Customer Reviews

Piazzolla: Soul of the Tango

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yo Yo Ma has always been the frontrunner when it comes to experiencing new water in music. In this fantastic collection of Astor Piazzolla's best known tangos, Ma's breathtaking technique fuses w/ other instrumentalists, who happen to be Piazzolla's closest colleagues when he was alive. Instead of obtruding w/ his virtuous play on the cello, Ma's cello plays the role of a coordinator as he seams soul into the ensemble w/ a wide range of instruments. Yet always in concordance and an odd sense of balance, this recording exhilerates its listeners, and plus the video bonus that enables listeners to observe Ma's playing in the midst of tango dancers, even the dullest classical lovers would want to jump up and forsake the atmosphere of tradition. I highly recommended Fugota, with zesty hight notes of violin with Ma's ambiguous spiccato, this track is a seductive force that sweeps you off your feet. The curves, the turns, the surprises of tango are so cantagious that you cannot turn your heart away from this charmer.

Yo-Yo Ma's rendition of Libertango is magnificent. Full of passion. Makes you want to get up and dance! And plug the CD into your computer to watch the video, an interview with Yo-Yo Ma and pictures. Buy it now.

This is the work of two musical masters Piazzolla and Yo Yo Ma. Ma cello is flawless in its attack. He uses his technique now for emphesis and focuses more on the perfection of Tone and dynamics in this work. Here is an recording not played with constant vibrato as most of Ma's work, but in clean tones and sharp precise changes in tempo dynmaincs and melody.

This was my first Tango recording and is still my favorite. Piazzolla is impressive in his ability to make the music dance in your mind. The instruments and musicians are in a dance themselves if they were to seperate or not play together in the exactitude of a dance they would fail, but they also bring the passion of music that ins mixed with carefree and bitter sweet sounds.

This is worth the risk even if your uncertain about listen ing to Tangos

As stated by the editorial review this is a perfect disc for the casual tango listener or one not compltely familiar with the music of Astor Piazzolla. Yo-Yo (can I call him that?)breathes an exhillirating breath of fresh air into the tango, with vigorous interpretations that evoke the past yet sound contemporary. Being a casual listener of both classical and tango this fits a listener like me just perfect, if you are not sure what you are listening to and it sounds good than it is good! This is a super disc to listen to when one needs to become energized, relax or just contemplate the beauty of life in all it's manifestations. In other words it is music for anytime, anywhere ,whatever the mood. The music takes you to beautiful places without leaving your living room, creating a mood for all seasons. This is one of those discs that finds a spot on the rotation quite often and if you like the tango this is one that belongs in your collection. Recommended for those that like the cello of Yo-Yo Ma and the music of romantic Argentina by Piazzolla without any airs.

the KOCH label recording "Oblivion" with cellist Maya Beiser and pianist Anthony de Mare. I love to listen to Piazzolla's music to relax and I must say that I do enjoy listening to Yo-Yo's recording of it. It has such intensity and it is refreshing to see a cellist tackle genres and collaborations outside the 'traditional' classical repertory. He deserves two thumbs up for that one. If I had not heard the Beiser/de Mare recording last week I would probably give this one a higher star rating. Ma's recording is really beautiful and takes a rather 'aggressive' sound in the "Le Grand Tango" and constantly projects above the accompanying pianist. When heard in back to back as I like to listen to things sometimes, it is JUST that, cello with piano accompaniment, rather than a collaboration as in the Beiser. I WOULD recommend the Ma recording to those that haven't been exposed to the bandeon, et al. The recording is an essential CD for all the Yo-Yo fans out there (myself included), but for Piazzolla on cello I would go with the Beiser recording.

I have always thought that Tango deserved a more elevated standing with both professional and amateur music lovers and what better way to attain that wish than having Yo Yo Ma join in for a session.(Is that a question or statement?) This is a remarkable CD that ranges a wide spectrum of Tango music, most of it exciting, sensual and daring.

Piazzolla, a transcendent artist, was determined to broaden Tango's appeal and he did so admirably. Lovers of jazz and classical now appreciate this fusion and nowhere is it expressed better than this offering. Ma admits he was delighted with the chance to work with the other artists and though he is the star it is never totally given over to the cello. As much as I like the cello, it cannot hold a candle to the bandoneon, perhaps the closest thing to a human voice outside of humanity.

Some of these works are magnificent interpretations and in the case of Tango, what is important is staying true to the spirit and not the letter of the note. I love the subtle, whining melodies, the rising and falling of the "voice"...the continual yearning.

An added bonus is that this CD contains an introduction for the PC. One can watch an interview with the performer, view photos or watch a video that intersperces the playing of Yo Yo Ma with cutouts from the movie. But this is something I discovered two full years after listenting to the CD. Get this recording and enjoy.

"Soul of the Tango" presents the music of Astor Piazzolla with all of the passion and excitement that one could imagine. The blending of the melancholy strains of Yo Yo Ma's cello with the spectacular instrumentation of the other players, makes the listener's heart beat in time with the senuousity of the music. The collaboration of the musicians exposes the very essence of a type of music that had previously been trivialized. This recording is as spectacular in its substance as it is in the beauty and amazing clarity of the recording. "Soul of the Tango" is a winner that should be included in every afficiandos collection.

Who is this fellow who keeps walking into the telephone booth to come out wearing yet another musical personna? Ma's splendid recordings of Bach have kept me breathless from the moment I first heard them. Now comes this lush, driving and oh-so passionate new Ma strutting his stuff pointy-toed and gaudy plummaged. Piazzolla's music is new to me and Ma and company's interpretations swept me off my feet. This is music that swirls and slides and stomps arrogantly right to the heart's hot center. It makes me feel that I could dance from wall to wall on magic feet.

Ma joins Perlman, Previn and other happy explorers who remind us that music is the language of infinite possibilities.

After about a month, it's already one of my favourite albums. Beautiful music, beautifully played, beautifully recorded! I'm am increasingly seduced by Piazzolla's music, and this is the best I've found so far. Yo-yo is in fine form and the deep voice of the cello adds a fullness to the music that enhances it greatly. I've been listening to it almost everyday as I write my Master's thesis, and it's made the process much more enjoyable. You can't miss with this one!

Glorious music played with passion and vitality. Recorded music doesn't get much better than this.