Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992), though born in Argentina, grew up in New York. He first heard tangos performed at their finest at the age of 13, when Carlos Gardel, a major exponent of the form, visited the United States. Piazzolla returned to Argentina in 1937, performing in leading tango bands and creating his own orchestra. Seeking wider horizons he studied composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. From this time Piazzolla introduced new rhythms and harmonies into the tango, a development which ultimately won him worldwide fame.
Astor PIAZZOLLA (1921–1992)
Music for Guitar
Tango-Études
Cinco piezas • Tango Suite *
Yuri Liberzon, Piotr Pakhomkin *, GuitarsAstor Piazzolla’s introduction of new rhythms and harmonies into the tango won him worldwide fame. Tango Suite, for two guitars, is one of the finest duo works in the repertoire, offering fireworks and percussive effects as well as exquisite melancholy. Yuri Liberzon has arranged the much-loved Oblivion for guitar, while Leo Brouwer’s arrangement of La muerte del ángel is full of vivacity and colour. Cinco piezas was Piazzolla’s first work for classical guitar and embraces peasant dances and complex cross-rhythms alike; the Tango-Études, originally for flute, shows the guitar’s range and versatility in Manuel Barrueco’s idiomatic arrangement.
Tango No. 1: Allegro, libero
Internationally acclaimed guitarist and recording artist Yuri Liberzon was born in Novosibirsk, Russia and raised in Israel. He has given countless concerts across the United States, alongside numerous appearances in international media. While in Israel, Liberzon studied with Yaron Hasson, and was the recipient of multiple America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships and grants. In 2000, he relocated to the US to continue his studies, subsequently earning a Master of Music from Yale University. Liberzon is endorsed by Royal Classics Strings and is a professor of guitar at California State University Stanislaus.
Guitarist Piotr Pakhomkin has performed and given masterclasses across Europe, Central America and the United States. He was awarded First Prize at the 2012 International Guitar Competition in Culiacán, Mexico, and took top prizes at the Boston GuitarFest and Montreal international guitar competitions. As the winner of the 2016 Respighi Prize, he made his Carnegie Hall debut in the Chamber Orchestra of New York's Masterworks Series in 2018. He is currently a professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus in Germany.
Bandoneón Concerto, ‘Aconcagua’
Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas
Binelli • Yang
Nashville Symphony Orchestra
Guerrero
– ClassicsToday.com
Liarmakopoulos
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★
– The WholeNote
Draugsvoll • Rasmussen
– Fanfare
To browse the complete Naxos guitar and lute catalogue, follow this link.