Argentine Cello
More than Piazzolla alone: seven Argentine composers shape a cello-and-piano programme of tango, pampas colour and lyric nationalism, played by Zoe Knighton and Amir Farid.
Alberto Ginastera composer
José Bragato composer
Juan María Solare composer
Juan Carlos Cobián composer
Carlos Guastavino composer
Constantino Gaito composer
Pierre Fournier transcription
This recording grew from a shared love of Argentine music, the tango, and playing together. Threads of Italian–Argentine connection and the Pampas run through the programme, from Ginastera’s Pampeana No. 2 and Bragato’s Graciela y Buenos Aires to Solare, Cobián, Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango, Guastavino’s song, and Gaito’s romantic cello sonata.
The pairing treats concert works and tango-rooted pieces as one expressive field, with warmth, rhythmic bite and a clear sense of place.
This CD has been the result of a joint love of Argentine music, a love of the tango and a love of playing together. We have so enjoyed this repertoire and each time we visit these pieces, we feel more attached to them. There are some threads running through our choice of repertoire – the first being an ongoing connection between Europe (specifically Italy) and Argentina. Vincenzo Piazzolla (Astor’s father) is quoted by his son as saying that all the best tango composers come from South Italy. We also follow a geographical thread with the region in Argentina known as the Pampas. Quite often, specific places give rise to a wealth of inspiration and it seems this region has done just that.
Reviews
I like this! Argentine tangos played by a pair of Australians. Talk about down to earth and under! I think this is actually the first time I have run across a whole disc of tango-related pieces from Argentina. There are a couple of song transcriptions along the way, but they all have some form of that rhythm behind them. Even the sonata by Constantino Gaito (1878-1945), though its first two movements are in three, has the rhythm of the tango in the final one. The variety in this program is such that one never feels oppressed. Each of these composers has something different to say, and Knighton and Farid are in love with the idiom and it shows. (The performers) are very musical and play with warmth and sensitivity, and they are recorded resonantly and clearly.
Artists who baulk at the challenge of filling up an entire CD with music might do worse than listen to all 74 minutes of this one, with its two players tackling a repertoire of great expressive scope… Knighton and Farid make a sensitive and attentive duo.
A persuasive partnership … elegant and warm-blooded.
Artists
Zoe Knighton
Zoe Knighton is at the forefront of a new generation of performers intent on forging an innovative path for the enjoyment of classical music. A founding member of Flinders Quartet, she is a leading Melbourne cellist and chamber musician.
Amir Farid
Amir Farid has been described as a highly creative musician – a pianist of great intelligence and integrity who brings strong musical substance to all that he does, imbuing it with his own experience and understanding, and who distinguishes himself for all the right reasons.
Astor Piazzolla
Astor Piazzolla turned the tango into something sharper, more restless and chamber-like. His nuevo tango draws jazz harmony and classical counterpoint into the dance without blunting its edge.
Alberto Ginastera
Alberto Ginastera’s music pulls Argentine folk and gaucho tradition into classical form: dances and songs of direct national colour give way to later scores where those roots turn abstract, fierce and rhapsodic.
Carlos Guastavino
Carlos Guastavino wrote hundreds of songs for voice and piano that stay tonal and lushly romantic, coloured by Argentine folk music. Favourites such as La rosa y el sauce and Se equivocó la paloma still turn up in recital and in chamber transcriptions.
Audio previews
Tracks
- Pampeana No. 2 Rapsodia para violoncello y piano Alberto Ginastera 9:04
- Triste Alberto Ginastera Arr: Pierre Fournier 3:43
- Graciela y Buenos Aires José Bragato 8:38
- Tengo un Tango Juan María Solare 5:13
- Nómade Juan María Solare 3:57
- Talismán Juan María Solare 2:54
- La Casita de mis Viejos Juan Carlos Cobián 5:06
- Le Grand Tango Astor Piazzolla 12:54
- La rosa y el sauce Carlos Guastavino 3:24
- i. Allegro moderato 6:01
- ii. Andante sostenuto 7:19
- iii. Allegro moderato 5:44
Sonata for cello and piano Constantino Gaito
Performers
Composer
Contributors
Photography
Aidan Barrett
Where to listen
Argentine Cello is available for streaming through Spotify and Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.
Argentine Cello is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.
Product details
- Catalogue number
- MD 3347
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 73 minutes 57 seconds
- Recording Engineer
- Vaughan McAlley
- Editing Engineer
- Vaughan McAlley
- Mastering Engineer
- Martin Wright
- Venue
- Move Records Studio
- Thanks to
- Penelope Witt
Richard Gubbins - Credit
- Aidan Barrett
- Release date
- 2011
- Musical work
copyright - © 2011 Move Records
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ 2011 Move Records
- Categories
- Classical, Cross-cultural
- Genres
- World & Cross-cultural, Contemporary Classical
- Barcode
- EAN 9314574334722
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