Piazzolla on Mandolin

[mlinkins]

I'm thinking it might be nice to have a thread specifically devoted to the music of Astor Piazzolla performed on mandolin (or mandolin-family instruments). (If such a thing already exists somewhere on the cafe, my apologies.)

Please feel free to post your performances (solo or ensemble) of any Piazzolla pieces.

I'm going to start the thread with two Piazzolla pieces arranged and performed by members of the Philadelphia Mandolin Ensemble from one of our recent concerts. Libertango is arranged for mandolin orchestra and Oblivion is arranged for mandolin orchestra and soprano vocalise.

[crisscross]

Alas, it's not me performing, but there are some Youtube clips of Piazolla's "Histoire du Tango" , which was originally composed for flute and guitar.
Cafe 1930 by Duo Romanesca
Nightclub 1960 by Detlef Tewes & Frank Gerstmeier
Bordel 1900 by YH Chen& Dong
The fourth movement is "Concert d'aujourd'hui", which is more contemporary music than actual tango.

[Themis Paraskevas]

[Alex Timmerman]

Hi mr. mlinkins,

That's a nice idea! Here is a controbution to this topic by the Dutch Mandolin Chamber Orchestra HET CONSORT.


Enjoy Piazzolla's Libertango and best greetngs from the Netherlands,
Alex.

[mlinkins]

Just a quick note about the 2 pieces I posted of the Philadelphia Mandolin Ensemble. The recording engineer for both pieces (from a live concert) was Brad Zabelski of Traveling Tracks (located in southern New Jersey). In addition to being a wonderful recording engineer, Brad is classical mandolinist. It's pretty nice to have a recording engineer who really knows the mandolin!

[Alex Timmerman]

Bi all, Here is another composition by Astor Piazzolla; 'Café 1930' in a setting for mandolin and harp (arranged and) performed by Ferdinand Binnendijk & Annegreet Rouw.

The video was made during the 'Ferdinand Binnendijk & Friends Concert' on Sunday, December 11th, 2011, in the Park Hall of the MUSIS SACRUM in Arnhem, Netherlands. A concert in the Concert Series KLASSIEK OPEN PODIUM made possible by the Stichting Vrienden van Kamermuziek Arnhem, MUSIS SACRUM and the prestigeous Dutch PRINCESS CHRISTINA MUSIC CONTEST of wich Ferdinand Binnendijk was the 1st prize winner in the category Music Highschool/Conservatory Students .

Ferdinand Binnendijk and Annegreet Rouw are both students of the ArtEZ Music Highschool / Conservatory in the Netherlands.

Enjoy!

[crisscross]

Thanks for posting that. Of the four movements of "Histoire", Café is my favourite. Nice to hear the guitar part played on a harp.
And the mandolin player is just great!

[Alex Timmerman]

Hi all,

Here is Piazzolla's wonderful 'Invierno Porteno' (Winter) performed by the Dutch Mandolin Chamber Orchestra Het CONSORT during the 2010 Festival of the Dutch Mandolin Union in Amsterdam (2010)

The Invierno Porteno was composed in 1970 as the third Tango of the Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas also known as The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.
The other three Tangos in this cycle are Verano Porteño (1964 - Buenos Aires Summer), Otoño Porteño (1969 - Buenos Aires Autumn) and Primavera Porteña (1970 - Buenos Aires Spring).

Although Piazzolla composed each of the four Tangos seperately and at first not as a Suite of music that belonged together, he did perform them together every now and then. Piazzolla composed the Four Seasons for his own quintet that was compiled of a violin (viola), a piano, an electric guitar, a double bass and a bandoneon.

I hope you'll enjoy the video!


Greetings,

Alex.

[mlinkins]

Thanks, Alex, for sharing this. Beautiful piece and wonderful arrangement and performance!

[Themis Paraskevas]

Umm I posted the wrong video, albeniz not piazzola. please delete my previous comment.

[Alex Timmerman]

Hia all,

And here is yet another tango, 'Oblivion' by Astor Piazzolla, arranged for and performed by the Dutch Mandolin Chamber Orchestra HET CONSORT.
Piazzolla composed it in 1982 after which it immediately became one of his most loved compositions. Not in the least because it was also used for the soundtrack of Marco Bellochio's film 'Henry IV, the Mad King' it has also become one of his most famous and beautiful works work in which love and tragedy are mixed into a rather melancholic and emotional language. Really special!


Enjoy and best greetings,

Alex.

[mlinkins]

Hi, everyone,

Alex: Beautiful arrangement and performance of "Oblivion"!

Piazzolla did two rather different versions of this piece - one for his regular combo and one for oboe solo and symphony orchestra. While the melody and the entire bridge (major key section) are pretty much the same in each version, the harmonic structure/accompaniment in the A-section is quite different in each version. The HET version uses the combo version as a point of reference.

The Philadelphia Mandolin Ensemble version is based upon the orchestral version with solo oboe. That version also features vocalise (vocal w/out words) doing the melody on the A-section. I like the tonal contrast between the voice and mando.

I also love the HET version with the entire 1st mando section playing the solo part in unison. The section's phrasing and dynamics are really gorgeous and beautifully in synch!

[Alex Timmerman]

Hi all,


I'd nearly forgotten, but there is this great piece, 'La Muerte del Angel' by Astor Piazzolla too!

Enjoy!

[Jairo Ramos]

Two versions of the beautiful "Adiós Nonino"...



A great solo with bandolim