PIAZZOLLA: L’Histoire du Tango; Oblivion: M.D. PUJOL: Triptico Porteno: GISMONTI: Agua e Vinho: DE FALLA: Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas; Danza Espanola No1 (from La Vida Breve): PERAMO: Cuatro Piezas en Estilo Tradicional Cubano: TROILO: Una Cancion
Doris Orsan (violin) and Johannes Tonio Kreusch (Guitar)
GLM Music GmbH: FM 232-2
Here is a lovely varied mixture of pieces and composers and also including two world premieres from this talented duo.
It begins with Astor Piazzolla’s four – movement L’Histoire de Tango, originally written for Flute and Guitar, but it works fine on the violin and all the very different four movements sound effortless in this duo’s hands. The first premier is next and is Maximo Diego Pujol’s Triptico Porteno written for this duo. Argentinen Pujol has written many fine works for the guitar and this latest work is full of character, inhabiting much of the Argentinean character in all of its writing, and is a beautiful and substantial piece for this combination. Piazzolla’s moving tribute to his father Oblivion follows, and is one of those lovely melodies that stay with you, and the ways the violin soars up to the heights of the melody is something not to be missed. Equally beautiful is Gismonti’s haunting and sadly reflective and again both the instruments capture the atmosphere so well again here. With Manuel De Falla’s seven Spanish Popular Songs, originally for Soprano and Piano, we are in a more optimistic mood, beginning with the catchy El Pano Moruno, the very fast – fingered Seguidilla Murciana, that works so well on guitar before getting to the moody and reflective Asturiana. The following Jota is every bit as joyful and extrovert as one requires for this fabulous piece, whilst Nana‘s sad melody and often harmonic notes in its accompaniment sound like it was written for this combination. The Cancion is almost a dance rather than a song, and again works ever so well, and is altogether lovely, whilst the final Polo provides a suitably up – beat close, making this set one of the best on this recording, and one to return to again and again. De Falla’s famous Danza Espanola No1 from La Vida Breve is perhaps the most well – known of the pieces here and has been arranged for many different ensembles, but definitely does not suffer here as both players fly around their instruments in such a natural way that does not make you think at all that you are listening to an arrangement. Tulio Peramo’s Cuatro Piezas en Estilo Tradicional Cubano are a Contradanza, a Habanera, A Son, and finally a Danzon Breve, and are every bit as catchy and fun as you might think.
The final work is the other Premiere and is Anibal Triolo (Pichuco)’s Una Cancion. Another Bandoneon player like Astor Piazzolla, this piece proves equally that his work sounds absolutely wonderful on violin and guitar and it makes for a lovely and fitting close to what is a completely successful and lovely recording of wonderful music played by this very talented pairing. This is definitely a CD to treasure!
Chris Dumigan