Planet Hugill – A world of classical music
Our final disc celebrates Piazzolla both with his own music and with a composer inspired by him. Uruguay-born American Israeli conductor Gisele Ben-Dor conducts Juanjo Mosalini (bandoneon) and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston on Centaur Records (CRC 3844) in Piazzolla’s Concerto for Bandoneon, Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas and Libertango, the latter two in Mosalini’s own arrangements, plus two of his own pieces. Mosalini is Argentine-born but brought up in Paris where is father, a distinguished Argentine musician, was in exile.
This performance takes us, I think, a bit closer to the original concept for the concerto. There is more of an edge, less of a luxurious cushion to the orchestra and the players relish the moments where Piazzolla turns them into a real tango-band. For his part, Mosalini plays the bandoneon to the manner born and makes the instrument sophisticated whilst preserving the vigour, roughness and edge that is needed. This is music which has been brought into the concert hall, but still with a whiff of the bar room.
Mosalini’s own Cien Años was composed, not for Piazzolla but for his own grandfather, yet it fits here and is paired with Mosalini’s Toma, Toca dedicated to Piazzolla’s former electric guitar player Tomas Gubitsch. Both engaging and examples of the continuation of Piazzolla’s tradition.
Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas features Mosalini’s new arrangement for bandoneon and orchestra, and it is clear quite how each version re-invents the piece as there are moments when you wonder whether this is the same music. As with the concerto, there is more edge here, rhythms are tighter and those sharp-edged tangos are rarely far away whilst you can feel that smoky bar-room. I really enjoyed this performance and will return to it, partly because you feel that for all their Western European-style sophistication, the musicians are willing and able to get down and dirty too.
And we end with a terrific version of Libertango in Mosalini’s own arrangement again for bandoneon and strings.
I am still waiting for that disc where a modern quintet gets down and dirty with Piazzolla’s music. Perhaps that is no longer possible, we simply listen to it with too sophisticated ears.
Review by Robert Hugill