You might have thought that the train for Piazzolla recordings
by classical musicians had left quite a while ago. However the
Artemis Quartet are tangoing their way into the tasteful crossover
limelight with their latest disc on Virgin Classics: “The
Piazzolla Project”. The name reminds me of something pompous
the Emerson Quartet might do, but the content is of such quality
that the transcriptions for Piano Quintet, Piano Trio, and String
Quartet are good listening any time, unfazed by the coming and
going of tango fads. It had to be done now, too, because before
long the Quatuor Èbéne,
fresh on Virgin, will want to record similar crossover material
with which they
already
regale audiences.
It’s all there: Estaciones Porteñas, Piazzolla’s
homage to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. La Muere del Angel and
the rest of the Angel Suite, which everyone has played, from
Emanuel Ax (with Pablo Ziegler), to Gidon
Kremer, to the 12
Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic. Fuga y Misterio (from “Maria
di Buenos Aires”), that has been brought to us by the likes
of LAGQ and
Imani Winds. None of that gets old, because it’s fabulous
music.
The Concierto para quinteto, the one rarely recorded work,
is the most charming of them all. And while the Artemis Quartet
and wonderful pianist Jacques Ammon interpret and play Piazzolla
in a way that remains solidly in the classical concert realm,
their passion and virtuosity brings them close to the free-wheeling,
almost improvisatory spirit that lies at the core of the music.
Among the classical-Piazzolla discs I most cherish are Barenboim’s “Mi
Buenos Aires Querido” and Josep Pons’ orchestral
disc on Harmonia
Mundi. The Artemis Quartet, led by their long time Piazzolla
adoring and performing cellist Eckart Runge, has a good shot
at joining them.
Jens F Laurson
Artemis Quartet; Jacques Ammon
(piano) 
