Customer Reviews

Symphonic Tango

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

 

 

I am a hard-core tango fan but have to say I find very little to like about this CD. I bought it on the strength of the line-up of musicians in El Quinteto Buenos Aires who are joined by the Royal Philatelic Orchestra conducted but the illustrious Ettore Stratta. With accomplished tango artists like Antonio Agri, Leopoldo Federico, Pablo Ziegler, Osvaldo Berlingieri and Hector Console at the nucleus, how could I go wrong? After all, Ziegler's Tango Romance with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra was a winner! Sadly, this isn't. The tango presented here is of the type one would expect to hear in an elevator. There is almost no passion and play is lackluster on nearly all cuts. The one exception is a fine rendition of the Ziegler composition Milonga En El Viento. They destroyed Cafetin de Buenos Aires! While this CD would be fine as background music in a corporate office, I can't see myself listening very often. Symphonic Tango may have the sound of tango, but it lacks the soul of tango.

I love all the "Symphonic" series by Mr. Stratta who is ingenious in arranging music. I heard his music by some chance at a CD shop for the first time. The melody was so sweet and I asked a shopboy what the song was. The CD was "Symphonic Bolero" with nice cover art. Since then I've been a big fan of him. This CD is also one of my favorite. This always lets me be in a warm and happy mood. I'd like to recommend you to try his other albums. Good buy!

Will attract both hard-core tango fans and newcomers. It includes both classic pieces as well as a couple of Piazolla's best.

There is a nice mix of old and new "standards." The accompanying booklet has a brief, but authoritative history of the tango and the composers and performers on the cd. It really makes you want to dance but listening is OK too. Energizing and inspirational in its lushness.