Astor Piazzolla: El Tango

The title of this recording is misleading because only eight of the eleven pieces were actually written by Piazzolla. And, those of you that like your music sans vocals, you will be disappointed to learn that two of the eight pieces by Piazzolla are sung and one is narrated leaving only five Piazzolla instrumentals.

The vocal pieces are inappropriate and break the spell of this recording and are not even sung in Spanish. As a matter of fact, the "Preludio Para El Ano" was translated from Spanish to Italian so that the diva would be able to sing in her native language! The other French vocal piece is also loud and obnoxious.

If you can get this cheap then do so because two pieces by Piazzolla, "Pachouli" and "Milonga Per Tre" are exquisite as is "Los Mareados" by Juan Cobian.

At 51 minutes, the skimpiest of the recordings chronicling Kremer's voyage across the music of Astor Piazzolla.

Tango elicits numerous responses and everyone has special things they like abou the music and the dance. Indeed, one could say that Tango is a culture and world unto itself and Piazzolla is the ruling god on high. His works made Tango accessible to the rest of the world and bridged the gap between it and other types of music (jazz, classical, popular).

This is an individual interpretation - but then what recording is not? The details are stunning in their brilliance, the tension a counterpoint to the dreamy melodic line. The pace never seems hurried and each line is extended to the breaking point. Especially appreciated are the vocal recordings since so many times we forget that Tango was - and is - primarily a song of temptation. Buy it.

This has to be considered a very impressive CD. The music has been very carefully arranged, the variety of the pieces, the contributions of each one of the musicians, the rapport between them and the excitement that this CD brings are memorable.

While my rating does not reflect in any way the talent of the artists on this cd, it does reflect my impressions of the performances. The album does not capture the excitement and the tension of Piazzolla's bands. Unless you have all of Piazzolla's work and need to hear other interpretations of it, I would reccomend buying something by Piazzolla's band such as: Concert in Central Park, Tango:Zero Hour, La Camorra or The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night.

Simply one of the best cd's I have heard. The music is wonderful, the performers beyond belief. A superb performance of Piazzola, and if you like this cd you'd also love Kremers other Piazzola cd, Homage a Piazzola. El Tango also has some very entertaining vocal selections, and a truly beautiful version of Milonga per Tre, and a very upbeat and lively version of Michelangelo 70.