Listen & tracks
4 works · 60:06
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1 Tango Waltz (2018) Ken Herrera 5:47
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Suite (2013)Ken Herrera 4 movements16:17
- 2 i. Allegro 4:02
- 3 ii. Allegro 2:27
- 4 iii. Andantino 5:42
- 5 iv. Presto 4:06
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6 Third Nocturne (2012) Ken Herrera 4:56
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Tango Fantasy (2016)Ken Herrera 5 movements33:06
- 7 i. Andante – Allegro – Allegretto – Presto 11:19
- 8 ii. Vals – Allegro vivo 5:04
- 9 iii. Milonga – Presto 5:24
- 10 iv. Andantino 5:36
- 11 v. Presto 5:43
Ken Herrera’s Tango Fantasy is a luscious journey through Latin rhythms and harmonies.
It opens with the driving power of his Tango Waltz. The pianist and composer then takes a side road through the Baroque undertones of the Suite, before returning to South America with the swaying yet elegant Third Nocturne, a piece that combines bossa nova and blues to sumptuous effect.
We return to Argentina with the powerful five-movement Tango Fantasy that headlines the disc – an emotionally intense distillation of classical piano and tango that should have you itching to get out on the dance floor.
In the artist’s words
While I was happy with my first attempt at a tango waltz (which appears later on this disc as part of the Tango Fantasy), I felt I could get closer to that difficult-to-define something which makes a tango waltz different from other waltzes. I’m confident that this piece proves I was right. The driving waltz beat is there, but there’s also that extra rhythmic kick to grab you by your Argentinian bootstraps and propel you onto the dance floor.
One strand of my composing continues to be music that can be played by amateurs, but which is more interesting than much of what is written for learners. The Suite was originally intended to be for intermediate pianists, but I’m afraid the music ran away from me somewhat and there are some quite thorny passages for the player here. The model for the piece is the Baroque keyboard suite, such as those of J. S. Bach.
A nocturne is a piece for the night. That’s a very broad definition which can encompass any number of moods, so I’ve made it my goal in my series of nocturnes to make each one as different as possible from its fellows. For the third nocturne, the night we are talking about is clearly a sultry, tropical one in which cocktails and dancing are involved. The rhythm of the piece seesaws between Brazilian bossa nova and something closer to blues, in both cases allowing the player a lot of freedom.
Perhaps the fantasy in ‘Tango Fantasy’ refers to the idea that I would one day be able to dance the tango. In fact, after many years and many beginner classes, I’ve decided that I’m fundamentally unteachable. This has not stopped me loving the music however, and this longer work allows me to explore several of the different tango forms.
Artists
Ken Herrera
piano
Ken Herrera is an Australian pianist and composer. His solo piano music embraces melody and a wide span of colour, from flamenco and tango to French impressionism and Middle Eastern inflection.
Digital booklet
Digital booklet Notes, texts and credits — read online or download the PDF Download the PDFPerformers
- Ken Herrera · piano
Technical credits
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Recording Engineer
Martin Wright
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Editing Engineer
Vaughan McAlley
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Venue
Move Records Studio
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Credit
Ken Herrera
Martin Wright
Mirza Becukic
Details
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 60 minutes 6 seconds
- Release date
- 8 Aug 2023
- Category
- Classical
- Musical work copyright
- © 2023 Ken Herrera
- Sound recording copyright
- ℗ 2023 Move Records
- Catalogue
- MCD 649
- EAN
- 9314574064926
More to explore
Aurora Borealis
Pianist and composer Ken Herrera draws inspiration from across the world and the full colour of the musical spectrum. Embracing melody and meaning, he charts an independent course in contemporary waters.
Tales from the Dead Sea
Melbourne composer and pianist Ken Herrera's music draws together an extraordinary range of influences, from savage flamenco to delicate French impressionism, and from Middle Eastern and North African improvisation to the impassioned playing of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner.