Customer Reviews

Piazzollissimo

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

 

 

Astor Piazzolla is one of the finest composers, arrangers and musicians ever to grace a 20th century stage. The sheer magnitude of his genius is appreciated internationally and his posthumous popularity waxes ever stronger. Piazzolla has passed through many definable stages in his illustrious career. Piazzollissimo 1974-84 contains all the important elements of this middle-age period of his career. Even if the second and third CDs in this box set stunk, the power of the first is enough to tag this with five stars. Libertango is the essence of what Piazzolla has always been about. After mastering the traditional style, he set about to redefine the tango genre for all time. Just listen to how that first cut flows! Songs 2 through 8 are basically variations on the same theme, each of which has its own mood-altering appeal. The only cut I do not like is Mort which features a tapping which is supposed to represent someone's last heartbeats but instead annoyingly sounds like a record with a "stick" in it. The last cuts, from L'Amour through Escaloso are the most powerful in the box, each featuring interludes displaying the musicians' virtuosity and the unmatched prowess of Piazzolla on his bandoneon. Disc two starts off pulsating with the sexually charged Cite Tango and segues into the afterglow of the relaxing Pia-Sol-La-Sol. The rest of the disc is pleasing with many of the song titles relating to Argentina's World Cup triumph. Disc three tends to drift a bit but features the driving "Escualo", a technically difficult tune which has been covered by Gidon Kremer, among others. If you like Piazzolla at all, be sure to pick up this set. You won't be sorry.

The box set was everything I had hoped for - as much Astor Piazzolla as I can get. The classic Piazzolla tangos are there, as well as some more obscure works, but listening to the 3-CD set gives you a full flavor of his mastery of a passionate, emotionally raw music.