This is first album of the
young Montenegrin guitarist Miloš Karadaglić that I’ve heard. I was
half anticipating to be disappointed, to find another over-advertised
“star” touted by publicity for the good looks and youth. Instead, I was
impressed by the subtle and mature performances - first rate in every
sense. Put me on the list of Miloš fans, for he won me over.
The programme is aimed at both the “classical” and the “popular”
crowds, and presents a good mixture taken from both worlds, without
becoming a crossover disk. It has a few “golden tunes” (just look at
the list of the opening tracks from
Libertango to
Somos
Novios) but even such “easy shots” won’t work for you if you
don’t work for them. This guitarist does not go for a cheap ride on the
backs of well-loved numbers, but gives us a thoughtful presentation,
where each next piece seems to outdo the one before it. It is difficult
to stop listening. The fast numbers have good drive and energy, while
the slow ones are lyrical and contemplative. The arrangements are done
inventively, and so one meets new delights in the places where one
expected to see just the old familiar faces.
So many albums these years open with another arrangement of
Libertango.
How a plucking instrument can possibly sing this long-noted melody?
Well, it
doesn’t.
The guitar unselfishly gives the stage to violin and accordion, who do
the
singing,
but the guitar definitely sets the colors. The arrangement is raw, the
pulse
is
strong, Piazzolla’s dark passion throbs, and I wish it all lasted
longer.
In a similar way, in
Por una cabeza the long notes
of the refrain are
given
to the orchestral violins. This may reduce the “guitarism” of
the
disc, but it is good for the presentation of the music, and that’s
what
I like here: it is a showcase for the music, not just for the
guitarist.
Overall,
the arrangements with orchestra are elegant and are not overdone.
Quizás,
quizás, quizás is realized as a tender rumba, swaying
sensually.
In
Oblivion the guitar drops the notes, which hang
in the air like
involuntary
tears. This track is the closest one to the oozing love songs
à
la
Fausto Papetti, mostly because of the glossy orchestral strings; it
almost
turns
into Legrand’s
Les parapluies de Cherbourg.
Miloš’s abilities are better shown in the numbers
sans
orchestra.
The sound of the guitar is full and well captured; the extra-musical
squeaks
are
rare and hardly noticeable, and the guitarist does not pause in the
face of
complex
chords. He has good control over dynamic nuances and subtle shades,
which
makes
pieces like
Somos Novios really breathe. Guitar is
great at creating
the
gloomy atmosphere of a rainy autumnal evening, and the right mood is
set in
De
Ushuaia a la Quiaca,
Un día de noviembre
and Villa
Lobos’
Prelude. He is good in Barrios’ pearly
tremolos. Ponce’s
Chanson
is tired and pensive. There are happy, energetic numbers like
Sávio’s
Batucada, but most of the album is couched
in hushed tones. Even
bright
pieces like
Libertango or
Quizás, quizás
start
with
soft introductions. There are works that become instant friends, like
the
cool
and bouncy
Danza brasilera by Morel; there are
works that bring
instant
awe, like Cardoso’s exquisite
Milonga, a tender,
sad gem.
The high point of the album is Villa Lobos’
Cantilena
where the guitar assumes the role of all the cellos, and Anna Prohaska
sings magically. It makes for expressive and intimate musicmaking.
Prohaska’s voice is captured beautifully by the recording engineers. In
the last track, with a wink, the guitarist reminds us about the
starting point of all Latin music: Spain. It is a short and effective
arrangement of Ravel’s
Bolero, which serves as a
big exclamation mark to end the programme.
This album recycles much from this musician's previous album
Latino,
with some contents dropped, some re-factored (
Libertango
gets a new arrangement with accordion) and some added (the new album
has about 20 additional minutes of good music). Overall, I liked this
disc. The arrangements of the popular songs are done in a sensitive and
musically engaging way. The guitarist is devoted and persuasive, with
evident good taste and style. He approaches more “serious” works with
reverence yet without servility. The acoustics are exemplary. The
booklet is rather commercial, with more poise than content, but this
should probably be expected.
Oleg Ledeniov
See also review by Byzantion
Track listing
Ástor PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992)
Libertango* (arr. C.Israel, S.Goss &
K.Sidorova) [3:01]
Jorge BEN (b.1942)
Mas que nada (arr. S.Assad) [3:08]
Consuelo VELÁZQUEZ (1920-2005)
Bésame mucho (arr. S.Assad) [3:29]
Antônio Carlos JOBIM (1927-1994)
The Girl from Ipanema (arr. S.Assad) [3:19]
Armando MANZANERO (b.1935)
Somos Novios (arr. S.Assad) [4:07]
Gustavo SANTAOLALLA (b.1951)
De Ushuaia a la Quiaca (arr. S.Goss) [3:23]
Isaías SÁVIO (1900-1977)
Batucada [3:00]
Jorge MOREL (b.1931)
Danza brasilera [3:15]
Heitor VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Prelude No.1 in E minor [4:35]
Jorge CARDOSO (b.1949)
Milonga [4:48]
Roland DYENS (b.1955)
Tango en skaï [2:27]
Carlos GARDEL (1890-1935)
Por una cabeza* (arr. C.Israel &
S.Goss) [2:38]
Agustín BARRIOS MANGORÉ (1885-1944)
Un sueño en la floresta [7:22]
Heitor VILLA-LOBOS
Aria (Cantilena) from Bachianas brasileiras
No.5 [5:42]
Leo BROUWER (b.1939)
Un día de noviembre [4:29]
Osvaldo FARRÉS (1903-1985)
Quizás, quizás, quizás* (arr. C.Israel
&
S.Goss)
[3:16]
Ástor PIAZZOLLA
Oblivion* (arr. C.Israel & S.Goss)
[4:17]
Manuel PONCE (1882-1948)
Scherzino mexicano [2:47]
Chanson (Andante from Sonata III) [4:10]
Agustín BARRIOS MANGORÉ
Una limosna por el amor de Dios (
El
último
trémolo)
[3:24]
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Boléro* (arr. S.Baker & S.Goss)
[3:02]