Tango: Zero Hour

Amazon.com essential recording
Astor Piazzolla lived and died as tango's bad boy, having almost single handedly invented the music's vanguard, the form known as tango nuevo. It took Piazzolla decades to reach his unequivocal apex, which is captured flawlessly on Tango Zero Hour. When this recording was cut in 1986, some of the compositions Piazzolla and his quintet cued up were standards for the band. Whether it was an epiphanic period or not, the recording captures an ensemble alchemically transforming seriously complex works into goose-bump-inducing electricity. Pianist Pablo Ziegler brings his jazz background into the mix with jarring urgency, just as violinist Fernando Suárez Paz makes quavering classical inflections sing amid Piazzolla's here tender and there blistering bandoneon. For a peak experience in music that challenges the ear to dance and the body to fully listen, look no further than this recording. --Andrew Bartlett

Tracks:

Milonga En Re
Vardarito
Oblivion
Escualo
Histoire Du Tango: Cafe 1930
Concierto Para Quinteto
Soledad
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Celos
El Sol Sueno (Hommage A Astor Piazzolla)
Le Grand Tango

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Gidon Kremer, who plays the standard violin repertoire so well, has remained a restless explorer of music. Here is his first album of Piazzolla arrangements, introduced by a moving and perceptive assessment of Piazzolla by composer John Adams. Kremer has completely steeped himself in the spirit of the tango, and of Piazzolla's transformation of this music into concert works. The selection (mostly larger-scale Piazzolla works), the varied arrangements, and the compelling quality of the playing make this one of the best albums of this music not involving the composer's own performances. And if you love it, you'll be glad to know that Kremer's second Piazzolla album is also available. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully captivating music by the tango master.......2005-10-25

I was introduced to the music of Astor Piazzolla by the more than great violinist Gidon Kremer when he played a virtuosic tango as an encore. Whenever a rich new vein of wonderful music is opened to me, well, it makes for a bright and happy day. Not long after I picked up this CD and I can recommend it to you highly. This is more than just tango dance music, these are serious and contemplative compositions that use the Tango as the vehicle just as the classical and especially Baroque composers used their dance music for instrumental compositions. The music is full of mood, sensuality, rhythm, lush harmonies, dissonance, love, and pain. It is a music of contrasts and never gets too fussy or complicated. It wears its heart on its sleeve and draws us in because it is so charming.

Each piece has its own varied ensemble and the musicians in that ensemble also arrange the music for that track. Kremer leads from the violin in all of them, after all it is his album and his hommage to Piazzolla. However, the instruments used depend on the musical materials and mood of the piece. The piano is used quite a bit, and at times there are wind instruments. The bandoneón is required in tango, as well. It is a kind of concertina that was developed and made in Germany, but adopted in Argentina for the Tango. It has a wonderfully reedy sound and is played with buttons on each side of the bellows. Depending on the model, the note can change or stay the same whether you are pulling the bellows out or pushing them in, but in all of them there are two voices always at the octave and gives the bandoneón its characteristic sound.

The only composition not by Piazzolla is a very interesting tango included as a tribute to the master entitled "El sol sueño" by Jerzy Peterbushsky.

This is good music and a very enjoyable change of pace.

When styles mix.......2005-09-07

I bought this record following a live performance by Gidon Kremer et al. at the Verbier Festival. The mixture of classical music with a dose of jazz on a Latin base produces an interesting result that is quite surprising at first. However, the more one hears, the more the result grows on the listener, just as at the live show where the audience, somewhat stunned at the outset, gave a standing ovation at the end.

Overall, the mélange is pleasant, chill listening to be appreciated by fans of any of the three styles of music.

Explains It All To Those Wounded in Love.......2005-01-16

Ever have a moment where you loved someone so much you hated him?

Ever have a relationship you could not get out of your mouth, your mind, your heart, your system, but that you knew was over and done with forever and ever, and you'd never even see the other again?

Ever feel so happy you wanted to cry? No, sob? Wrenching, wracking sobs? From happiness, now.

Yes?

Have I got a CD for you: Hommage a Piazzolla, featuring Gidon Kremer.

Like many, I suspect, I have a mixed relationship to tango. When I put on a tango CD, I fear I'll be hearing something that sets my teeth to jangling and makes me want to slap someone in the face.

This isn't that. You could listen to most of this while sitting perfectly still, on a window sill, in fact, with the lights down low in your apartment, as you stare out at the rain-slicked city at night. A drink sits on a nearby table, unfinished...you have no will to finish it.

