Musique pour piano

Description

For most people, the name Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) is synonymous with tango. The musician indeed left behind some of the most beautiful scores of this genre that emerged in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. On the occasion of the centenary of his birth, the composer is honored at the piano: Jeroen van Veen, familiar with the recording studios for Brilliant Classics, has chosen a selection of works gathered in a double album. The listener will find the most famous melodies, starting with Ángel (1962-1965), Libertango (1974), and Oblivion (1982). The Suite para piano op. 2 (1943), less known, recalls the connections between Piazzolla and Ginastera: the former was, on the advice of pianist Arthur Rubinstein, a student of the latter. The melancholy and nostalgia that permeate Piazzolla's work are subtly conveyed here (listen to the heartbreaking A Don Nicanor Paredes, 1965), without neglecting the rhythmic and sonic intoxication (Street Tango, 1988), nor does the reduction of the works to just piano diminish the quality of the writing (Estaciones, 1965-1970). What a beautiful tribute to Piazzolla!