Piazzolla: Maria de Buenos Aries Operita

I came across a sample track of this "tango operita" when it was released in 1998 but have only just tracked down a copy - thirteen years later! It was worth the wait. The whole piece covers two CDs but is a most enjoyable experience from beginning to end. Horacio Ferrer's libretto is rather dense and surreal but seems just right in combination with Piazzolla's music arranged here by Leonid Desyatnikov. The key to the success of this account of the piece is the quality and committment of the forces all of whom are excellent. Ferrer's narrative combined with the wonderfully moody singing of Julia Zenko and the instumentalists of whom Gidon Kremer is a crucial part make the piece - a kind of cabaret opera - really involving and atmospheric. It is a piece that continues to reverberate in the memory and can be confidently recommended in this performance to anyone wishing to experience something slightly different.

Piazzolla without guitar? definitely not the same! earlier recordings of this piece feature some great guitarists and the instrument is, for me, an integral part of the sound - not the best choice of disc...

Wonderful music