(It's hard not to imagine these things while listening to this music; really, it's all so poetic, cinematic, irresistable.)

At some point, though, you're probably not going to be able to sit still any more, and you'll have to put that rose in your teeth and cut a few moves.

Tango often sounds, to we non-Argentinians, like a parody of itself.

This CD does not.

Rather, when I put it on, not at all sure what to expect, I had one of those epiphanies that art can give you.

I had been brooding over a vexed relationship, one I did not understand, but knew was hurting me, not with any immediacy, but like a sore tooth that could stand to go a few more months before you get over your fear of the dentist to get it fixed.

What bugged me most of all was that I did not understand what was hurting. Rationally, I had no reason to feel troubled.

I put on this CD, with the relationship way in the back of my mind, and I just, immediately thought, "That's it. This music is explaining it all; this music is articulating everything."

Not bad.

This kind of music, music that allows in the true bittersweet of life, the unsolvable, the passion, is all too rare. If music that addresses those qualities is what you crave, this CD might be just what you need.

Great sex music! Comes from the heart!.......2004-07-21

The music and perforamance are so sensually played and achingly beautiful, the hairs on my neck and arms stand up on end. Listen to the opening track and tell me this is not great sex music. Yes, tango is a very sensual art form and this CD is great for those very intimate moments. Of course, sex aside, the music is nothing short of a miracle unto itself. That I was to discover this CD just last year meant I was without it for 7 years since it was released. My life is richer for this and other Piazzolla works done by Kremer.
This CD has become one of those "island" CDs that you would take if you wer so to become deserted on one. You should be so lucky!

Piazzolla's Unofficial Interpreter.......2001-04-12

I first became aware of this CD several years ago as its melancholy strains wafted through the air of a bookstore through which I was browsing. My ears perked up...Piazzolla!!! Upon inquiry, I was shown the CD and I immediately purchased a copy. I couldn't wait to get home and listen to it at elevated volume. What a recording!! Kremer has captured and distilled the essence of Piazzolla's music. Every song is a masterpiece and nearly all of my favorite mid-period Piazzolla compositions are contained within. A special treat is the magnum opus which closes the set, a 12-minute rendering of Le Grand Tango with just Kremer's violin and the restrained passion of Vadim Sakharov's piano to lead your mind into another musical dimension. Gidon Kremer has since recorded a number of Piazzolla-related CDs and in so doing has set himself up as the unofficial interpreter of El Maestro's music. If you like Piazzolla, you are sure to enjoy this CD. I give it my highest recommendation.

Average customer rating:

Amazing
Typical Piazzolla...Extraordinary
A Christlike Performance
superb playing of great music

Los Tangueros

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bajo Cero
Piazzolla: Song of the Angel

ASIN: B0000029TY
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Revirado
Fuga y misterio
Milonga del angel
Decarissimo
Soledad
La muerte del angel
Adios Nonino
Libertango
Verano porte
Michelangelo '70
Buenos Aires hora cero
Tangata

Amazon.com essential recording

Like his frequent partner, Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax has become infatuated with the tangos of Astor Piazzolla. Ax sought out pianist Pablo Ziegler, a long-time member of Piazzolla's ensemble, to make these arrangements and perform them with him. With his innate musicianship and Ziegler as a tutor, Ax has entered wholeheartedly into the world of the New Tango. These performances have just the right feeling for rhythm and color. Whether you need an album of Piazzolla on two pianos is another question. I'd say get some of Piazzolla's own recordings first. But for piano tango this album is a total success. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2005-07-16

There is a certain intensity in Piazzola's music that is hard to describe. It can be very powerful and nostalgic at the same time, very energetic and extremely mellow. Rumor has it that when Piazzola was studing music, his teacher pesuaded him to go back to his natural instrument, the bandoneon, as Piazzola had proven to play it with a special sensitivity.
While played in the bandoneon , Piazzola's music reaches all its Argentinean identity and character, but in the piano- in this case two of them- his music transforms and gets a richness that is really imppresive. I can't imagine two better piano players to deliver the passion of Piazzola's music. Emmanuel Ax and Pablo Ziegler are amazing together. Los Tangueros is a classic for all the Piazzola fans.

Typical Piazzolla...Extraordinary.......2003-03-05

The quintessential Piazzolla is presented here in a rapturous performance by several artists in their own right. I was attracted to this recording because I play the piano and the idea of Emanual Ax and Pablo Ziegler (another one of those classical-Tango joint venture a la Yo Yo Ma) performing Tango was too much to pass up.

