tango Suite and Histoire du Tango is another longer piece Contrabajisimo (unknown to me) and a number of shorter pieces. A lovely production.

-- Lark Reviews

Tracklist 13 tracks

  1. 1 Las 4 Estaciones porteñas (The Four Seasons): I. Primavera Porteña 05:14
    Track
    1
    Title
    Las 4 Estaciones porteñas (The Four Seasons): I. Primavera Porteña
    Duration
    05:14
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Ensemble
    Escualo5
  2. 2 Soledad 07:06
    Track
    2
    Title
    Soledad
    Duration
    07:06
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Ensemble
    Escualo5
  3. 3 Tango No. 1 04:23
    Track
    3
    Title
    Tango No. 1
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Performer
    Franz Halász, Débora Halász
  4. 4 Tango No. 2 04:08
    Track
    4
    Title
    Tango No. 2
    Duration
    04:08
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Performer
    Franz Halász, Débora Halász
  5. 5 Tango No. 3 06:15
    Track
    5
    Title
    Tango No. 3
    Duration
    06:15
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Performer
    Franz Halász, Débora Halász
  6. 6 Bandoneón, Guitarra y Bajo 04:18
    Track
    6
    Title
    Bandoneón, Guitarra y Bajo
    Duration
    04:18
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Ensemble
    Escualo5
  7. 7 Adiós Nonino 08:31
    Track
    7
    Title
    Adiós Nonino
    Duration
    08:31
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Ensemble
    Escualo5
  8. 8 Fracanapa 03:18
    Track
    8
    Title
    Fracanapa
    Duration
    03:18
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Ensemble
    Escualo5
  9. 9 I. Bordel 1900 03:55
    Track
    9
    Title
    I. Bordel 1900
    Duration
    03:55
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Performer
    Alexander Kuralionok, Franz Halász, Philipp Stubenrauch
  10. 10 II. Café 1930 06:51
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Café 1930
    Duration
    06:51
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Performer
    Alexander Kuralionok, Franz Halász, Philipp Stubenrauch
  11. 11 III. Nightclub 1960 05:19
    Track
    11
    Title
    III. Nightclub 1960
    Duration
    05:19
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Performer
    Alexander Kuralionok, Franz Halász, Philipp Stubenrauch
  12. 12 IV. Concert d'aujourd'hui 02:50
    Track
    12
    Title
    IV. Concert d'aujourd'hui
    Duration
    02:50
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Performer
    Alexander Kuralionok, Franz Halász, Philipp Stubenrauch
  13. 13 Contrabajísimo 11:40
    Track
    13
    Title
    Contrabajísimo
    Duration
    11:40
    Composer
    Astor Piazzolla
    Ensemble
    Escualo5