Ástor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Café 1930
Ave Maria (Tanti anni prima) (1984)
Suite del Ángel (1962-1965)
Histoire du Tango (1985)
Oblivion (1982)
Finale (Tango Apasionado) (1987)
Escualo (1979)
Daniel Matejča (violin), Martin Šulc (accordion)
rec. 2024, Domovina Studio, Prague, Czech Republic
Supraphon SU 4355-2 [57]
Young Czech violinist Daniel Matejča, not yet 20 when he recorded this, has already made a name for himself on disc. This is his fourth recording for Supraphon. Earlier discs included concertos by Shostakovich and Prokofiev, Ysaÿe’s solo sonatas, and works for violin and piano (review). Now he is partnered in music of Ástor Piazzolla with another young Czech musician, 25-years-old accordionist Martin Šulc.
While it is common to hear Piazzolla’s tangos performed by the instruments of the quintet he founded, they work equally well in the hands of these two musicians. Indeed, I find the intimacy of some of the quieter music here quite captivating. They also rise to the occasion in the more boisterous pieces.
The principal works on the disc are two suites. Suite del Ángel comprises Introducción al Ángel, Milonga del Ángel, La Muerte del Ángel and Resurrección del Ángel. Histoire du Tango consists of Bordel 1900, Café 1930, Nightclub 1960 and Concert d’aujourd’hui; originally composed for flute and guitar, it depict the tango’s historical development. The suites are surrounded by four shorter pieces.
The programme opens with Ave Maria, first heard in Marco Bellocchio’s 1984 film Henry IV and written for the part of the queen. In this soothing and expressive setting of the Latin prayer, the violin and accordion are scored as equals. The Czech duo perform it well.
Three other short works follow the suite. Oblivion is a melancholic song, one of Piazzolla’s best known and frequently played pieces. Finale (Tango Apasionado) is from a stage work commissioned by INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, a reflection of the composer’s belief in destiny. The actual finale on the programme is the virtuosic Escualo (shark), a favourite among Piazzolla fans. Its wild rhythms give the performers opportunity to strut their stuff, as the piece evokes the atmosphere of shark fishing. Matejča and Šulc do not disappoint, though it is hard to beat the quintet version as recorded by the Australian Chamber Orchestra musicians with accordionist James Crabb (Mulberry Hill Recordings).
The two suites have rarely been recorded together on one disc. I do not know of any previous recording with both suites performed on violin and accordion. Piazzolla’s music has been arranged for numerous combinations of instruments, as his works continue to be quite popular.
The Suite del Ángel begins with a slow, gentle introduction before quickening into a real tango. The music then slows down and returns to the pensiveness of the beginning. The Milonga del Ángel, one of the composer’s most beloved tangos, is haunting and a bit sentimental. The violin and accordion trade the melody and the accompaniment. That quintet recording gives the work a quite different character: Crabb’s accordion generally takes the lead. Both versions are convincing, though I especially like the more intimate nature of the piece, well suited to the duo.
La Muerte del Ángel offers a contrast in its lively tempo, commencing with the violin accompanied by the accordion. It contains a three-voice fugue with bass line and jazz elements. Its slower section is melodic and seductive until the fast tango returns powerfully. Resurreccion del Ángel, the suite’s longest movement, consists of several sections of contrasting material. It concludes the suite boisterously.
The Histoire du Tango has been often recorded as a suite in its entirety. There are accounts of the original flute and guitar instrumentation, a few with violin and some with viola, clarinet, trombone or double bass. These are accompanied variously by accordion, guitar or piano. According to Ladislav Horák’s liner notes, the original instrumentation may emulate Piazzolla’s studies in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and his exposure to the music of Ibert and Fauré. In any case, the arrangement for violin and accordion suits the music well.
Piazzolla’s programme notes for each movement are conveniently reproduced in the booklet. Bordel 1900 is a high-spirited tango with the violin and accordion as equals. It has a really memorable tune, and is enhanced by the violinist’s knocking on the finger board. Café 1930 is aromantic ballad, not intended for dancing, while Nightclub 1960 invokes the bossa nova and new tango that became so popular in Buenos Aires. The Concert d’aujourd’hui (modern-day concert) does not sound like the other tangos. It is more dissonant, and displays the influences of Stravinsky and Bartók. In many ways, I found the Histoire du Tango the most fascinating and interesting of all this music. Matejča and Šulc capture the spirit of these works very well.
The disc is further enhanced by excellent recording: the sound is clear and present but not too close up. There is an attractive booklet with colour photos of the musicians and informative notes on the music, but nary a word about the artists themselves.
Leslie Wright
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