The transcriptions are very, very good. In fact, though one can readily distinguish the sound from the classic Tango ensemble, the music is seamless. It works! Of particular interest is "La muerte del angel". One wishes that the "angel" trilogy could be presented in one package instead of spread out over several recordings. And speaking of transcripts, a German firm now distributes piano versions of Piazzolla tangos in three volumes.

While I'm wishing, it would be great if someone recorded the entire body of Piazzolla compositions in one collection.

A Christlike Performance.......2000-08-02

I was unfamiliar with Emanuel Ax, very familiar with Pablo Ziegler, and ultra familiar with the work of Astor Piazzolla, so I decided to give this CD a try. The only disappointment is that there are only 12 songs on this recording. It must have been difficult for Piazzolla acolyte Ziegler to decide which of the hundreds of worthy Piazzolla compositions to record. In the end, he did a great job not only in selecting a variety of Piazzolla styles, but also in selecting those which fit his conception of this project. Its hard to choose a favorite here though if pressed, I'd name the stately Soledad followed closely by the equally majestic Tangata. Ziegler's arrangements are impeccable. He proves that a lot of music can spring from two pianos with no other instrumentation needed when the arrangements are right. I heartily recommend this album not only to Piazzolla fans, but to fans of the piano. I hope that Ax and Ziegler soon offer an encore to this Christlike performance.

superb playing of great music.......1999-08-07

Piazzola does for tango what Gershwin did for the blues. And there is no better medium to hear what Piazzola is up to than these splendid arrangements for two pianos. Emanuel Ax, of course, is one of America's best living pianists. With Ziegler, he forms an unforgettable team. Highly worthwhile.

Average customer rating:

Simply Breath-Taking
full of energy worth savouring
Versatile virtuoso outshines musically uneven material
A Towering Musical Achievement
Beautiful Harp Album

Crossing the Stone

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Harpist
Because I Love You So
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Free

ASIN: B0000AM6IX
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

Mountain Dance
Harpers Bizarre
James
Crossing The Stone (Tros Y Garreg)
Prelude From Partita No. 3
Third Movement From Electric Counterpoint
Eternal Dream
The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba From Solomon
Cafe Vamp Latino
Spain
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Clair De Lune
Prelude In C/Ave Maria
Thingamujig
Suo Gan
Palladio (1st Movement)

Customer Reviews:

Simply Breath-Taking.......2007-03-05

Being a harpist myself, I can truly admire Catrin Finch's talent, style and choice of music selections for her first album.

Some songs are truly a revelation for the harp as an instrument using New Age style accompaniment, while there are still pieces with a classical vibe.

Well Done!

full of energy worth savouring.......2004-12-13

The artist is able to deconstruct the traditional image of harp as an instument. The texture and the hue of the music is rich and full of lustre. very creative and versatile.

Versatile virtuoso outshines musically uneven material.......2004-02-01

There's a reason Charles, Prince of Wales, revived a long-dormant (since 1871) tradition and presented Catrin Finch a Royal Appointment as his harpist. At age 23 she is a remarkable talent, with pristine technique and a fluency in the languages of both classical and contemporary music.

If only the material on her debut disc were equal to her talent.

While Finch is extraordinary, the music is a mixed bag of modern jazz/pop tunes, re-tooled classical favorites, and several hit-and-miss arrangements by Finch's musical partner, composer Karl Jenkins.

It's all starts and stops, ups and downs. In the jazz/pop genre, Dave Grusin's infectious "Mountain Dance" and the relaxed groove of Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays' "James" are perfectly suited for harp, while Chick Corea's "Spain" just never catches fire. Among the contemporary, experimental compositions, Jenkins' minimalist but tuneful "Harpers Bizarre" is far more interesting than Steve Reich's "Third Movement from Electric Counterpoint" - a tedious ostinato that never develops into anything. In a more traditional vein, "Crossing the Stone," taken from Jenkins' double harp concerto, is a rich, lovely setting of a Welsh folk tune, but two other selections from the concerto - "Eternal Dream" and "Caf? Vamp Latino" - don't relate musically at all. And while Finch, unaccompanied, is flawless on Bach's "Prelude from Partita No. 3," her performance of Handel's "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" is marred by the decision to include some noisy Middle Eastern percussion, as is Debussy's "Clair de lune" by an intrusive, soporific voice-over.

On the upside again, Bach/Gounod's "Ave Maria" and the Welsh lullaby "Suo Gan" team Finch nicely with solo voices (though countertenor Terrance Barber's vibrato is perhaps an acquired taste), and Jenkins' "Thingamujig" is a fun, lively jig.

