Argentinian born Feidman
comes from a family of Klezmer musicians
and is one himself; it shows in his
treatment of these Piazzolla pieces.
His clarinet soars and dives in a magical
way that makes each track a real experience.
I am not clear whether these particular
pieces were written to be played this
way. Was that what drew him to performing
them or is it just his particular treatment
of them? Whatever the answers this approach
makes these pieces infinitely listenable.
Piazzolla was born
near Buenos Aires, in 1921. He is the
man responsible for dragging the tango
out of the bordellos, having it accepted
in the world’s concert halls and purging
it of the watered down bastardised state
it had fallen into in the years following
the second world war. It was his father
who set the young Piazzolla on his musical
course by having him take piano lessons
at ten and buying him his first instrument
– a bandoneon. The bandoneon is a quintessentially
Argentinian relative of the concertina
- the ‘voice’ that makes the music of
the tango so irresistible.
Seeing the great populariser
of the tango Carlos Gardel in New York,
where he was living, changed Piazzolla’s
life. Gardel, who had already heard
of the young and talented ex-pat, invited
him to join his orchestra. Returning
to Buenos Aires Piazzolla played with
many tango bands and brought innovation
to them all. He started his own orchestra
in 1946 but was so frustrated by its
reception that he left for Paris where,
encouraged by such people as Nadia Boulanger,
he set about introducing aspects of
modern jazz, classical music and the
music of Latin American folklore into
his tango compositions. Piazzolla finally
won the recognition he and his music
deserved in Paris but it didn’t win
acceptance in his homeland until the
1960s. It is hoped that someone else
will take on his mantle so that this
wonderfully evocative music does not
slip back into stagnation and pastiche.
Certainly such people as Feidman are
making a major contribution towards
ensuring that this does not happen.
This disc is a perfect
example of all the influences Piazzolla
brought to bear on tango; every track
is a delight. Feidman is accompanied
by Raul Jaurena on bandoneon and the
South West German Chamber Orchestra
of Pforzheim conducted with verve and
commitment by Vladislav Czarnecki.
Thoroughly recommended!
Steve Arloff
Giora Feidman: clarinet and bass clarinet (Track
10)