Concluding the album, the first movement of Jenkins' "Palladio" (featured for years in TV commercials for DeBeers diamonds) in a dull dance remix has none of the energy of the original version for string quartet and is a totally gratuitous inclusion.

From Finch's liner-note comment that "I've never really been stuffy about classical music ... I'm open to everything, really," it's apparent that some tracks are an attempt to make a "classical" instrument more accessible to listeners of contemporary music. Again, Finch is terrific, but listeners would be better served by a recording of the harpist that displays her virtuosity in a single genre - whether classical, contemporary or experimental - instead of this hodgepodge.

Give the performer five stars, the material two, and look forward to hearing this talented young artist for many years to come.

A Towering Musical Achievement.......2003-10-29

While biographies disguised as reviews are tiresome, some background is in order, in this case. At the age of 23, Catrin Finch has been playing the harp for 18 years. She was appearing on British television and with major orchestras by the time she was 10, and was appointed the Royal Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales (a.k.a. Prince Charles) at the age of 20. Bottom line: This lady has more than enough credentials to be regarded as a major musical talent.

But does having a long list of credentials translate to making a great album? In this case, you bet it does. On "Crossing The Stone," Catrin Finch combines piles of technical expertise with surprising and even stunning musical choices. Sure, she covers classical music (such as Bach's 'Prelude from Partita #3' and Handel's 'The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba') brilliantly, but you'd expect that from an alumnus of The Royal College of Music. But would you expect to hear a piece by jazz pianist Dave Grusin done on the harp? How about music by guitarist Pat Metheny, or a Chick Corea composition?

Catrin Finch is an incredible talent, and she has created a beautiful, eclectic album that demands (and will receive) repeated listening. Unfortunately, it's also an album that you probably won't find in your local music store. This album has not received a lot of publicity, and I have yet to walk into a CD store and find it sitting on the shelf. Save yourself a lot of tedious shopping: buy it here and now.

Beautiful Harp Album.......2003-08-26

I first heard Catrin Finch on a free sample CD I received and when I listened to it, I couldn't believe that the instrument that she was playing was the harp! It was so vibrant and full of life. It felt like I had opened the windows and let the sun shine in. The harp is the world's oldest - and most difficult instrument, but in Ms. Finch's power it is sounds both contemporary effortlessly played. It is a wonderful buy for any appreciate of music, and the most electric harp album ever produced.

Average customer rating:

a must have for all the Piazzollists

Itinerary of a Genius
Astor Piazzolla
Manufacturer: Milan Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tango: Zero Hour
The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado)
Astor Piazzolla - The Soul Of Tango: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000068Q1X
Release Date: 2002-07-23

Tracks:

Adios Nonino
Libertango
Buenos Aires hora cero
Tres minutos con la realidad
Verano Porteno
Doble concierto para Bandoneon, Guitarra y Orquesta de Cuerdos - "Hommage a Liege" Tango
Vuelvo al Sur
Tanguedia III
Milonga del Angel
Concierto de Nacar 3rd mvt allegro marcato
Decarissimo
Duo de Amor
Ballada para un loco
November 1987 - Opus
July 1987 - Les Trottoirs de Buenos Aires - Euphonia Argentina
March 21, 1981 - Interactualites

Customer Reviews:

a must have for all the Piazzollists.......2004-06-23

This is one of my favorite Piazzolla recordings. Be ready to embarke on a beautiful journey through Europe and Argentina. For the pluralists Piazzolla's language is the Lingua-Franca !

Average customer rating:

Crossing the Stone

Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00009L81Y
Release Date: 2004-02-23

Tracks:

Mountain Dance
Harpers Bizarre
James
Crossing The Stone (Tros Y Garreg)
Prelude From Partita No.3
Third Movement From Electric Counterpoint
Eternal Dream
The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba From Solomon
Cafe Vamp Latino
Spain
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Clair De Lune
Prelude In C/Ave Maria
Thingamujig
Suo Gan
Palladio (1st Movement)

Album Description

At only 23 years old Catrin Finch is already being called the finest harpist in the world. Catrin is Harpist to HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales (Catrin herself is a native of the Principality). Crossing the Stone is Catrin's first album for a major label, & is produced & arranged by fellow Welshman Karl Jenkins. The music on Crossing the Stone comes from the worlds of jazz, classical & world music, making it much more than 'just another harp recital'. 16 tracks. Sony Classical. 2003.

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Live at the BBC 1989

Manufacturer: Intuition
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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La Camorra

ASIN: B0000062PR
Release Date: 1998-03-03

Tracks:

Tanguedia III
Milonga del Angel
Sex-Tet
Michelangelo
Mumuki
Tango Zero Hour
Adios Nonino
Tres Minutos Con La Realidad

Average customer rating:

The Essential Tangos

Manufacturer: Manteca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000AVSXG
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

Los Suenos Part II
Libertango
Milonga Del Angel
Muerte Del Angel
Resurreccion Del Angel
Duo De Amor
Nuevo Tango
Caliente
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Tanguedia I
Adios Nonino
Vuelvo Al Sur

Average customer rating:

Tango: An Anthology

Manufacturer: Channel Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000008O2S
Release Date: 1995-01-01

Tracks:

Punalada
Cumparsita
Guardia Vieja
Palomita Blanca
Milonga de Mis Amores
Garua
Sur
Trampera
Taquito Militar
Jacinto Chiclana
Preparense
Lo Que Vendr
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Caf930
Night Club 1960

Average customer rating:

Magitian of melody
Magitian of melody
A Command Performance
Superb recording of Piazzolla live in BA

Concierto de Nacar

Manufacturer: Milan Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Argentina | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Tango | Latin Music | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000015O4
Release Date: 1997-11-11

Tracks:

Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Vardarito
Fuga Y Misterio
Verano Porteno
Concierto De Nacar Para Nueve Tanguistas Y Orquesta Filarmonica (Tres Movimientos)
Concierto Para Bandoneon, Piano Cuerdas Y Percusion (Tres Movimientos)
Adios Nonino
Bis De Adios Nonino

Amazon.com essential recording

Concierto de Nácar offers a wide-angle vantage on Astor Piazzolla's long, creatively fertile career. First, the 1983 concert took place at Buenos Aires's classical venue of choice, the Teatro Colón; and second, the ensemble made a bridge between the early 1970s Conjunto 9 and Piazzolla's later, smaller groups. The nonet, buoyed by two violinists, Fernando Suárez Paz and Hugo Baralis, was also enlarged to include percussionist Enrique Roizner, who gives the music a polyrhythmic flooring that energizes and rounds out the harmonic richness of multiple strings and Piazzolla's bandoneon. The fullness of sound stands in contrast to Piazzolla's leaner essentials, Tango Zero Hour and the Vienna Concert, offering orchestral breadth and depth and even making the strings alone sound liquidly polyrhythmic. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Magitian of melody.......2002-04-19

During 40 years I have been loved Maestro Astor Piazzolla who has
tried musical revolution in Tango Argentina.
Our one of Tango Musician who can play "Bandoneon" as Piazzolla
written Piazzolla's History and especially his composed music
along the historically.
I think that he was a kind of genious for melody not only Tango Argentina but Movie Title music also.
When he said that Live Concert in Japan around 1979-1980 it was
fantastic one and all member consists of Quinteto were excellent.
However,unfortunatelly these live concert did not recorded.
Therefore, I have decided to collect as much as possible especially,Piazzolla's Live Concert Album.
This time I can add new his album for my collection it will be
wonderful moment.
Isao Ozaki,Tokyo,Japan.

Magitian of melody.......2002-04-19

A Command Performance.......2000-12-05

I've never been an aficionado of Piazzolla's "live" albums, most are far too drawn out and repetitive. But as a loyal fan, I give every recording a chance to speak to me. When I bought Concierto de Nacar, I was initially ambivalent towards it; I liked the songs I was familiar with but wasn't so sure about the two conciertos offered here for the first time. Recently I put it back on while doing paperwork in the office and couldn't get enough of it. Piazzolla didn't record much with his Conjunto 9, so this is a very important CD for those following his musical odyssey. The performance here is inspired, the execution is tight. While the entire album can be considered a highlight, the peaks are a spellbinding rendition of Fuga y Misterio, yet another take on Verano Porteno, the dreamy Vardarito, and the CD's showpieces, the two concerts composed especially for this event. Concierto de Nacar is yet another command performance by Astor Piazzolla and as such deserves a place in every Piazzolla fan's CD rotation.

Superb recording of Piazzolla live in BA.......2000-04-07

This is a superb cd of Piazzolla and his famed Cojunto 9. He has his usual instrumental lineup from his quintet--Pablo Ziegler on piano and Fernando Suarez Paz on violin, then adds another violin, viola, cello and percussion.

Buenos Aires Hora Cero is the first track, and is extended and opened up to more ideas--the bass line isn't exactly the same throughout the piece, and the main themes return in different voices. The intro to Adios Nonino is done by Piazzolla himself, rather than the usual intro by Ziegler.